Senior Officer, Enterprise IT

Job Summary

The Senior Officer, Enterprise IT is the lead practitioner in NPICTT’s Enterprise IT function, which owns and operates the Company’s information-technology infrastructure end to end — from end-user devices, through the corporate and infrastructure network, to the Company’s server rooms and data-centre footprint. The role is responsible for the day-to-day operation, support, maintenance and physical custody of that estate: identity and productivity services, end-user computing, network and telecommunications, compute, storage and virtualisation, backup and recovery, the server-room and data-centre environment, and the IT of the Fin.

Tech Innovation Centre and Company premises. Working within Technology Operations & Security under the Chief Technology Officer, the Senior Officer supports the execution of the Company’s ICT strategy, upholds industry-standard security across the estate, and provides day-to-day guidance to junior IT staff. Enterprise IT owns the infrastructure layer on which all of the Company’s systems run, including the environments that host the national payment platform.

Two boundaries are preserved by design. Platform Engineering owns the payment application and switch that run on that infrastructure, and Cybersecurity owns the security function and the custody of cryptographic key material. Accordingly, while Enterprise IT provides and maintains the server rooms, hardware and hosting for the payments estate, logical control of the payment switch remains with Platform Engineering; cryptographic keys and hardware security modules remain under dual control with Cybersecurity; and privileged access to the payments production and cardholder-data environment is least-privilege and segregated, to preserve PCI scope and segregation of duties.

Because this infrastructure underpins the operation of national payment infrastructure, the role is held to a standard of reliability, control and security well beyond that of a conventional corporate IT function. Main Responsibilities Infrastructure and Enterprise IT Operations Own, operate, support and maintain the Company’s ICT infrastructure end to end — servers, compute, storage, virtualization, network and end-user hardware — on-premises, colocated and in the cloud.

Administer the Microsoft 365 and Entra ID environment — identity, email, collaboration, device management and licensing — together with the corporate applications the Company relies on. Administer the corporate and infrastructure network, connectivity, wireless and telecommunications, and maintain reliable end-user computing.

Lead second-line support and resolution of hardware, software, network and communications problems, using diagnostic tools and structured troubleshooting, and act as an escalation point for junior IT staff. Provide IT administration, upkeep and maintenance for the Fin. Tech Innovation Centre and Company premises, and ad hoc support to staff and departments, including at on-site and off-site Company events as required.

Data Centre, Server Rooms and Physical Infrastructure Own and manage the Company’s server rooms and data-centre footprint, including the Company’s estate at the state data centre and any colocation, and coordinate with the facility provider on access, maintenance windows and incidents. Manage the physical infrastructure — racks, power and uninterruptible power, environmental and cooling systems, and structured cabling and cross-connects — and monitor environmental conditions.

Administer physical and logical access control to server rooms and infrastructure, and maintain accurate access records. Maintain a complete and accurate hardware asset register across the estate — devices, servers and network equipment — including warranty, support status and end-of-life planning. Backup, Recovery and Continuity Operate and monitor backup across the Company’s systems and data, and conduct scheduled restore testing — a backup that has not been restored is not a backup.

Maintain disaster-recovery procedures for infrastructure and network resources, validate recovery objectives with the business, and support the Company’s business continuity. Design for resilience and work to eliminate single points of failure across the estate. Systems Administration, Documentation and Audit Write up and maintain up-to-date documentation for infrastructure, network, systems, software and operational procedures.

Conduct ongoing systems audits to evaluate the utility, efficiency and security of hardware, software and communications components, and their effectiveness in meeting the Company’s information needs. Manage the end-user device lifecycle from provisioning through refresh to secure disposal, and execute joiner, mover and leaver provisioning promptly and completely, evidencing access changes on separation.

Security, Compliance and Payments Guardrails Ensure industry-standard security guidelines are applied across the IT and infrastructure estate, in conjunction with the Cybersecurity function. Operate cryptographic hardware and key material only under the dual-control arrangements owned by Cybersecurity — never unilaterally — and support, but do not hold sole control of, hardware security modules.

Apply least-privilege, segregated privileged access to the payments production and cardholder-data environment, and route changes to infrastructure underpinning the national rail through payments change control rather than corporate IT change alone. Support adherence to the Company’s information-security, data-protection and, where relevant, occupational safety and health requirements, and assist in the implementation of IT policies, procedures and systems operations.

Improvement, Vendors and Guidance Make recommendations for improvements to the infrastructure, and support their implementation. Coordinate IT and infrastructure vendors, the data-centre and colocation provider, and service providers on corporate and infrastructure matters. Provide day-to-day guidance and informal supervision to junior IT and infrastructure officers, allocating and checking work.

Conduct research and stay abreast of current IT, infrastructure and equipment trends, and perform other related duties as assigned.

Requirements

Person Profile The holder of this post is an accomplished, hands-on enterprise-IT and infrastructure practitioner who commands both corporate IT and the physical infrastructure estate — from end-user devices to server rooms. The individual demonstrates creativity, flexibility and resilience, remains calm under pressure, and combines strong technical capability with an excellent service disposition.

They are thorough and detail-oriented, work effectively both independently and within a team, and communicate clearly with colleagues, stakeholders and vendors. As the lead practitioner in the function, the Senior Officer is relied upon for the harder problems, sets the standard for documentation and control, guides junior staff, and understands and respects the boundaries that protect the payments production environment.

Sound judgement, dependability and integrity are essential in a role with privileged access to the Company’s systems, infrastructure and data. Academic Qualifications and Experience Academic Qualifications A first degree in Computer Science, Information Technology or a related discipline from a recognised institution; or an equivalent combination of qualification and demonstrable experience.

A current Microsoft certification — such as Microsoft 365 Certified: Administrator or Microsoft Azure Administrator (the successor credentials to MCSE) — is required or to be attained within an agreed period. An IT service-management qualification (such as ITIL Foundation) and infrastructure or networking certification (such as CompTIA, Cisco or a data-centre credential) are advantages.

Experience At least five (5) years’ practical experience administering an enterprise Microsoft environment and corporate and infrastructure ICT — servers, network, storage and virtualisation. Experience of data-centre or server-room operations — physical infrastructure, power and environmental systems, structured cabling — and of coordinating a colocation or data-centre provider.

At least one (1) to two (2) years guiding, checking or supervising the work of others, and formal project-management experience. Experience with Microsoft 365 and Entra ID, SharePoint, Exchange Online, SQL Server, endpoint management, antivirus and firewalls; Windows Server and Linux; virtualisation; and modern backup and recovery tooling (for example Veeam or Azure Backup).

Experience with network monitoring, analysis and diagnostic tools, and with the maintenance of disaster-recovery procedures. Exposure to a payments, banking or other controlled production environment is an advantage.