Head of IT - Southampton

Head of IT - Up to £65,000 - Southampton

Principal IT are working with a well-known and industry leading MSP who provide IT services to businesses that are looking for an experienced head of IT to join their team. This is a hands-on leadership role, responsible for overseeing all aspects of infrastructure, cybersecurity, networking, and business systems, while managing a talented in-house IT team. You'll also play a key role in the organisation's roadmap to AI implementation, ensuring that IT strategy and operations are aligned with wider business objectives.

The Role

As Head of IT, you'll be responsible for the strategic direction, management, and delivery of IT services across the business.

You'll ensure the security, resilience, and efficiency of systems while developing the team and driving continuous improvement across technology functions.

Core Responsibilities

Technical Leadership & Escalation

Act as the highest technical escalation point for the service desk and field engineers

Troubleshoot complex issues across networking, cloud, security, and endpoint systems

Provide guidance on best practices, architecture decisions, and solution design

Mentor engineers and support their technical developmentProject Delivery & Technical Implementation

Lead technical projects : migrations, deployments, upgrades, cloud transitions

Scope and design solutions in collaboration with account managers

Ensure projects are delivered on time, within budget, and to technical standardsSecurity & Compliance

Oversee implementation of security tools (EDR, MFA, XDR, backup, etc.)

Maintain compliance with frameworks (Cyber Essentials, ISO, NIST)

Conduct risk assessments and recommend improvementsClient Engagement

Act as a trusted technical advisor for key clients

Attend technical review meetings and present environment health insights

Translate technical concepts into business‑focused recommendationsProcess & Workflow Improvement

Develop and refine SOPs, runbooks, and escalation workflows

Improve documentation quality and ensure knowledge is shared

Identify opportunities for automation and efficiency gainsAbout You

We're looking for a proven IT leader ideally within the MSP space who can combine technical credibility with strong people management and strategic thinking.

Technical Skills

Strong understanding of Microsoft 365, Azure AD / Entra, Intune, and Windows and network environments

Networking fundamentals (VLANs, firewalls, routing, VPNs)

Backup / BCDR technologies

Endpoint security and XDR / EDR platforms

Virtualization (Hyper‑V, VMware)

Scripting / automation (PowerShell preferred)Leadership & Soft Skills

Excellent communication and client‑facing presence

Ability to mentor and upskill junior engineers

Strong problem‑solving and analytical thinking

Calm under pressure, especially during incidents

Ability to balance technical depth with business contextEssential experience :

Previous experience in a CTO, Head of IT, IT Manager, or Senior IT Leadership

Strong background in infrastructure, networking, and cyber security (Fortinet).

Experience in managing and leading system integrations or migrations.

Knowledge of Cyber Essentials + 27001 / 9001 and wider security best practices.

Strong stakeholder management and leadership skills, with the ability to operate effectively at all levels of the business.The Package :

If successful our client is offering a salary of up to £65,000, favourable holiday allowance, company bonus scheme, hybrid working & more.

How to Apply :

If you are interested in hearing more about this head of IT vacancy or interested in applying for the role please email me at or contact Principal IT Directly on LinkedIn.

INDGH