Hiring outlook, remote working rates, and which companies are actively recruiting.
Chief Information Officer hiring in the UK has held broadly steady, anchored by UK banks, insurers, and asset managers investing in senior technology leadership rather than any single surge, with most activity concentrated in London, with growing pockets in Manchester and Leeds. HSBC and Barclays are among the more consistent UK hirers, and post-Brexit visa sponsorship routes have made it easier for UK employers to pull in senior IT Strategy specialists from overseas when the domestic candidate pool for that skill set runs short.
Share of United Kingdom Chief Information Officer roles advertising remote or hybrid working.
We will publish a year-on-year pay change for Chief Information Officer in United Kingdom once a comparable annual benchmark is available.
Strongest in: Enterprise SaaS and scale-up leadership teams, led by employers such as HSBC and Barclays
Chief Information Officer hiring in the UK has held broadly steady, anchored by UK banks, insurers, and asset managers investing in senior technology leadership rather than any single surge, with most activity concentrated in London, with growing pockets in Manchester and Leeds. HSBC and Barclays are among the more consistent UK hirers, and post-Brexit visa sponsorship routes have made it easier for UK employers to pull in senior IT Strategy specialists from overseas when the domestic candidate pool for that skill set runs short.
Who companies hire: IT Directors, Heads of Technology, VP of Engineering, and enterprise architects who have managed large IT functions and demonstrated business leadership capability.
Salary premium over the United Kingdom median for Chief Information Officers who list these skills.
Companies with consistent or active Chief Information Officer hiring in United Kingdom.
Market intelligence
UK tech hiring moves faster than job boards show
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Demand is steady and the role is well-established at large organisations. Cloud transformation, AI adoption, and cybersecurity investment are all increasing the strategic importance of the CIO function. Irish financial services, pharma, and public sector organisations have all invested in strengthening their CIO roles. The most competitive CIOs are those who can articulate IT as a business enabler and demonstrate measurable commercial impact.
Large Irish financial institutions (AIB, Bank of Ireland, Irish Life, Permanent TSB) and major indigenous corporates (CRH, Kerry Group, Ryanair, ESB) are the most active hirers. The HSE and other public sector bodies hire CIOs for government IT leadership. US multinationals with large Irish operations occasionally hire regional CIO roles based in Dublin, particularly for EMEA IT governance responsibilities.
Cloud transformation leadership (having moved large organisations from on-premises to Azure or AWS) commands the strongest salary premium. Experience managing IT budgets above €50 million, overseeing major ERP or core banking system replacements, and demonstrating cybersecurity governance at board level are the most valued capabilities. CIOs with experience in regulated industries (financial services, pharma, healthcare) command premiums over those from less regulated sectors.
Around 40 to 50 percent hybrid. CIOs are expected to be present at executive committee and board meetings and visible to their leadership teams. The strategic advisory and governance aspects of the role require regular in-person engagement with the CEO, CFO, and CISO. However, individual planning, vendor management, and team oversight can be conducted flexibly from home.