Hays
IT Production and Operations Manager

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Your New Company
An exciting opportunity has arisen to join a well-established and highly respected financial services organisation that is committed to delivering exceptional customer service through reliable, secure and innovative technology operations. The organisation fosters a collaborative and inclusive working environment where employee wellbeing, professional development and continuous improvement are at the heart of its culture.
This role is hybrid, 8 days per month, based in central Cardiff.
Your New Role
As IT Production Operations Manager, you will take ownership of the production environment, ensuring critical systems, platforms and workloads operate reliably, securely and efficiently.
Reporting to the IT Service Operations Manager, you will play a key leadership role within the Service Operations function, overseeing production operations, enterprise scheduling, production control and operational automation. You will be responsible for ensuring operational readiness across supported services while providing leadership during incidents and major incidents to support effective service recovery.
You will drive continual service improvement by identifying root causes of recurring issues, implementing robust operational controls and enhancing production resilience. Working closely with technology teams and third-party suppliers, you will manage production risks, dependencies and service restoration activities whilst ensuring governance standards are maintained.
The role will also focus on developing automation capabilities to improve operational efficiency, reduce manual effort and increase service stability. In addition, you will lead, coach and develop a high-performing team, creating a culture of accountability, collaboration and continuous improvement.
Reasons to use Rodeo
I’m in my final year doing Economics and I don’t know whether to apply for grad schemes now or do a masters first. What do you think?
Honest answer — it depends on where you want to end up. A lot of top grad schemes (Big 4, civil service, banking) don’t need a masters. Let’s look at the ones you’d be competitive for now, and we can decide if a masters actually adds anything.
Also worth knowing: most autumn 2026 applications are open now. Timing matters more than you think.
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Graduate Consultant — 2026 Scheme
Why you're a good match
StrongYour economics background and your summer at a regional bank line up with what PwC looks for on the consulting scheme. Applications close in four weeks.
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Why you're a good match
You’ve got the grades and the economics background, and your bank internship is exactly the experience this scheme looks for. Apply soon — deadlines close within the month.
Experience fit
Your summer at the bank plus your econometrics coursework map directly to the day-one responsibilities on this scheme — client modelling, market briefings, and deal support.
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No noise. No "maybe this fits." Just roles with a clear explanation of why they're right — and where to focus when applying.
What You'll Need to Succeed
To be successful in this role, you will have significant experience leading IT operations or production support teams within a complex technology environment. You will possess strong knowledge of production operations, enterprise scheduling, batch processing and operational service management. We are looking for someone who has managed infrastructure and mainframe engineers, (ideally you'll be familiar with Unisys, but any mainframe experience would be considered).
You will be confident operating in incident and major incident environments, with the ability to make informed decisions under pressure and coordinate technical recovery activities. Experience of driving automation initiatives and improving operational resilience, recovery procedures and service continuity practices will be highly beneficial. Strong analytical and problem-solving skills are essential, together with the ability to utilise operational data and performance metrics to drive improvements. You will be an effective communicator who can build strong relationships with internal stakeholders, technical teams and external suppliers. Experience working within a regulated environment would be advantageous.
You will be a proactive and collaborative leader who can motivate and develop teams, remain calm in demanding situations and continually seek opportunities to improve processes and operational performance.
What You'll Get in Return
- Salary up to £75,000 (depending on experience)
- Flexible working (8 days a month on site in central Cardiff)
- 36 days annual leave (including BH)
- Excellent maternity (39 weeks fully paid maternity leave) and paternity leave (20 week paternity leave)
- Fertility treatment, adoption, surrogacy and fostering leave and flexibility for carers
- Private Medical
- 4x Life Assurance
- Plus other employee discount schemes


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In return, you will join a forward-thinking organisation that invests in its people and technology. You will benefit from flexible hybrid working, a supportive and inclusive culture, excellent opportunities for professional development and the chance to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of IT operations within a large and complex environment.
What You Need to Do Now
If you're interested in this opportunity, click 'apply now' to submit your up-to-date CV, or contact us for a confidential discussion about your career.
If this job is not quite right for you, but you are looking for a new position, please contact us for a confidential discussion about your career.
Desired Skills and Experience
As IT Production Operations Manager, you will take ownership of the production environment, ensuring critical systems, platforms and workloads operate reliably, securely and efficiently.
Reporting to the IT Service Operations Manager, you will play a key leadership role within the Service Operations function, overseeing production operations, enterprise scheduling, production control and operational automation. You will be responsible for ensuring operational readiness across supported services while providing leadership during incidents and major incidents to support effective service recovery.
Hays Specialist Recruitment Limited acts as an employment agency for permanent recruitment and employment business for the supply of temporary workers. By applying for this job you accept the T&C's, Privacy Policy and Disclaimers which can be found at hays.co.uk
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