IT Team Lead - Compute and Storage

Job Description

Mott MacDonald is a global engineering, management, and development consultancy committed to delivering impactful work that shapes the future.

We are a team of over 20,000 experts working across the world in more than 50 countries.
We are proud to be part of an ever-changing global industry, delivering transformative work that’s defining our future. It’s our people who power that performance. As an employee-owned business, we invest in creating a space for everyone to feel safe and valued and empowered with the right tools and support.

Whether you want to pursue excellence in your specialism or broaden your experience with flexible roles across our business, you’ll be connected to a community of global experts championing you to be your best. Join us and shape your story with Mott MacDonald, where everyone has the opportunity to be brilliant.

Job Description:

We have an opportunity for an IT Team Lead – Compute & Storage to join our global team.

The IT Team Lead – Compute & Storage will be responsible for the day‑to‑day management of the team, setting technical direction, and ensuring the delivery of high‑quality compute and storage services across our Microsoft Azure and on‑premises Windows Server environments.

You will combine hands-on technical expertise with effective people leadership to drive service excellence, operational resilience, and continuous improvement. Acting as the primary point of escalation for the team, you will champion standards and best practices while ensuring alignment between technical delivery and broader organisational strategy.

This is a pivotal role for someone who thrives on building high‑performing teams, solving complex infrastructure challenges, and shaping the future of cloud and on‑premise compute and storage platforms within a dynamic organisation.

Key duties and responsibilities include:

• Lead, coach, and develop a team of Compute and Storage specialists, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous learning.

• Conduct regular one‑to‑ones, performance reviews, and development conversations, setting clear objectives aligned to team and organisational goals within the Connected Conversations framework.

• Manage team capacity, workload allocation, and priorities to ensure effective delivery across BAU operations, incidents, and project work.

• Champion a culture of inclusion, wellbeing, and professional development, ensuring people feel empowered, supported, and inspired to deliver their best.

• Act as a visible leader within the wider IT function, representing the Compute and Storage team in cross‑functional forums and leadership discussions.

• Set and maintain technical standards, best practices, and architectural direction for compute and storage platforms, including Azure and Windows Server.

• Act as the senior technical escalation point for complex incidents, problems, and changes, driving resolution and ensuring high‑quality root cause analysis.

• Provide oversight and quality assurance for 4th‑line support across cloud and on‑premises infrastructure, ensuring environments remain current, secure, and optimised.

• Own the team’s contribution to cloud migrations, infrastructure upgrades, automation initiatives, and service enhancements, ensuring alignment with strategic objectives.

• Oversee IAM activities (Active Directory, Entra ID), ensuring robust authentication and authorisation across all platforms.

• Monitor and drive the optimisation of cost, performance, and capacity across compute and storage services, proactively identifying and addressing issues.

• Contribute to the strategic roadmap for compute and storage, identifying opportunities for innovation, automation, and service improvement.

• Ensure compliance with security policies and audit requirements, supporting regular reviews and implementing required controls.

• Report on team performance, service metrics, and improvement initiatives to senior leadership.

• Drive adoption of automation and Infrastructure‑as‑Code practices to improve efficiency and reduce manual effort.

Candidate Specification:

Essential:

• Demonstrable experience leading and developing a technical infrastructure team, with a track record of building high‑performing, collaborative teams.

• Strong technical background in compute and storage environments, including Azure, Active Directory, Entra ID, and on‑premises Windows Server.

• Proven experience providing advanced technical support and problem resolution for complex compute and storage platforms.

• Strong technical leadership with the ability to set standards, drive alignment, and support service excellence across distributed environments.

• Strategic mindset with experience influencing operational planning, transformation initiatives, and continuous service improvement.

• Skilled in stakeholder engagement and communication, able to advise, negotiate, and manage expectations across all levels of the organisation.

• Demonstrated capability in risk identification, escalation management, and effective decision‑making under pressure.

• Commitment to operational maturity and service evolution through data‑driven insights, innovation, and process optimisation.

Desirable:

• Educated to bachelor’s degree level, preferably in an IT or engineering discipline.

• Formal accreditation in ITIL v3, ITIL 4, or another best‑practice framework.

• Professional certification in Azure.

• Experience operating within complex organisations and managing or coordinating global teams.

• Experience with Microsoft cloud cost optimisation.

• Knowledge of containerisation platforms (e.g., Kubernetes, AKS).

• Experience with Infrastructure‑as‑Code tools (e.g., Terraform, Bicep, ARM Templates).

• Knowledge of Azure cloud capabilities, including Microsoft Graph and API integration, with experience defining how these support enterprise infrastructure strategies.

• Knowledge of Disaster Recovery (DR) and Business Continuity processes, ideally with experience contributing to or reviewing DR/BCP designs.

• Experience contributing to technical roadmaps, service improvement plans, or modern workplace strategies.

• Experience leading or supporting cross‑team collaboration across Security, Operations, IT Customer Success, and Architecture.

• Exposure to vendor management, licensing discussions, or product selection processes.

• Experience participating in audit/compliance reviews, providing evidence from a compute and storage perspective.

Personal Attributes:

• Passionate about technology and learning.

• Ability to balance demands and priorities and think clearly under pressure.

• Attention to detail and a focus on quality.

• Excellent conflict resolution, communication, and collaboration skills.

• Logical and analytical approach to solving problems.

Flexible working
At Mott MacDonald, we support our staff to create work-life balance which works for them and welcome candidates looking for career flexibility. We are open to discussing flexible working at interview stage.

Our benefits package is designed to enhance your experience:

• Agile working
• Critical illness and compassionate leave
• Paternity Leave
• Group term life insurance, and Group medical insurance coverage
• Career mobility options
• Short and Long-term global employment opportunities
• Global collaboration and knowledge sharing