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How to Hire a Head of IT in the UK (2026)

Hands-on IT leadership for growing businesses. How to hire a Head of IT.
By Mark Wilkinson, Managing Director of Coburg Banks
Charles leads Coburg Banks IT, placing technology professionals from helpdesk to CTO for businesses across the UK.
Mark's Linkedin Profile

A Head of IT leads the technology function day to day - close enough to still get hands-on, senior enough to set direction. It's a pivotal role in a growing business, and getting the balance right is the whole game.

⚡ In short

A UK Head of IT typically earns £70k-£100k plus bonus. Expect a placement in 6-12 weeks. Coburg Banks recruits them with no fee until your hire starts.

£70k-£100k

Typical base salary

6-12 weeks

Time to hire

48 hrs

To first shortlist

12 wks

Replacement guarantee

What to look for in a Head of IT

1

Hands-on and strategic

They should still be able to solve a problem and set a roadmap. Ask for examples of both.

2

Vendor and budget control

Much of the role is managing suppliers and spend. Look for someone commercial, not just technical.

3

Calm under pressure

When systems go down, the business looks to them. Screen for composure and clear communication.

How to run the hire

1. Define hands-on versus strategic
Decide how much the role does versus leads, and brief to it.

2. Score for breadth
Weight the mix of infrastructure, security, support and vendor management your business needs.

3. Source actively
Approach people rather than relying on an advert alone.

4. Test a real scenario
Give them an outage or a migration and listen to how they'd plan and communicate it.

5. Reference reliability
Confirm they kept systems stable and the team steady.

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to hire a Head of IT?

Fees typically run 18-23% of first-year salary, capped and agreed upfront.

You pay nothing until your hire starts, and the fee covers the whole search.

How long does it take to hire a Head of IT?

Usually 6-12 weeks, with a shortlist in the first fortnight.

Notice periods and how much you weight specific tech experience are the main things that move the timeline.

What does a Head of IT do?

A Head of IT runs the technology function - infrastructure, systems, security, support and the team - keeping the business running and improving it.

It's more hands-on than an IT Director role and usually reports into one.

Is a Head of IT the same as an IT Manager?

Close, but a Head of IT is usually more senior, with more strategy and budget ownership.

An IT Manager tends to focus on running the team and day-to-day operations. We confirm which level your role sits at.

What should I ask a Head of IT at interview?

Try: Walk me through how you'd run a systems migration.
Tell me about a time everything went down - what did you do?
How do you manage vendors and spend? and How do you keep your team motivated?

Do you recruit Heads of IT for SMEs?

Yes - SME and mid-market technology leadership is a core focus for us.

We look for people who thrive without the support layers of a large IT department, because that's a very different job to a corporate role.

External citations

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