IT Team Lead - Infrastructure

Location/s: Newcastle, UK
Recruiter contact: Laura Kennedy

Mott MacDonald is a global engineering, management, and development consultancy with over 20,000 employees across more than 50 countries and 140+ offices. 

We work across incredible global industries, delivering exciting work that is defining our future and making an important societal impact in the communities we serve. Our people power our performance – we succeed when they do. With countless opportunities to collaborate, learn, and grow, the possibilities for excellence are as varied as every individual. 

Whether you want to grow as a subject matter expert or broaden your experience with roles across our international community, you’re surrounded by global specialists who want to combine their expertise and champion you to be your best. As a proudly employee-owned business, we benefit our clients, our communities, and each other, investing in creating the right space for everyone to feel empowered, included, and valued. Whatever your ambition, Mott MacDonald is where people come to be brilliant.

Overview of the role

We have an exciting opportunity for an IT Team Lead – Infrastructure to join our global IT function. 

This role is responsible for leading and managing a multi-disciplinary infrastructure team covering Compute, Storage, and Network services across both on-premises and cloud environments (Azure). 

You will combine strong technical expertise with people leadership to ensure the delivery of secure, resilient, and high-performing infrastructure services. Acting as the senior escalation point, you will drive operational excellence, standardisation, and continuous improvement while aligning infrastructure services to organisational strategy. 

This is a pivotal leadership role, ideal for someone who thrives in hybrid infrastructure environments, enjoys building cross-skilled teams, and can bridge traditional silos between compute and network domains. 

Key responsibilities and duties include:

Leadership & People Management 

• Lead, coach, and develop a cross-functional infrastructure team covering compute, storage, and networking
• Drive cross-skilling initiatives to build a flexible, multi-disciplinary team
• Conduct performance reviews, 1:1s, and development plans aligned to organisational goals
• Manage team capacity, workload, and priorities across BAU, incidents, and projects
• Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, inclusion, and continuous improvement
• Act as a key representative in IT leadership and cross-functional forums 

Technical & Operational Leadership 

• Provide technical direction and standards across:  
  • Compute (Windows/Linux, VMware, Azure)
  • Storage (SAN/NAS, backup & recovery)
  • Network (LAN/WAN/SDWAN, firewalls, VPN, cloud networking)
• Act as the primary escalation point for complex infrastructure and network incidents
• Ensure high availability, performance, and security of all infrastructure services
• Oversee network operations, including connectivity, security controls, and remote access
• Ensure infrastructure is secure, compliant, and audit-ready 

Service Delivery & Operations 

• Own and improve ITIL processes (Incident, Problem, Change, Capacity, Availability)
• Ensure SLA adherence and service quality across all infrastructure domains
• Drive root cause analysis and problem management to prevent recurring issues
• Maintain comprehensive documentation, including diagrams and standards
• Manage vendor relationships and third-party services 

Continuous Improvement 

• Define and contribute to the infrastructure roadmap across compute, storage, and network
• Lead cloud transformation, modernisation, and migration initiatives
• Drive automation and Infrastructure-as-Code adoption
• Optimise cost, performance, and capacity across infrastructure services
• Champion innovation and service improvement initiatives 

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs):

• SLA compliance and Mean Time to Resolve (MTTR)
• Infrastructure and network availability and resilience
• Team performance and engagement
• Customer Satisfaction (CSAT)
• Successful delivery of projects and transformations
• Service improvement and automation adoption
• DR/BCP success rates
• Audit and security compliance outcomes 

Candidate specification

Essential:

• Proven experience leading infrastructure teams across compute, storage, and networking
• Strong technical background in:  
  • Compute & Cloud: Azure, Windows Server, virtualization (VMware/Azure)
  • Storage: SAN/NAS, backup and recovery
  • Networking: LAN/WAN/SDWAN, routing, switching, DNS, DHCP, TCP/IP
• Experience managing hybrid infrastructure environments (on-prem + cloud)
• Strong understanding of network security (firewalls, VPNs, Zero Trust concepts)
• Experience in global, SLA-driven environments
• Strong leadership, stakeholder management, and communication skills
• Proven ability to manage escalations, risks, and major incidents
• Experience with ITIL frameworks and ITSM tools (e.g., ServiceNow) 

Desirable:

• Certifications:  
  • Azure (AZ-104, AZ-305)
  • Networking (CCNA/CCNP or equivalent)
  • ITIL v3/v4/v5
• Experience with:  
  • Automation (PowerShell, Terraform, Bicep, ARM templates)
  • Monitoring tools (SolarWinds, Azure Monitor, WUG)
  • Cloud networking and hybrid architectures
  • Containerisation (AKS, Kubernetes)
• Experience working in global or matrix organisations

UK Immigration

Mott MacDonald Ltd. are not currently offering sponsorship to candidates under the Skilled Worker visa route in the UK. This decision is as a consequence of the changes made to the Skilled Worker route by the UK Government in April 2024. We continue to welcome applications from candidates who are eligible for alternative immigration routes in the UK, that do not require sponsorship as a Skilled Worker now or in future.

Agile working  

At Mott MacDonald, we believe it makes business sense for you and your manager to choose how you can work most effectively to meet your client, team, and personal commitments. We offer a hybrid working policy that embraces your well-being, flexibility, and trust.

Equality, diversity, and inclusion 

We put equality, diversity, and inclusion at the heart of our business, seeking to promote fair employment procedures and practices to ensure equal opportunities for all. We encourage individual expression in our workplace and are committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels they can contribute.

Accessibility

We want you to perform your best at every stage in the recruitment process. If you are disabled or need any support to enable you to apply or attend an interview, please contact us at reasonable.adjustments@mottmac.com and we will talk to you about how we can support you.

We offer some fantastic benefits including:

Financial wellbeing

• We match employee pension contributions between 4.5% and 7%.
• Life assurance equal up to 4 x your basic salary, with an option to increase the level of cover to 6 x your salary.
• Our income protection scheme provides a financial benefit, as well as absence and return to work support due to long-term illness or injury.
• Flexible benefits, including increased life assurance cover, critical illness insurance, payroll saving and will writing.
• As an independently owned business we share the financial success of the business with all our colleagues in various ways including annual bonus schemes.

Employee Ownership

• Our employee ownership model means no external investors, just us, creating a culture of shared success.
• Our employees have a stake and a voice in our business, giving them a direct connection to our success through our personal and group performance bonuses.
• As your career grows, so does your stake, recognising your long-term impact and contribution.
• Your voice matters, with the opportunity to connect directly with senior leadership through formal channels to help shape our future.
• For our senior roles you will have a direct pathway towards ownership from day one.

Health and wellbeing

• Private medical insurance for all UK colleagues.
• Health cash plan to support you with every day health costs and treatments.
• Access to Peppy, providing free support from menopause experts for all UK colleagues.
• A variety of wellbeing support is available through our comprehensive wellbeing program, including access for you and your family.
• Ability to flex your salary to opt into a wide range of health benefits, many of which can be extended to your family too.

Lifestyle

• A minimum of 33-35 days holiday each year, inclusive of public holidays and dependent on level, with the ability to buy or sell leave through our flexible benefits programme.
• 10 days additional paid leave for Armed Forces Reservists and Cadet Force Adult Volunteers.
• Holiday entitlement increased to a minimum of 35 days after 5 years’ service.
• Variety of employee saving schemes and discounts from high-street retailers.

 Enhanced family and carers leave

• Enhanced family leave policies, including 26 weeks paid maternity and adoption leave, and two weeks paid paternity/partner leave.
• Our shared parental leave matches maternity leave meaning we pay up to 24 weeks at full pay.
• Up to five additional days leave are provided for those with significant caring responsibilities, two of which are paid.
• We offer policies and dedicated support to help military families balance service life with career and wellbeing.

Learning and development

• Primary annual professional institution subscription.
• A broad range of opportunities to enhance both technical and soft skills through mentoring, formal training, and self-development options.

Networks, communities, and social outcomes

• Join a wide range of groups including our Advanced Employee Networks which support our LGBTQ+, gender, race and ethnicity, disability, and parents/carers communities.
• We are proud signatories of the Armed Forces Covenant and Gold Award holders in the MOD Employer Recognition Scheme, supported by our dedicated internal Armed Forces Network.
• Make a difference within our communities through our social outcomes.

Apply now, or for more information about our application process, click here.