C-level Strategy Meets Hands-on Execution: Recruiting an IT Infrastructure Director for a Nationwide Healthcare Network

A nationwide network of private healthcare facilities, backed by an investment fund, was planning an ambitious expansion over the following five years. Achieving this strategy required consolidating a fragmented technology environment and building an IT infrastructure capable of supporting the organisation’s continued growth and scalability.

The client was looking for an IT Infrastructure Director who could combine strategic vision with a willingness to take a hands-on approach. HRK completed the recruitment process within just six weeks. Of the 17 candidates approached, five were presented to the client, two reached the final stage, and the selected candidate accepted the offer following brief negotiations.

The Client and Business Context

The client operates a nationwide network of private healthcare facilities across six Polish regions, primarily in smaller cities and towns. The recruitment project was commissioned by an investment fund responsible for the organisation’s development.

The business strategy involved significantly expanding operations over the next five years, followed by the planned sale of the company. To make this possible, the organisation needed an integrated technology infrastructure that would enable centralised process management and the efficient integration of additional facilities into the network.

The starting point was a highly fragmented IT environment. Individual facilities operated largely independently. Some processes were still managed using spreadsheets, local servers and various technology solutions were in use, and IT support was provided by individual employees based at selected locations. There was no central IT department or consistent standards governing infrastructure, user access, licensing, servers or backups.

The Client’s Needs: Building IT from the Ground Up

The new IT Infrastructure Director’s first priority was to conduct an audit of the existing environment, identify key risks and develop a comprehensive technology transformation roadmap.

The role included responsibility for:

• Developing a long-term IT infrastructure strategy.
• Designing an architecture capable of supporting the network’s rapid expansion.
• Making decisions regarding on-premises, cloud or hybrid infrastructure models.
• Defining the appropriate level of centralisation across IT solutions.
• Streamlining licences, servers, backup systems and user access.
• Standardising networks, hardware and software across all facilities.
• Selecting vendors and managing supplier relationships.
• Preparing the organisation for the implementation of centralised business systems.

One of the key planned initiatives was the implementation of a central booking and calendar management system. In the longer term, the client was also considering developing a centralised call centre and introducing bots and AI-powered solutions to support patient services.

The new leader was therefore expected not only to bring structure to the existing technology environment but also to establish the foundations for further digitalisation and organisation-wide scalability.

The Ideal Candidate Profile

The IT Infrastructure Director was to take on a C-level leadership position, combining responsibility for the strategic direction of technology with hands-on execution.

The client was looking for a professional with:

• Extensive technical experience in IT infrastructure.
• A proven track record of designing and managing distributed IT environments spanning multiple locations.
• Experience in building IT infrastructure from scratch or leading major infrastructure transformations.
• The ability to make strategic decisions regarding architecture and technology selection.
• Knowledge of cloud, on-premises and hybrid solutions.
• Experience in IT security.
• The ability to select vendors and manage budgets.
• The capacity to balance business, technological and cost considerations.

A key requirement was a willingness to remain hands-on. Initially, the Director would not have an extensive team at their disposal. They would be expected to independently assess the existing environment, define the direction of infrastructure development and actively participate in delivering key projects, working alongside local IT support personnel and external vendors.

The Biggest Challenge: Senior-Level Experience Without a Large Team

The main challenge was finding a candidate with the required level of experience and strategic capabilities who was still willing to remain actively involved in technology-related work.

Many managers and directors at the required seniority level already lead large teams and focus primarily on strategy, budgets and overseeing established organisational structures. The client, however, needed someone prepared to initially act as a standalone technology leader – without a large team, but with broad responsibilities and a tangible influence on the company’s future operating model.

Another challenge was the limited willingness among candidates to consider a career move. The vast majority of professionals contacted by HRK were not actively looking for new opportunities.

The salary budget was aligned with market levels. An additional incentive was the opportunity to participate in the profits generated by the planned sale of the company in approximately five years. This made the opportunity particularly attractive to candidates interested in having a long-term impact on the value of a growing organisation.

Defining the Target Candidate Market

A thorough understanding of the client’s current situation and the new Director’s immediate responsibilities was the foundation of the search strategy.

HRK focused on managers and directors working in organisations employing approximately 150–300 people and operating across multiple locations. In companies of this size, IT teams are generally relatively small, meaning their leaders often remain close to the technology and are personally involved in designing and implementing solutions.

Most candidates were identified through direct search on LinkedIn. The search focused on professionals combining managerial experience, strong infrastructure expertise and a proven track record of building IT environments from the ground up.

Assessing Candidate Suitability

During behavioural interviews, HRK examined candidates’ previous projects in detail, paying particular attention to their actual involvement in technology-related decision-making.

The assessment covered:

• Experience working in multi-site IT environments.
• Willingness to take a hands-on approach despite a high level of seniority.
• Involvement in building or restructuring IT functions from scratch.
• Responsibility for developing technology strategies and architecture.
• Independence in selecting tools, vendors and infrastructure models.
• Experience with cloud and on-premises solutions.
• Knowledge of cybersecurity.
• Budget ownership and the ability to assess the costs of technology implementations.

A key part of the assessment was distinguishing between candidates who primarily supervised teams and vendors and those who had genuinely been involved in designing and implementing IT infrastructure themselves.

This approach enabled HRK to present candidates who were ready to operate in an organisation only just beginning to establish its central IT function.

The Recruitment Process in Numbers

• 17 candidates directly approached.
• 5 candidates presented to the client.
• 2 candidates shortlisted for the final stage.
• 1 offer made.
• 1 offer accepted.
• 1.5 months from the initial briefing to the signed employment agreement.

Five recommended candidates were invited to participate in the client’s recruitment process. Three withdrew following the first interview stage, while two progressed to the final round. The selected candidate accepted the offer after brief negotiations regarding the financial terms.

The Outcome: A Leader Ready to Build IT Infrastructure from Scratch

The organisation hired a candidate with 15 years of IT experience, who had previously served as Head of IT and Technology at an international real estate company.

The candidate’s background was particularly well suited to the client’s business requirements. They had:

• Built an IT environment from the ground up.
• Managed infrastructure and digitalisation initiatives.
• Worked in a distributed environment spanning approximately 55 locations.
• Independently selected technology solutions and vendors.
• Held budget responsibility.
• Combined strategic leadership experience with practical technical expertise.

The client gained a leader ready to begin with an audit of the existing environment, develop an infrastructure strategy and gradually introduce centralised IT standards.

The close alignment between the candidate’s experience and the scale and distributed nature of the client’s operations helped mitigate the risks associated with taking on a role requiring a high degree of autonomy from the outset.

HRK Expert Commentary

„In recruitment processes for leaders responsible for technology transformation, the most important thing is to understand an organisation’s starting point in detail. The job title alone does not tell you whether a company needs a strategist to manage a large team or an experienced manager who can build an IT function from scratch while remaining actively involved in the technology itself.

For this project, we focused on companies of a similar size and with a comparable distributed operating model. This enabled us to reach professionals who combined managerial capabilities with practical infrastructure experience. Narrowing down the target market in this way proved more effective than searching for candidates based solely on their job titles.”

Building a Central IT Function?

HRK supports organisations in recruiting directors, managers and specialists responsible for IT infrastructure, digitalisation and technology transformation. We help define role requirements precisely, reach passive candidates and assess their actual involvement in technology projects.

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