Head of IT

Head of IT

Do you thrive on driving IT excellence while collaborating with global teams? Are you passionate about creating secure, efficient, and innovative IT solutions that deliver real impact? If this sounds like you, keep reading!

As Head of IT, you'll lead IT operations, compliance, and data privacy for our Amsterdam office, while working closely with globally distributed teams, especially in Shanghai. This is your opportunity to directly shape our IT strategy, influence cross-functional initiatives, and drive meaningful outcomes in a dynamic and globally connected environment.

Job Purpose

The Head of IT will oversee and manage IT operations, support engineering, compliance, and data privacy functions within the organisation, ensuring these areas align with local and global business goals. Based in Amsterdam, the role involves close collaboration with globally distributed teams, particularly Software Engineering, Technical Operations, and Security Operations teams in Shanghai, to deliver secure, efficient, and scalable IT solutions.

This strategic and operational leadership role requires a strong understanding of IT systems, regulatory compliance, and cross-cultural team collaboration.

Key Responsibilities

1. IT Operations and Support Engineering

• Lead the Amsterdam Support Engineering team to provide reliable, efficient, and user-centric local IT support for the Amsterdam office and remote environments.
• Ensure IT infrastructure and systems operate with high availability, security, and performance.
• Develop and monitor IT service delivery KPIs, focusing on continuous improvement.
• Collaborate with Shanghai Technical Operations and Software Engineering teams to align global IT operations and processes.

2. Compliance and Data Privacy

• Oversee compliance with international and regional regulations, including GDPR and other data privacy requirements.
• Develop, implement, and maintain policies and procedures to ensure data protection and compliance.
• Coordinate with Security Operations in Shanghai to ensure regulatory adherence and manage risk effectively.
• Act as the point of contact for audits and compliance reviews related to IT systems and processes.

3. Collaboration with Shanghai Teams

• Build and maintain strong working relationships with Shanghai's Software Engineering, Technical Operations, and Security Operations teams.
• Facilitate cross-functional communication to ensure alignment on projects and deliverables.
• Drive joint initiatives such as infrastructure upgrades, security enhancements, and platform migrations, ensuring seamless execution.
• Be an escalation point for engineering issues where required, working across key stakeholders and teams to resolve.

4. Strategic Leadership and Governance

• Develop and execute the IT strategy for Amsterdam operations, ensuring alignment with global business objectives.
• Oversee the governance of IT systems, data privacy, and compliance frameworks to meet organisational standards.
• Manage IT budgets, ensuring cost-effective investment in resources and technologies.
• Identify opportunities for digital transformation and innovation to enhance operational efficiency.

5. Team Leadership and Development

• Manage, mentor, and develop the Support Engineering, Compliance, and Data Privacy teams.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, and continuous learning within the IT organisation.
• Provide leadership during periods of change, ensuring teams are aligned and motivated to achieve shared goals.

6. Key Performance Indicators

• System uptime and reliability metrics.
• Compliance with data privacy regulations.
• Audit Completion
• Resolution times for IT support requests and incidents.
• Timeliness and success of collaborative initiatives with Shanghai teams.
• Employee satisfaction with IT services and support.

What you bring to the table

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, or a related field (Master’s degree preferred).
• 8+ years of experience in IT leadership roles.
• Proven experience working with geographically distributed teams, particularly across Europe and Asia.

Technical Skills

• Strong knowledge of IT infrastructure, service delivery, data privacy and compliance regulations (e.g., GDPR).
• Familiarity with security frameworks and working with Security Operations teams.
• Experience managing support engineering teams in a global organisation.
• Proficiency with collaboration tools (e.g., Jira, Confluence, Slack) and IT service management practices (e.g., ITIL).

Leadership and Communication

• Exceptional leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to manage cross-cultural and cross-functional teams effectively.
• Strong problem-solving and decision-making capabilities, with a focus on driving outcomes.

What you can expect from us

• Enjoy the flexibility and life balance of hybrid work, where each team aligns on their minimum number of days in office to foster collaboration and meet the team's needs.
• Possibility to work up to 3 months from abroad (depending on your job function)
• 31.5 days of paid leave, so plenty of time to enjoy your travels!
• Flat hierarchy where your voice can be heard, welcomed and appreciated at all levels in the organization - where people can thrive, be creative and ultimately build their own legacy within the company.
• A diverse and multicultural working environment. Our global team has over 50 different nationalities, and we embrace everyone’s authenticity. 🌍
• A company-sponsored volunteer day, dedicated to giving back to our community and making a positive impact together
• We have proven to grow people internally and we offer many internal development courses to keep on learning and growing.
• Amazing benefits, such as covered travel costs, ClassPass subscription/membership and a bike plan.
• Discover our Bijlmer Arena office in Amsterdam, surrounded by the city's second-largest shopping area, a vibrant cultural scene, diverse lunch options, and just one easy connection away from Amsterdam Central Station. Office amenities include car parking, secure bike storage, a pool table and more.
• Free fruit, healthy snacks, team drinks and company events.

About Travix

Travix is one of the leading global online travel agencies managing an extensive portfolio of travel focused websites operating under the brand names CheapTickets, Vliegwinkel, BudgetAir, Vayama and Flugladen. In 2020 we took our next step, becoming part of the Trip.com Group, one of the largest online travel companies in the world, consisting of Trip.com, Ctrip, Skyscanner, Travelfusion, Make my Trip and Qunar. Travix operates in over 40 countries expanding in 5 continents, so a global mindset comes naturally. Our purpose is ‘the next journey at your fingertips, which goes for our customers and employees. We bring together passionate people, global partners, cutting-edge technology and an innovative platform to deliver our customers' best end-to-end booking experience. With a strategic vision and the resources and stability of the Trip.com Group, we provide an international playground where our employees can truly impact the future of traveling.

Make your career at Travix

If you share the same values as we do, you are just as passionate and ready to build your own legacy, we would love to hear from you!