First People Recruitment

Your New Job Title: Mandarin speaking Deputy Head of IT Salary: Up to £100k, depending on experience Location: Office based Employability: Permanent Start: ASAP To be successful in this role our client has said it is essential that candidates: are fluent in both Mandarin and English have solid IT experience, including Infrastructure, Applications, Cybersecurity, Network Engineering, Software Development, APP support, etc. in Financial Services have experience managing an IT team Deputy Head of IT - What You'll be Doing: Support the Head of IT in designing, implementing and maintaining the firm's IT strategy. Assist in developing and enforcing IT policies, procedures and architectural frameworks in line with group standards, regulatory requirements and best practices. Oversee IT operations, including infrastructure, support, applications and cybersecurity to ensure system stability and service continuity. Act as deputy for cybersecurity monitoring, threat management, incident response and improvement of protective controls. Assist with IT budgeting, cost control, vendor management and procurement to ensure effective financial governance. Maintain strong collaboration with group IT, supporting policy alignment, reporting and joint initiatives. Work closely with business units to identify technology needs, propose IT solutions and support implementation. Assist in maintaining and testing Business Continuity Plans and disaster recovery arrangements; participate in the Business Continuity Committee. Support implementation of approved systems and controls in compliance with relevant legislation, regulatory requirements and group policies. Monitor team workload, task allocation and performance to ensure effective delivery and reliable production systems. Provide coaching, mentoring and knowledge-sharing to IT team members; identify training needs and support skills development. Manage IT assets, suppliers and contractual relationships in accordance with internal procurement and compliance requirements. Lead and/or support IT projects including planning, resourcing, tracking, reporting and risk management. Prepare reports, documentation, KPIs and updates for Senior Management and the Board when required. Act as deputy for the Head of IT during absence, taking responsibility for escalation, decision making and operational oversight. Perform other duties as assigned by Senior Management or the Head of IT. Deputy Head of IT - The Skills You'll Need to Succeed: Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science or related discipline; Master's degree preferred. Extensive / Solid IT experience, including team leadership and project delivery. Strong technical knowledge across IT infrastructure, systems administration, networks, applications and cybersecurity. Experience in IT governance, ITIL processes, change management and incident management. Strong understanding of financial services IT environments, regulatory requirements and risk controls. Excellent communication, stakeholder management and decision making skills. Ability to coach and develop teams; experience managing distributed teams is desirable. Strong vendor management and negotiation capabilities. Sound knowledge of Business Continuity/Disaster Recovery frameworks. Working knowledge of networking, firewalls, CUCM, cybersecurity tools and cloud/infrastructure technologies. Experience with trading systems, exchange connectivity, FIX protocols and back office integrations is advantageous. Ability to work under pressure, manage competing priorities and deliver within deadlines. Bilingual speakers (English & Mandarin) are essential. Please note that we can only consider candidates who are eligible to work in the UK and are able to provide relevant supporting documentation. People First is committed to increasing diversity and maintaining an inclusive workplace culture. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates regardless of their ethnicity, race, gender, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, age, marital status or whether or not they have a disability. We would be grateful if you could send your CV as a Word document. If your application is successful, you will be contacted within 7 days. We regret that due to the high volume of applications we receive we cannot provide feedback on individual CVs.