IT Director Jobs in the United Kingdom

IT Director Jobs Overview

Are you looking to step up your career in IT and seeking IT director jobs? If you’ve worked in the sector long enough and are not afraid of responsibility and managing the technological advancement of a company, this role is for you.

IT Director Jobs and Chief Technology Officer Jobs: Are They the Same?

In small to medium size companies IT director jobs and chief technology officer jobs are used as synonyms. In bigger corporations, these are usually two separate positions. A CTO is more involved in the strategy and planning side, while an IT director has a more hands-down involvement in the IT infrastructures of the company.

Typical responsibilities as an IT director include:

• lead the IT department staff
• establish goals and strategies to fulfil business needs, while respecting budgets
• oversee IT operations
• collaborate across different departments
• prepare and present reports to top-level management
• supervise the company help desk
• hire new IT team members
• search for new technology solutions to increase department efficiency
• establish and keep track of metrics to evaluate IT department work
• check for and fix security vulnerabilities

IT director jobs are full-time careers. While a 40-hour per week schedule is the norm, there might be times you have to work extra hours to close important projects.

How to Find the Best IT Director Jobs for You

Giving you a definition of the best IT director job out there would be impossible. But we can show you how to recognise what would be best for you.

Set Your Priorities

There are many factors of your job that can influence your wider professional (and personal) life. Decide what is important to you when it comes to:

• the industry you want to work in
• company size
• location
• travel requirements
• work-life balance

Screen Companies

Once you have a clear idea about your needs and aspirations, start filtering companies. Further narrow down your criteria to:

• ideal company culture
• growth opportunities
• employee compensation package and other perks
• availability to work remotely

How to Apply to IT Director Jobs

Once you’ve found suitable job openings it’s time to work on your applications. Make sure they’re perfect before you send them off to ensure the best chance of a lasting impression.

Update Your CV for Director of IT Jobs or Chief Technology Officer Jobs

Looking for CV writing tips to help you secure an interview for an IT director job or a chief technology officer job? We’ve got your back.

An IT director CV must communicate that you have both deep technical knowledge of your sector and leadership and organisational skills. Great skills to have in your IT director CV include:

• leadership
• decision-making
• teamwork
• problem-solving and an analytical attitude
• presentation skills
• interpersonal communication
• time and project management
• negotiation
• delegation
• conflict management

Then, focus on quantifying results from your previous IT director jobs with metrics and examples of past projects you led. This is the most effective way to show the impact you had. Good examples of KPIs to quote in your CV are:

• employee turnover rate
• bug fixes over the course of a project
• time to market
• average response time
• customer satisfaction and retention rates

Complete your CV with a profile summary at the top of your document. Introduce your specific areas of expertise and most important accomplishments.

Tips for Your IT Director Writer Cover Letter

Conclude your application with a compelling cover letter. A good IT cover letter for a director position should elaborate details beyond those in your CV. Explain in more depth why you are the right candidate and what you can help the company achieve under your leadership. Here is a simple yet effective structure to use:

• Strong opening. The first two or three sentences of your letter must hook the reader and convince them to keep reading. Tell them why you are applying for the role and what kind of background you have that makes you a great fit.
• Past Achievements. Here you’ll enter into more details. Feel free to add as many metrics as you consider valuable from your past IT director jobs to support your claims.
• Relevant Skills. Stress how your skills meet the job description and offer examples of how you used them with real-life examples.
• Call to Action to Close. Recap your strengths and invite the recruiter to contact you to answer any questions they might have.

Are your CV and cover letter good to go? Upload them to a free candidate account on Monster to apply in seconds to your dream job. As a Monster member, you'll also get customised job alerts. So, you’ll be among the first to know when new positions matching your criteria are available.

How to Follow Up with an Employer

Sending a follow-up after applying for an IT director role is a great way to increase your chances of selection. It shows the recruiter you’re eager enough to chase them. Do it the right way by:

• Waiting a reasonable amount of time. At least a week is typical. An IT director is one of the key players in a company’s management, so it makes sense recruiters might want to take their time to evaluate CVs.
• Addressing the right person. Find the contact details of the hiring manager. Address your follow-up to a person and not a vague "To Whom It May Concern". If you can’t trace them, give the company a call and ask.
• Craft a polite and short message. First check your SPAM folder one last time. Still nothing? Then proceed to write a brief email in which you reintroduce yourself and enquire about the status of your application.

Interviewing Tips for IT Director Jobs

If you’re aspiring to become an IT director, preparing for your interview is a step you can’t skip. Below are our tips to turn any CTO interview into a success:

Research The Company

Learning as much as possible about a company you’re interviewing with is always a must, especially when applying for managerial roles like IT director jobs. That is because a company’s culture, mission and vision will influence every decision you make on the job.

Study the company’s website and official social media pages, and read reviews from employees. Networking can be another great tool to get first-hand experiences and opinions.

Prepare for Interview Questions for CTO Jobs

Be sure to go back to basics and review how to answer the most common IT interview questions. On top of that, learn how to tackle behavioural questions, leveraging the STAR method. Prepare to talk about experiences you had during your career to help recruiters understand what they can expect from you. And remember that you’re trying to understand if the employer is the right fit for you as well.

Follow-up After the Interview

Within 24 hours of the interview reach out to the recruiter with a thank-you email. It doesn’t have to be long, but it must:

• Thank the recruiter for the opportunity to get to know them and the company.
• Cite something meaningful said during the meeting so they remember you.
• Reiterate what qualifications and experiences make you a good fit.

Then, if after a week, you don’t get an update, get in touch with a follow-up email to ask about your application status.

What to Do When You Get an Offer

Got an offer for a CTO position? First things first, take a moment to congratulate yourself. Your hard work paid off. Next, it’s a good idea to:

• Say thank you for the offer. Express gratitude to the recruiter and the company for their recruitment effort.
• Politely ask for time to evaluate the offer. This is especially important if you’re waiting for answers from other IT director jobs. Consider anywhere up to a week as reasonable, but always confirm it with the company first.
• Review the offer. Make sure all the terms are clearly stated and meet your expectations, including job title, responsibilities, compensation package, annual leave, and other perks.
• Assess company fit. Consider if the company you’re about to sign with truly meets your ideal work environment and career aspirations.
• Negotiate, if needed.If the terms of the offer don’t align with your experience or the market standards, don’t be afraid to initiate a negotiation.

IT Director Job Career Paths

Wondering if being an IT director is going to be the pinnacle of your career? There are several career paths you can still pursue after being an IT director depending on your interests and your goals.

Similar Occupations

Are you thinking about exploring other computer jobs? You can find them all on Monster. Here are a few similar options you might be interested in:

• IT jobs
• technology jobs
• information systems manager jobs