IT infrastructure manager job description.
Looking to hire an IT infrastructure manager or progress into a leadership role? This job description covers responsibilities such as overseeing internal systems, managing hardware and cloud environments, leading teams, and ensuring resilience. It also details the required experience and what to expect in terms of salary.
What does an IT infrastructure manager do?
An IT infrastructure manager oversees the operation and development of an organisation’s infrastructure environment. They manage systems performance, lead infrastructure projects, and guide engineers to deliver scalable, secure platforms.
Responsibilities include capacity planning, vendor management, technical roadmaps, budgeting, and compliance. They work closely with IT leadership to align infrastructure with business needs and growth plans.
In smaller businesses, they may be both strategic and hands-on. In larger organisations, they manage distributed teams and complex infrastructure environments across data centres or cloud platforms.
Key responsibilities of an IT infrastructure manager.
Infrastructure managers oversee the design and operation of IT systems, ensuring stability and performance. Responsibilities typically include:
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Leading infrastructure teams across systems, networks, and storage
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Defining and executing infrastructure roadmaps and improvement plans
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Managing budgets, vendors, and hardware/software procurement
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Overseeing server, cloud, and data centre operations
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Ensuring compliance with security policies and governance frameworks
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Collaborating with other IT leaders on delivery, risk, and performance
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Supporting incident response and problem management processes
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Driving automation and infrastructure-as-code adoption
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Monitoring service levels and reporting key infrastructure metrics
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Leading infrastructure projects such as cloud migration or network upgrades
This role blends technical leadership with operational and strategic oversight.
Skills and requirements for an IT infrastructure manager.
Infrastructure managers oversee systems, networks, and architecture.Employers typically look for:
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6–10 years of experience in IT infrastructure, systems, or network roles
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Proven leadership managing infrastructure or technical operations teams
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Strong understanding of servers, networks, storage, and security
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Experience with cloud services like AWS, Azure, or hybrid models
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Confidence managing infrastructure upgrades, migrations, and DR plans
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Familiarity with ITIL, documentation, and change control processes
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Skilled in vendor management, budgeting, and procurement
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Ability to report performance, risks, and system health to leadership
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Experience aligning infrastructure with business growth and compliance
Most infrastructure managers report to Heads of IT or CTOs and oversee stability, scalability, and system performance.
Average salary for an IT infrastructure manager.
In the UK, the average salary for an IT infrastructure manager typically ranges from £60,000 to £85,000, based on systems complexity, team scale, and availability SLAs.
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Mid-level professionals in this role earn between £60,000 and £72,000
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Senior infrastructure managers running global or multi-site operations may earn between £73,000 and £85,000
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Bonuses may be tied to uptime, service performance, or delivery of IT change programmes
Top salaries are common in corporate HQs, data centres, and enterprise cloud environments.
Career progression for an IT infrastructure manager.
An IT infrastructure manager is responsible for overseeing the core technologies that power business operations. It’s a senior technical role that blends strategic planning, team leadership, and service reliability. Career progression often includes:
Infrastructure engineer / Systems administrator
Implements infrastructure updates, patches, and system monitoring tools. Supports day-to-day availability.
Senior infrastructure engineer
Leads deployment and optimisation of enterprise-grade platforms. Works cross-functionally on uptime and compliance.
IT infrastructure manager
Manages infrastructure teams, budgets, and service performance. Aligns infrastructure with company growth and digital transformation.
Head of infrastructure / Head of IT
Owns infrastructure strategy across multiple sites or regions. Leads risk planning, capacity forecasting, and vendor relationships.
Director of IT / CTO
Expands into enterprise-level leadership, often shaping long-term transformation agendas and managing global infrastructure estates.
Cloud & Infrastructure Engineer
Network Engineer
Head of / Lead Infrastructure Engineer
salary guide
Our UK IT salary guide.
Infrastructure managers oversee system performance, security, and resilience across IT operations. Salary should reflect responsibility across delivery and uptime.
Use the UK IT salary guide to benchmark infrastructure leadership roles, review hiring patterns, and prepare for future planning through to 2026.
FAQS
IT infrastructure manager FAQs.
They oversee the design, maintenance, and performance of the organisation’s IT infrastructure — including servers, networks, backup systems, and cloud environments. The role combines people management, budgeting, and hands-on infrastructure planning.
An IT manager typically oversees all of IT, including support. infrastructure managers are focused specifically on back-end architecture — ensuring systems are secure, scalable, and well-maintained.
Look for a combination of deep technical knowledge, vendor management experience, and the ability to communicate complex infrastructure needs to stakeholders. Experience with hybrid cloud strategies is especially relevant.
Financial services, education, logistics, and energy all depend on resilient infrastructure. These sectors are investing in modernisation, making this a high-demand role — particularly in London.
Common next steps include head of infrastructure, IT director, or cloud strategy lead. Some professionals specialise further into enterprise architecture or compliance-heavy roles.
