Head of IT Full Time

Digital Media Services UK Limited

WHO WE ARE

We are a vibrant, engaged, talent-driven agency where our staff feel empowered, where ideas are encouraged and where outstanding work is rewarded. We nurture bright, passionate people who are innovative and creative in their thinking and ambitious and brave in everything they do.

DMS is a place where our clients feel looked after, where they trust our ability to deliver and to come up with new ways of engaging them and helping them engage their audiences. We strive to be a key agency partner to our clients, delivering consistency of work and quality of service.

Founded in 2002, our headquarters are in London with offices also in Los Angeles and Sydney. We are part of the AKA Group of agencies.

WHAT WE DO

We are a full-service creative digital agency. Our people, technology and insights help global media and entertainment, sports and lifestyle brands create, manage, localise, distribute and place their content, and evaluate its media reach.

LOCALISATION SERVICES

DMS delivers a full range of adaptation and localisation services to major film studios across the globe from its central London base. Our services include subtitling, dubbing, editing, colour-grading and visual effects for promotional materials to support worldwide feature film releases for use in cinema and online.

THE ROLE

We are seeking a Head of IT who is passionate about transforming business through technology, fostering a security-first culture, developing the skills and experience of the existing IT team, and who wants to make their mark in a rapidly expanding agency.

Main tasks and responsibilities

• Oversee the day-to-day operations of the IT department, ensuring technical issues are resolved quickly and efficiently.
• Lead, mentor, and manage the IT team, fostering a high-performance culture.
• Identify skill gaps and oversee talent development, recruitment, and training.
• Drive continuous improvement in IT processes, optimizing for productivity and cost-effectiveness.
• Develop and implement the overall IT strategy to support the company’s business goals.
• Collaborate with the Senior Leadership team to align IT initiatives with organizational objectives.
• Stay current with emerging technologies and assess potential applications for business advantage.
• Drive the adoption of innovative solutions that improve efficiency, speed of delivery, and competitive advantage.
• Oversee IT projects, including infrastructure upgrades, software implementations, and system integrations.
• Ensure projects are delivered on time, within scope, and within budget.
• Develop and manage the IT budget, including capital expenditures, operational costs, and ROI for technology investments.
• Negotiate and manage contracts with third-party vendors, ensuring high-quality service and cost-effectiveness.
• Develop and enforce policies and procedures to maintain the highest level of IT security and data integrity.
• Ensure compliance with relevant regulations, such as GDPR and studio security standards.
• Lead cybersecurity initiatives, conducting regular risk assessments and implementing best practices to protect against cyber threats.

Experience: 8+ years in IT management, with at least 5 years in a senior role in a media, entertainment, or a similar high-demand environment.

Technical Proficiency: Strong knowledge of Linux, Windows, networking, virtualization, and cloud infrastructure especially Azure and AWS.

IT Infrastructure Management: Windows Servers, Windows 11/10, Linux, macOS

Cloud Services: Microsoft Azure, Microsoft Office 365 Admin, Microsoft Entra ID, Microsoft Intune Administration, Microsoft Defender for Endpoint

Security: Network Security, Cloud Security (Microsoft Azure & AWS), Endpoint Security, Mobile Security, IoT Security, Application Security, Zero Trust, DLP, Firewalls

Storage: SAN, NAS, Disaster Recovery, Backups, PixStor, EditShare, Synology, QNAP, GPFS Filesystem, SMB & NFS

Virtualization: VMware, Hyper-V, VEEAM

Network Architecture: Design and Management of Complex Networks, Firewalls (Cisco Meraki, FortiGate), Switches (HP & Ubiquiti)

Content Delivery: IBM Aspera, Aspera Console & FASPEX

Backups: SpectraLogic Tape (T120), Quantum LTO, Archiware P5

Security: Experience working in high-security environments for film pre-release content.

Security Compliance: NIST, MPAA, and TPN

Industry Knowledge: Understanding of media workflows, post-production environments, and file-based delivery systems.

Key Competencies

Strategic Thinking: Ability to align IT objectives with business goals.

Leadership: Proven experience leading and motivating cross-functional teams.

Project Management: Expertise in managing IT projects from inception to completion.

Analytical Skills: Strong analytical and troubleshooting abilities.

Communication: Keeping all stakeholders updated on the progress of projects.

Time management: Strong time management skills ensure business priorities are accomplished on time