Job Description

About Us

Select Car Leasing is the UK's leading car leasing broker, delivering exceptional customer experiences for over two decades. As we embark on a transformational technology journey, we are evolving from a traditional car leasing business into a cutting-edge tech-enabled mobility platform. Our vision is to redefine vehicle leasing through innovative digital solutions, operational excellence, and seamless customer

experiences.

Role Overview

As the Head of Platform Operations, you will be responsible for overseeing our entire technical infrastructure landscape, from internal IT systems to cloud environments. This role will ensure operational excellence while maintaining robust security protocols and supporting the needs of both technology and business teams. The role requires a strategic mindset balanced with hands-on technical expertise to drive continuous improvement across all infrastructure domains.

Key Responsibilities

Internal IT Management

Oversee management of all internal IT assets including employee hardware, network infrastructure, printers, and other peripherals.

Develop and implement IT policies, onboarding and offboarding procedures that balance security with usability for employees.

Ensure timely procurement, setup, and maintenance of all employee computing equipment.

Maintain reliable network connectivity across all office locations.

Implement effective backup and recovery solutions for internal systems.

Provide strategic direction for internal IT infrastructure evolution and modernization.

Cloud Infrastructure

Lead the design, implementation, and management of our cloud infrastructure, with particular focus on Heroku and AWS environments.

Develop cloud governance policies and ensure adherence across the organization.

Oversee infrastructure sizing recommendations to optimize for performance, reliability, and cost.

Create and maintain infrastructure documentation and architectural diagrams.

Implement infrastructure as code practices for consistent and repeatable deployments. Guide the team on best practices for cloud resource utilization and cost optimization.

Security Management

Establish comprehensive security frameworks across all infrastructure components.

Develop and enforce security policies, procedures, and controls.

Implement proactive vulnerability management and regular security assessments.

Oversee patch management processes for all systems to mitigate security risks.

Lead the response to security incidents according to established protocols.

Conduct regular security awareness training for all employees. Ensure compliance with relevant industry standards and regulations such as ISO 27001.

Technical Operations

Lead incident management processes, including detection, response, and resolution.

Establish and maintain 24/7 support rotations for critical systems.

Develop runbooks and playbooks for common operational scenarios.

Implement post-incident review processes to drive continuous improvement.

Manage performance and capacity to ensure service level objectives are consistently met.

Establish disaster recovery procedures and conduct regular testing.

Tools and Vendor Management

Evaluate, select, and implement engineering and business tools that enhance productivity.

Manage software licenses and ensure compliance with licensing terms.

Build and maintain positive relationships with technology vendors and service providers.

Negotiate contracts and service level agreements that meet the organization's needs.

Regularly review vendor performance and value provided to the organization.

Observability and Deployment Pipeline

Design and implement comprehensive observability strategies across all environments.

Set up monitoring systems that provide actionable insights into system performance.

Create and maintain dashboards that visualize critical metrics for different stakeholders.

Establish alerting thresholds and notification systems for proactive issue detection.

Use observability data to drive continuous improvement in system reliability.

Lead the design and implementation of robust deployment pipelines. Integrate testing, security scanning, and compliance checks into automation workflows.

Establish metrics for measuring the effectiveness of automation efforts.

Team Leadership

Build, mentor, and lead a team of infrastructure, security, and operations engineers.

Establish a culture of continuous learning and improvement.

Develop career growth paths for team members.

Collaborate effectively with development, product, and business teams.

Manage department budget and resource allocation effectively.

Qualifications & Skills

Experience

10+ years of experience in infrastructure engineering, technical operations, or related roles.

Strong experience managing cloud infrastructure, especially AWS and Heroku.

Extensive background in security management and operational excellence.

Technical Expertise

Comprehensive understanding of modern software development practices and tools.

Strong knowledge of Heroku and AWS services and architecture patterns.

Experience with infrastructure as code using CloudFormation, Terraform, or similar tools.

Proficiency with containerization using Docker and orchestration with EKS/ECS.

Deep understanding of observability principles and experience with monitoring tools.

Knowledge of CI/CD pipeline design and implementation.

Understanding of database technologies and their operational requirements.

Familiarity with various security frameworks and compliance standards.

Core Competencies

Strategic thinking with ability to align technical decisions with business objectives.

Strong problem-solving skills and ability to navigate complex technical challenges.

Leadership capabilities with experience building and developing high-performing teams.

Excellent communication skills for engaging with technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Ability to manage multiple priorities effectively in a fast-paced environment.

Strong incident management capabilities, particularly in high-pressure situations.

Vendor management skills, including contract negotiation and relationship building.

Customer-focused mindset, treating internal teams as valued customers

What We Offer

Competitive salary and benefits package.

The opportunity to lead and shape the future of a market-leading company at the forefront of technology and mobility.

A hands-on leadership role with direct influence over the company's growth and evolution.

A dynamic, forward-thinking workplace culture.

Job Types: Full-time, Permanent

Schedule:

Monday to Friday
Work Location: In person