IT Operations Manager

SPT Labtech is looking for an experienced IT Operations Manager to own and run our day-to-day IT function. This is a newly created role reporting to the IT Director, leading a small team across the UK and US and acting as the single accountable owner for helpdesk operations, asset and user lifecycle management, M365 administration and operational networking.

You will bring team leadership experience, a strong working knowledge of networking and infrastructure, and the discipline to run a structured, well-managed IT service. There is real scope to shape this role: you will set the standards, build the processes and decide how the team delivers.

About us:

Based in Melbourn, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom. SPT Labtech makes products that transform the way scientists work. For decades, our expert scientists, engineers and business innovators have provided scientists with world-leading, innovative solutions for liquid handling, sample preparation, and sample management that help accelerate research and make a real difference to human health. We work collaboratively with our customers, building trusted relationships that enable us to deliver exceptional, personalised experiences designed for real-world challenges in the lab.

Want to be part of a team that's truly making a difference?

Your key responsibilities will include:

• Managing and developing a team of three: a Support Engineer and IT Technician in the UK, and an IT Manager in the US, with regular 1:1s, performance reviews and development planning
• Setting team standards, SLAs and escalation protocols, and acting as the first point of escalation for the operational team
• Reporting operational performance to the IT Director: queue metrics, SLA adherence, volume trends and team capacity
• Owning helpdesk queue management, making sure tickets are triaged, routed and resolved within agreed timeframes
• Owning asset management, user lifecycle (starters, leavers and role changes) and day-to-day M365 administration
• Overseeing procurement of hardware and peripherals, and owning IT documentation: SOPs, FAQs and user guides
• Providing hands-on networking support: connectivity issues, VPN faults, switch-level troubleshooting and network access management
• Supporting server and infrastructure maintenance alongside our Cyber Security Engineer, with structured knowledge transfer to build your infrastructure depth over time
• Owning day-to-day security operations: policy enforcement, MFA compliance, endpoint compliance, antivirus alert triage and our phishing simulation programme
• Maintaining user access and permissions across all systems, applying least privilege principles

Skills & Attributes

You will be:

• An experienced people manager who gets the best out of a small team
• Organised and process-driven, comfortable owning a service function end to end
• A clear communicator, able to manage stakeholder expectations and represent IT professionally at all levels
• Hands‑on and self‑directed, happy to switch between management and technical work
• Comfortable working with colleagues across multiple sites and time zones

The essentials:

• Demonstrable experience leading, managing and developing a small IT team
• Experience owning a helpdesk or service desk function: queue management, SLAs, escalation protocols and ticket workflows
• Independent working knowledge of networking fundamentals: TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP, VLANs, VPN configuration, switch management and fault diagnosis
• Working knowledge of Windows Server environments
• Experience administering M365 or Google Workspace and the associated admin tooling
• Strong user lifecycle and access management experience across multiple systems

Hardware and software asset management experience

It would be a bonus if you have:

• Intune or MDM device management experience
• Experience running security awareness activities such as phishing simulations or security training
• Experience in a multi‑site or international IT environment
• Experience working alongside or transitioning to a managed security model (MDR, SIEM, CVAR)

Our commitment to you:

You'll be working with talented professionals in a motivated and driven team.

We offer a competitive salary package and comprehensive, valued benefits, including

• private medical insurance
• a generous pension plan
• an annual discretionary bonus

We embrace diversity and inclusivity, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, physical ability, or family status. We prioritise supporting our employees' diverse needs as we strive for excellence together.

If the above resonates with you, apply with an up-to-date CV and be a part of our journey to reshape the future of science.

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