IT Manager

Job Title: IT Manager

Location: Bedford

Salary: £45,000 – £55,000 per year – depending on experience.

Job Type: Full Time – Permanent. 37-hour week (Monday to Thursday 8.00am – 4.30pm, Friday 8.00am – 1.00pm) Office based role. Must be able to work onsite full time.

FORDS is an award-winning design and manufacturing business and world leader in packaging innovation. For nearly a century, Fords has built a reputation for providing innovative and creative sealing solutions to the biggest names in the dairy, beverage, food, pharmaceutical and personal care industries.

The Role:

Fords has a brand-new position for an IT Manager to support our employee base of circa 55 people. This is a standalone role and would suit an individual who really wants to own, manage, and strategically develop the entire IT function.

The successful candidate will be responsible for all IT functionality and this position would suit someone who enjoys providing hands-on, proactive IT support as well as playing a pivotal role in managing and implementing all aspects of IT strategy. This individual will have excellent infrastructure and network experience and provide strategic, operational, and commercially focused solutions to the management team to shape the future IT landscape of Fords.

We are currently implementing a brand-new ERP system (Epicor) and this individual will play a key role in ensuring that project is successful. We are incorporating new technology and Augmented Reality solutions for our worldwide customer base, which the successful individual will be involved in. This is an exciting time of growth within Fords as we look to bring in new technologies and consolidate our IT presence in house.

Key Duties:

• Overall responsibility for the management of all information technology and computer systems.
• Manage all IT infrastructure and proactively ensure security of data, network access and backup systems to ensure business continuity.
• Ensure that Fords cyber risk management strategy is robust and appropriate.
• Super user/system admin in our new ERP system (Epicor) and working across departments to assist users, including management of Epicor reporting tools.
• Manage and guide the development of the Microsoft 365 suite including Outlook, SharePoint, OneDrive, Office suite and other apps to achieve business requirements.
• Supplier Management – Managing IT hardware/software and consumables purchasing.
• Management of IT support contracts – both hardware and software.
• IT set up and onboarding for new joiners.
• Manage our employee base of around 55, including several overseas based employees, providing hands on technical support, including very occasional out of hours support.
• Take a lead role in the implementation and support of new Augmented Reality and HoloLens technology solutions for our worldwide customer base.
• Reviewing telephone use (mobile/landline) and implementing and managing an appropriate solution.
• Instigating a Mobile Device Management solution.
• Identify options for a new CAD system for the company.
• Project Management – to plan and manage all IT related projects to agreed timescales.
• Any such tasks required from time to time, provided they are within the competence of the job holder.

Skills/Experience:

Essential –

• Educated to graduate level or equivalent demonstrable skills and experience.
• 5+ years’ experience of ERP systems.
• Proven track record of project management of IT projects.
• Excellent knowledge and experience with IT Infrastructures including connectivity, networks and security (including remote access).
• Demonstrable past experience in a hands-on IT role.
• Database knowledge.
• Strong Microsoft Office 365 skills, including Advanced Excel.

Desirable –

• Experience with Epicor ERP system.
• Experience of ERP
• Coding
• Experience working in a manufacturing, engineering or capital equipment

Person Specification:

• Excellent communicator with the ability to build relationships across all departments.
• Able to work independently and effectively manage workload.
• Proactive, organised with an innovative and solution focussed mindset.
• Strategic and commercially focussed and able to present ideas to the management team.
• Thorough and accurate approach.
• A real team player, collaborative and inclusive.
• Ambition to succeed and develop.

Package:

• Discretionary bonus.
• 25 days holiday + bank holidays.
• Company life insurance x 6 times.
• Pension 5.0 %.
• Access to Independent Financial Adviser.
• Income protection after 3 years’ service.

Please click the APPLY below to submit your CV for this role.

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