IT Service and Operations Lead

We are looking for someone to take day-to-day ownership of technology operations across the Loungers estate, keeping systems running smoothly and making sure issues are resolved with pace, clarity, and care.

Loungers is a successful, fast-growing business, with 300+ venues across our distinct brands Lounge, Cosy Club and Brightside. We have a new site opening roughly every nine days, and ambitious plans for continued growth. Technology underpins that growth, and the pace we move at is part of what makes the business what it is. As we scale, we want our technology operation to be as dependable and well-run as the rest of the business.

This role exists to bring that operational excellence. You'll join a small, friendly technology team, reporting to the Head of IT, and take ownership of how the operation runs day to day; owning the reactive and the routine so the Head of IT and wider function can focus on strategy. It's a visible role across the business, with the opportunity to build strong relationships with senior stakeholders. You'll lead on incidents, escalations, day-to-day support and vendor coordination, making sure the business has a clear, trusted process when something needs sorting. Just as importantly, you will get underneath recurring issues, finding the root cause, and making sure they stop coming back.

You will be hands-on, calm under pressure and comfortable being the person people turn to when technology needs fixing. You will bring pace to the reactive work, while steadily improving how the operation runs so the business can rely on technology without having to think about it.

Key Responsibilities

1. Own day-to-day technology operations

The role is about making sure technology works reliably across the estate, with clear ownership day to day and during busy periods.

• Coordinate day-to-day support between the business, internal technology team and managed service partners
• Make sure requests are picked up, owned and resolved through a clear, dependable process
• Support new site openings and refurbishments ensuring technology lands smoothly
• Work across the systems the business runs on every day, including Microsoft 365, our EPoS and payments estate, networks and the tools our teams rely on

2. Lead incidents, escalations and problem resolution

When something goes wrong, the business needs calm coordination, clear communication and a proper fix.

• Triage and manage incidents end to end, keeping the business informed throughout
• Resolve complex or escalated issues hands-on, bringing in the right people or partners when needed
• Identify recurring problems, get to the root cause and drive fixes that stop them coming back

3. Be hands on across the stack

This is a service leadership role, but it needs someone who can get into the detail and make things happen.

• Work confidently across the everyday technology estate, from networks and Microsoft 365 through to the tools our teams rely on
• Use automation, such as PowerShell or Power Automate, to reduce repetitive work and improve how the team operates
• Help the business adopt AI and new tools in a practical, sensible way

4. Get strong service from partners

Our partners are central to delivery, so this role needs to keep those relationships clear, constructive and effective.

• Act as the day-to-day relationship owner for managed service partners
• Hold partners to account constructively, with regular service reviews and clear follow-through
• Work with partners to improve service over time, at a pace that suits the business
• Be a trusted interface for the business: someone people know will get things done

5. Strengthen how the team works together

We have a capable team who are stretched. This role gives them the space to get ahead of problems rather than just reacting to them.

• Coordinate and prioritise the reactive work across the team, so effort lands where it matters most and nothing gets dropped
• Make sure knowledge is shared, so cover never depends on any one person
• Add capacity and technical range alongside the team, rather than duplicating what's already there

What you’ll bring

We are looking for someone who can demonstrate operational grip, good judgement and calm delivery in previous roles. You might have built that experience in a strong service and operations environment, or through a more hands-on technical route; both backgrounds would be successful here. What matters most is that you can show a track record of taking ownership, keeping things moving in a fast-paced business, earning trust by delivering, and steadily improving how an operation runs without losing pace.

• A proven record of owning IT operations or service delivery, ideally in a multi-site retail, hospitality or similarly fast-paced environment
• Demonstrated success in managing incidents and problems calmly and decisively: resolving issues quickly, communicating clearly and stopping recurring problems for good
• Experience of coordinating work across an experienced team and earning credibility with them, whether or not you have held formal line management
• Experience of improving service from managed service providers through constructive partner management, clear expectations and regular follow-through
• Practical, hands-on technical capability across the systems a multi-site operation relies on, such as Microsoft 365, EPoS and networks, with examples of leading from the front on difficult issues
• Evidence of making the everyday technology estate run better, including through networks, tools or automation such as PowerShell or Power Automate
• Curiosity about how AI is changing the way we work, and the judgement to help the business adopt it sensibly
• A track record of being a credible, calm point of contact for the business during busy periods, pressure points and disruption
• Proven ability to translate clearly between business users and technical teams, keeping people aligned and informed throughout

What success looks like

In your first few months:

You will be established as the trusted operational point of contact, with incidents owned confidently, communication clear, and the day-to-day already feeling calmer and more dependable.

Over your first year:

You will have helped the operation become more proactive, resilient and predictable, with recurring issues tackled at the root, the team freed up to get ahead of problems, stronger partner performance, and the Head of IT freer to focus on strategy and the wider technology agenda.

What’s in it for you?

• 25 days holiday (plus bank holidays)
• A culture that appreciates ideas and celebrates individuality
• Founder-led business - we might have c300 sites, but we still maintain an entrepreneurial spirit through everything we do
• 50% off food at all Lounges, Cosy Clubs and Brightsides
• Up to 10% bonus
• Pension contribution
• 24/7 mental health support
• Amazing events including LoungeFest – our annual company festival - Christmas parties and more
• We want to work with nice people so if you want to work hard, have fun and be part of the Loungers ride, we’d love to have you.