Head of IT Operations & Governance

Harness your tech superpowers back the legal fight for a sustainable future

Job Title: Head of IT Operations & Governance

Location: The Hague. Candidates can work remotely in the Netherlands with occasional travel to the office.

Remuneration: EURdepending on experience excluding holiday allowance

Contract: Permanent

Hours: Full-Time or Part-Time (5 or 4 days per week pro rata)

The Role

At FILE (Foundation for International Law for the Environment) we believe technology should be a force for good use your tech superpowers for good.

To lead and carry out the day-to-day delivery of FILEs IT Operations we are now looking for a Head of IT Operations & Governance ensuring systems are secure efficient and fit for purpose. This is a hands-on leadership role for someone who can combine forward-looking strategy with practical delivery ready to get stuck in where needed.

This role personally manages and oversees infrastructure and digital tools and drives forward key initiatives including governance frameworks cybersecurity protocols SharePoint migration outsourced IT consultants and compliance with data retention and protection standards.

The postholder will ensure that technology effectively supports staff streamlines operations and meets FILEs evolving needs while also working with external parties grantees and affected communities to ensure systems are secure inclusive and responsive to real-world contexts.

This is very much a hands-on role: youll be the sole IT lead so you must be just as comfortable managing day-to-day operations and troubleshooting as you are shaping long-term strategy. If youre looking for a role focused only on high-level planning without delivery this isnt the job for you. Youll have around 20% support from another team member but the function will largely sit with you.

Key Responsibilities

1. Lead IT operations and infrastructure: Oversee SharePoint Online and Microsoft 365 platforms ensuring systems are secure scalable and designed for long-term usability and governance.
2. Strengthen digital architecture: Shape FILEs enterprise system design ensuring platforms are integrated interoperable and future-ready to support global growth.
3. Champion resilience and optimisation: Monitor network cloud and collaboration tools proactively managing risks and ensuring reliable service delivery.
4. Embed governance and security by design: Develop and enforce IT policies cybersecurity safeguards and data protection protocols ensuring compliance across multiple jurisdictions.
5. Partner with communities and the Global South: Design and manage technology with an understanding of how our systems interface with partners and communities worldwide ensuring accessibility equity and cultural responsiveness.
6. Drive strategic technology leadership: Anticipate future needs advise on emerging tools and ensure IT operations align with FILEs mission values and ways of working.
7. Manage vendors and providers: Act as primary contact for outsourced IT services ensuring strong performance and user-focused support.
8. Support and enable staff: Oversee onboarding induction and digital literacy initiatives so all staff are confident and empowered in using FILEs systems.
9. Foster a positive user experience: Maintain intranet resources guides and FAQs actively seeking feedback to improve IT services across a globally dispersed workforce.
10. Ensure audit readiness and risk management: Maintain documentation conduct risk assessments and prepare systems for external and internal audits.

About you

We know that long lists of criteria can be discouraging and thatsome candidates will not apply for a role unless they feel they feel they meet all of the criteria. If you feel you meet at least some of the essential criteria we still encourage you to apply.

We also recognise that skills and experience can be gained in unexpected places so we welcome applications from candidates who feel they have relevant skills for the role gained from a wide range of professional lived and learned experiences.

Key Competencies

• Deep knowledge of IT Governance risk and cyber security
• Expertise in enterprise system architecture integration and cloud infrastructure
• Microsoft 365 Ecosystem (Teams SharePoint) Vendor & Service Provider Management
• Project & Change Management and Adaptability
• Cross-cultural communication and ability to work in project-based environments
• Strategic thinking and demonstrably builds trust with a diverse pool of partners from a range of backgrounds viewpoints and cultures.
• A collaborative solutions-focused leadership style and stakeholder management.
• Understands principles of justice equity diversity and inclusion and can apply them within their role.
• A hands-on approach which combines strategic thinking with a willingness to roll up sleeves and deliver directly

About FILE

The Foundation for International Law for the Environment (FILE) is a not-for-profit philanthropic organisation working to accelerate legal action on climate change.

Through grant-making and in-house legal expertise we empower our partners to deliver strategic innovative legal interventions and we support lawyers in their own countries to bring their own cases.

Legal action can unlock the systemic changes in finance policy and social systems needed to protect all of us from climate change. The power of the law is both direct (changing policy and practice) and indirect (signalling the wider shifts taking place across these systems).

FILE is a regrantor - this means we do not bring legal action in our own name. We receive grants from our philanthropic donors and make onwards grants to partners who align with FILEs charitable aims and purposes. We do not seek to make any profit from our activities either in a relevant financial year or in the longer term.

Location

We are advertising this role for candidates based (and with the right to work) in the UK and in the Netherlands. Please note that you will see this role advertised in multiple locations but that we are only hiring for one position based in either location and that we are able to offer collaborative working spaces only in the Netherlands and the UK.

Please apply to the job post for your preferred location.

Working for FILE

FILE is a collaborative community of individuals who share a passion for climate nature and justice. We bring together knowledge and experience to support our mission.

Our people are empowered to lead their work both individually and as part of a wider team in order to make impactful change. As a relatively young organisation with the ambitious mission to change global systems our roles are ideally suited to those who are strategic innovative and collaborative and open to growing in line with the Foundation.

FILE is committed to challenging systemic injustice. Our ability to do so is strengthened by the diversity of our partners and staff. Our mission work and impact is global with staff and partners from across the world and a range of lived experiences. We are actively working to create a culture where colleagues feel welcomed heard and supported to succeed and thrive.

How FILE supports its staff

FILE is committed to creating a workplace that supports our staff to do their best work and develop professionally. FILE offers a generous annual leave policy and additional time-off work to support wellbeing. Amongst other benefits FILE offers private healthcare enhanced maternity paternity and shared parental leave enhanced sick leave flexibility working remotely and also abroad and a matching contribution to a pension scheme. Come join us and create real impact shape the digital backbone of a growing foundation making a difference worldwide.

Applications

Please apply on our website and upload your CV. This role is open for applications immediately and we accept applications on a rolling basis. If you are interested we encourage you to submit your application as early as possible. The role will closed on 3 October 2025. Should you have any questions please email .

Representation and Culture

FILE recognises the under-representation of historically marginalised communities and individuals in climate nature and philanthropy spaces. We are committed to developing an organisation that represents the world we are looking to protect and building a culture that supports such.

In doing so FILE is committed to building policies and practices that ensure no current or prospective employee is discriminated based on disability sex sexual orientation pregnancy and maternity race or ethnicity religion or belief gender identity or marriage and civil partnership.