Chief Information Officer

Salary: Circa £165,000 + Executive Package including Bonus, LTIP, Car Allowance, Private Healthcare, and Pension

Reports to: Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

Our client is a leading, multi-site construction and infrastructure group based in the North West of England. With a rich history and a strong pipeline of projects, they are a major player in the UK construction sector. They are currently in a phase of rapid, strategic growth, driven by a highly acquisitive model. To support this ambitious growth, we are seeking a visionary and commercially astute Chief Information Officer.

The Chief Information Officer will be a key member of the executive leadership team, responsible for defining and executing the Group's technology strategy. The primary purpose of this role is to leverage technology as a strategic enabler to drive business growth, operational efficiency, and competitive advantage. The CIO will be a critical partner to the CEO and the board, translating complex business challenges, particularly those related to the integration of acquired businesses, into robust, scalable, and secure technology solutions. This leader will be responsible for building a cohesive, group-wide technology function from a diverse set of legacy systems and teams, ensuring that our technology infrastructure is a foundation for future success, not a barrier to it.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop, articulate, and execute a forward-thinking, group-wide IT strategy that is fully aligned with the company's business objectives, growth trajectory, and M&A strategy.
• Act as a trusted advisor to the CEO, Board of Directors, and other senior executives on all technology-related matters, providing clear, non-technical guidance on opportunities and risks.
• Champion a culture of digital innovation and continuous improvement, identifying emerging technologies (e.g., AI, IoT, Data Analytics, BIM) that can enhance productivity, safety, and project delivery.
• Define and manage the technology budget for the entire group, ensuring optimal allocation of resources and a clear return on investment for all technology initiatives.
• Lead the technology due diligence process for all potential acquisitions, assessing the target company's systems, infrastructure, security posture, and IT team.
• Develop and execute comprehensive, repeatable post-merger integration (PMI) playbooks to rapidly and efficiently integrate acquired businesses into the group's technology ecosystem.
• Manage the consolidation of disparate ERP, project management, and finance systems into a single, unified platform to provide a "single source of truth" for the entire business.
• Lead the harmonisation of IT policies, procedures, and security standards across all regions and geographies.
• Provide executive oversight for the day-to-day management of the group's IT infrastructure, ensuring high availability, performance, and resilience across all sites.
• Lead the selection, implementation, and management of core enterprise systems, with a focus on ERP, CRM, and construction-specific software (e.g., BIM, project management, asset management).
• Establish and maintain a group-wide cybersecurity framework to protect the organisation's data, systems, and intellectual property from evolving threats.
• Ensure compliance with all relevant regulations, including GDPR and industry-specific standards.
• Extensive CIO/IT Director experience at a senior executive level within a large, complex, multi-site organisation. Experience in the construction, engineering, infrastructure, or a related project-based industry is highly desirable.
• A proven track record of leading the technology integration of acquired businesses through a period of high M&A activity. This is a non-negotiable requirement.
• Demonstrable experience in designing and delivering a group-wide IT strategy that has directly supported business growth and operational transformation.
• Deep understanding of enterprise-level systems (e.g., ERP, CRM) and their role in a project-driven environment. Experience with Microsoft Dynamics 365, Oracle, or similar platforms is a plus.
• Strong knowledge of modern cloud architectures (Azure/AWS), data management, and cybersecurity best practices.
• Experience in consolidating and standardising IT infrastructure and systems across disparate regions or geographies.

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