EMEA Head of Infrastructure

The EMEA Head of Infrastructure is accountable for the smooth and effective operation as well as strategic transformation of IT infrastructure services across the EMEA region. The role operates within a matrix organisation in alignment with global infrastructure functions. The EMEA Head of Infrastructure engages with the respective infrastructure chapter leads to ensure coherent, high-quality delivery for the region. The role drives availability, performance, scalability, efficiency, and continuous improvement as well as strategy of EMEA infrastructure, while ensuring regional needs are clearly represented and met.

Key Responsibilities

• Engage with global chapter leads and regional infrastructure colleagues through matrix management to ensure effective planning, design, implementation, operation, and maintenance of all EMEA infrastructure services. Scope includes data centres, servers, storage systems, networks, telecommunications, workplace and end user services, and cloud-based services.
• Act as the primary regional point of accountability, ensuring global chapter activity translates into tangible, high-quality outcomes for EMEA.
• Oversee the day-to-day IT operations, including help desk support, system monitoring, and IT service management including incident, problem, and change management. Ensure timely resolution of IT issues to minimize downtime and disruptions to business operations.
• Develop and execute strategic plans for infrastructure management, ensuring alignment with the organization's goals and objectives. Proactively identify areas of improvement, conduct cost-benefit analysis, and recommend appropriate solutions to enhance infrastructure performance, effectiveness, and efficiency across the business lines.
• Drive continual service improvement initiatives to enhance the quality of infrastructure operations.
• Build and manage a high-performance infrastructure organization, providing guidance, mentorship, and support. Foster a collaborative and results-oriented work environment, ensuring the team has the necessary resources and skills to meet objectives.
• Develop a deep understanding of the IT application and business needs and priorities and collaborate closely with key stakeholders in IT and business to align IT infrastructure with those needs to ensure tangible value for the business.
• Stay up-to-date with the latest trends and advancements in infrastructure technologies. Provide technical expertise and guidance to resolve complex infrastructure issues and ensure optimal performance.
• Establish and maintain relationships with external vendors and service providers and manage vendor contracts in close collaboration with procurement to obtain cost-effective and reliable infrastructure delivery.
• Develop and maintain comprehensive disaster recovery and business continuity plans for infrastructure systems. Conduct regular tests and evaluations to ensure the availability and reliability of critical systems in the event of an incident or disaster.
• Collaborate with compliance and security teams to ensure all EMEA infrastructure systems and processes meet relevant regulatory requirements, industry standards, and internal company policies. This includes active ownership of infrastructure obligations under financial services regulations such as DORA (Digital Operational Resilience Act), ensuring the region meets resilience, incident reporting, and third-party risk requirements applicable to IT infrastructure.
• IT Asset Management: Oversee the management and tracking of infrastructure assets, including hardware, software licenses, and equipment inventory.
• Infrastructure Transformation: Lead and contribute to major infrastructure transformation programmes across EMEA, including data centre modernisation, platform migrations, and hybrid cloud adoption. Ensure transformation initiatives are delivered with minimal disruption to live operations, and that regional teams are equipped and engaged throughout the change journey.
• AI-Driven Operations: Champion the adoption of AI-driven operational tooling across EMEA infrastructure, including AIOps platforms for predictive monitoring, automated incident response, and intelligent capacity management. Evaluate and drive use cases where AI enhances operational efficiency, reduces manual toil, and improves service reliability.
• Budgeting and Cost Control: Prepare and manage the infrastructure budget, ensuring cost-effective utilization of resources and adherence to financial targets. Monitor expenditures, identify areas for optimization, and make recommendations to reduce costs without compromising service quality.