S&P UK Ventilation Systems is the UK division of Soler & Palau Ventilation Group (S&P), the world’s largest manufacturer of ventilation and air movement products. Founded in 1951, Soler & Palau operates in more than 90 countries, with global headquarters in Barcelona, Spain.
The UK business, headquartered in Ipswich, Suffolk, has been serving the UK market for over 35 years, delivering innovative ventilation solutions across commercial, industrial, OEM and residential applications.
With an extensive portfolio of over 10,000 products and accessories, many of which are held in UK stock for rapid dispatch, S&P UK Ventilation Systems is a trusted partner for solving complex ventilation challenges.
The company combines robust product availability with specialist support, ensuring tailored assistance for projects of any size or complexity. Additionally, many popular residential products are distributed through a wide network of UK distributors, reinforcing accessibility and customer convenience.
What Sets S&P Apart
- Service: To provide the same level of customer care that would be expected in return
- Self-Reliance: S&P's robust supply chains ensures reliable delivery on promises
- Global Presence: To ensure the brand is trusted across the world
Purpose That Matters
S&P UK Ventilation Systems exists to improve quality of life in homes and workplaces by creating healthier, more comfortable environments, empowering its people to make a meaningful impact every day.
About
S&P UK Ventilation Systems is a leading name in ventilation. A subsidiary of Soler & Palau, a global powerhouse in air movement solutions, positioning it as a business with the agility of a UK operation backed by the resources, innovation, and stability of a worldwide brand. With operations in 90+ countries, manufacturing in 12 locations, and cutting-edge R&D centres across Europe, Asia, the USA, and Mexico, the company offers a truly international platform for growth and collaboration.
S&P UK Ventilation Systems brings decades of experience in research, design, and manufacturing, serving diverse markets including commercial, industrial, OEM, residential, and industrial processing. This breadth ensures exposure to varied projects and technologies, making it an exciting environment for professionals who thrive on complexity and innovation.
Operating within the HVAC industry, S&P UK Ventilation Systems specialises in the ventilation (V) segment – a niche that demands technical excellence and continuous innovation. This focus positions the company as a trusted leader in a critical area of building and environmental technology.
Values
At S&P UK Ventilation Systems, values define how they work, innovate and succeed, shaping a culture where ambition meets reliability to drive impact.
Ambitious - Confident, visionary. Proud of our legacy, excited about the future.
Reliable - Clear, consistent. Straightforward, reassuring, never overpromising.
Imaginative - Creative, curious. Innovative but practical, inspiring without hype.
Trustworthy - Honest, transparent. Direct and professional, grounded in fact.
Supportive - Friendly, helpful. Approachable, collaborative, focused on solutions.
Adaptable - Flexible, responsive. Agile, perceptive, relevant to local needs.
Sustainability and the Environment
S&P integrates sustainability into every stage of product design and manufacturing. Energy efficiency and performance, both aerodynamically and acoustically, are core principles, supported by advanced simulation tools and global R&D capabilities. The company’s EcoDesign philosophy drives innovations such as Controlled Demand Ventilation and Intelligent Control Systems, alongside products that recover energy. With a focus on recyclability and reducing environmental impact at end-of-life, S&P demonstrates a firm commitment to creating solutions that respect the planet while delivering superior performance.
Best Employers Eastern Region
S&P UK Ventilation are proud to be a Silver accredited employer within the Best Employers Eastern Region 2025. Following winning the Most Improved business during 2023, the business went on to be invited by the Best Employers team to be accredited during the 2025 campaign.
The team are committed to providing an engaging, empowering and great culture for people to thrive; receiving the accreditation is a testament to this work and recognises S&P UK Ventilation's continued efforts to be a great place to work and develop.
Organisation Structure
At S&P UK Ventilation Systems, there is an exceptional team of people working together with clarity and purpose. This organisation chart offers a snapshot of where each function sits within the wider organisation.
Head of IT Services
Role Purpose
The Head of IT Services is a hands-on leadership role responsible for building, stabilising, and scaling IT services for the UK business. This is a greenfield opportunity to design and implement fit-for-purpose IT service management, infrastructure, and support capabilities in a growing £20m turnover organisation with currently immature IT processes.
The role operates at the intersection of local autonomy and global alignment, ensuring UK IT services meet business needs while remaining consistent with Group IT strategy, standards, and security requirements set by the Spain-based parent organisation.
This role suits someone with experience in larger, more mature corporate environments who is motivated by the challenge of creating structure without bureaucracy, rolling up their sleeves operationally, and shaping a long-term IT roadmap for a scaling business.
Key Responsibilities
IT Leadership & Strategy
- Act as the senior IT leader for the UK business, owning day-to-day IT service delivery and longer-term capability development.
- Translate Group IT strategy into practical, UK-appropriate solutions while feeding local requirements back into Group planning.
- Partner closely with the UK leadership team to understand business priorities and enable growth through technology.
Service Management & Process Design (Right-Sized ITIL)
IT Leadership & Strategy
- Design and implement pragmatic IT service management processes (incident, request, change, asset, and problem management) that add value without unnecessary overhead.
- Introduce lightweight governance, documentation, and service metrics aligned to business scale and risk.
- Establish clear ownership, escalation paths, and service expectations across IT and third-party suppliers.
Hands-On Operational Delivery (Player-Manager)
- Remain actively involved in day-to-day IT operations, including user support, systems administration, and troubleshooting where required.
- Oversee core IT services such as end-user computing, networks, cloud services, collaboration tools, and business applications.
- Act as the point of escalation for complex incidents and service issues.
Vendor & Partner Management
- Manage relationships with MSPs, software vendors, and other third-party suppliers.
- Ensure suppliers align with Group standards while delivering responsive, cost-effective services to the UK business.
- Support contract reviews, renewals, and supplier performance management.
Cybersecurity, Risk & Compliance
- Ensure UK IT services comply with UK and/or Group IT security policies, controls, and architectural standards.
- Promote good security practices locally, including access control, device management, patching, and user awareness.
- Support GDPR compliance and audits in collaboration with Group IT.
Projects, Change & Growth Enablement
- Lead and deliver UK IT projects, including infrastructure improvements, application rollouts, system upgrades, and process automation.
- Support integration of new business initiatives, acquisitions, or scaling activities as the UK business grows.
- Develop and maintain a multi-year IT roadmap aligned to business strategy and Group direction.
People & Capability Development
- Build and lead a small UK IT team over time, developing capability, accountability, and a strong service culture.
- Coach junior staff or suppliers, setting clear expectations and encouraging continuous improvement.
Skills & Experience
Essential
- Experience in IT leadership roles within medium to large organisations, with exposure to structured ITIL-based environments.
- Demonstrable ability to adapt enterprise IT practices to smaller, scaling businesses.
- Strong hands on technical background across infrastructure, end-user services, cloud platforms (e.g. Microsoft 365), and IT operations including but not limited to:
o Network equipment, servers, user equipment, telephony, DHCP, AD, configuration, licensing
o Detection of needs/weak points, root cause analysis
o Service desk and SLA management
o Effective management of support contracts, budgets and negotiation with suppliers
o Enabling business continuity by using business impact assessments to ensure that disaster recovery targets align with business continuity priorities
- Experience operating in a matrixed or subsidiary environment, aligning local delivery with global IT standards.
- Comfortable operating as a player–manager, balancing hands-on delivery with strategic thinking.
- Strong stakeholder management and communication skills.
Desirable
- ITIL certification (or equivalent experience applying ITIL pragmatically).
- Experience working with fractional or interim IT leadership models.
- Exposure to international or Spanish-headquartered organisations.
- Experience supporting business growth, transformation, or post-merger integration.
- Experience with Microsoft Dynamics 365 applications including Finance, Supply Chain Management, Sales & Customer Service
Personal Attributes
- Builder’s mindset: enjoys creating structure, processes, and capability from the ground up.
- Pragmatic and commercially minded; understands trade-offs between risk, cost, and speed.
- Curious, adaptable, and comfortable working in ambiguity.
- Confident working independently, but collaborative in a Group environment.
- Credible with both technical teams and senior business stakeholders.
Success Measures (First 12-18 Months)
- Stable, reliable IT services with clear ownership and improved user satisfaction.
- Introduction of right-sized IT service management processes that are embedded and used.
- Clear UK IT roadmap aligned with Group IT strategy.
- Improved visibility of IT risks, assets, and costs.
- Strong working relationships with UK leadership, Group IT, and external partners.
Application process
For further information, contact Giles Dawson.
Giles Dawson
Technical Recruitment Consultant
