Senior IT Operations Lead

FDM is a global business and technology consultancy seeking a
Senior IT Operations Lead (AVP)
to work for our global finance clients. This is initially a
12-month contract
with very good prospects to extend and will be a
hybrid
role based in
Birmingham
.

We are seeking several Senior IT Operations Lead to join our client's team who are running a major, high-stakes Data Centre Migration Project through 2026 and needs seasoned Senior Command Centre Leads to oversee critical weekend execution. These leaders will manage all aspects of the migration command centre, including readiness planning, real-time monitoring, communication with senior stakeholders, and rapid issue and escalation handling. They'll moderate Teams channels, lead conference bridges, provide concise executive updates, document all key events, and deliver thorough post-weekend reports. Candidates should bring 7–10+ years of experience in high-pressure IT operations or incident management, strong technical understanding of data centre environments, exceptional communication and decision-making skills, and the ability to work rotational weekends to support 24x2 operations.

Responsibilities

• Lead all pre-weekend readiness activities, validating migration plans, resources, tools, and contingencies.
• Oversee real-time execution of weekend migration events, monitoring progress and identifying risks early.
• Actively manage project Teams channels, synthesizing updates and ensuring clear, timely communication.
• Draft and deliver concise executive-level status updates on progress, issues, and next steps.
• Initiate and lead critical conference bridges, driving discussions toward clear decisions and actions.
• Act as the primary escalation point, triaging issues, engaging senior technical leaders, and driving rapid resolution.
• Maintain accurate, detailed logs of all incidents, decisions, and events throughout the shift.
• Produce high-quality post-weekend reports and execute thorough handovers to ensure seamless operational continuity.

About You

Requirements

• 7–10+ years of experience in critical IT operations, incident management, or NOC/SOC leadership within large enterprises.
• Proven ability to lead virtual, cross-functional teams during high-pressure, time-sensitive events.
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, including experience engaging Directors/VPs.
• Strong technical understanding of data center infrastructure (compute, storage, network, virtualization, cloud).
• Familiarity with database infrastructure is a strong advantage.
• Proficiency with enterprise incident and project management tools (e.g., ServiceNow, MS Teams, monitoring platforms).
• Demonstrated ability to make clear, confident decisions in complex or ambiguous situations.
• Willingness to work rotational weekend schedules to support 24x2 migration operations.

Why join us?

• Career coaching and access to upskilling throughout your entire FDM career
• Initial upskilling pre-assignment that has been accredited by TechSkills
• Assignments with global companies and opportunities to work abroad
• Opportunity to obtain certifications from Microsoft, Salesforce, Cisco and more
• Access to the Buy As You Earn share scheme

About Us

We are a business and technology consultancy and one of the UK's leading employers, recruiting the brightest talent to become the innovators of tomorrow. We have centres across Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific, and a global workforce of over 3,500 Consultants. FDM has shown exponential growth throughout the years, firmly establishing itself as an award-winning employer and is listed on the FTSE4Good Index.

Diversity and Inclusion

FDM Group is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, veteran status or any other status protected by federal, provincial or local laws.