Reporting to the Chief Information Officer, with responsibility for a large team of technical, development and support staff. The role holder will be required to work with members of the senior leadership team, operational teams, and functional Heads to understand IT support and business requirements. We are looking for someone with demonstrable Technical leadership experience with delivery and project ownership in a fast paced environment. Energy and a sense of urgency is crucial.

Client Details

A market leading organisation that provide an essential service to millions of people. They are equity backed and have significant investment in Technology & Digital to drive forwards an exciting Digital Transformation of the organisation. They operate across over 200 sites in the UK and have acquired a number of organisations over the last few years.

Description

We are looking for someone who is nearly at, or already at Head of IT/Technology level and cannot consider CIO's or IT Directors. You need to be able to grow into this role and work under the existing CIO.

The budget is £1.5 million and there will be a team of 22 reporting to you.

This position is responsible for maintaining the entire company IT infrastructure (servers, hosting, networks, applications, desktop, mobiles etc.), support services and technical solutions including cyber security. The role directly manages the IT service desk, application support, system development, remote field support and desktop support functions with responsibilities for the provisioning of all IT equipment used within the business.

Additionally, the role is responsible for information governance tasks, data protection strategies, disaster recovery / business continuity planning and chairing the Change Approval Board for IT changes. The position is also the lead organiser and manager of all quality assurance and user acceptance testing for business applications. The role participates in information governance committees and contributes to IT policy and practice changes.

• Lead and grow a motivated, service-oriented and technically minded team that embodies the company values and delivers the agreed IT SLAs for the business
• Delivery of key strategic projects including technical changes, upgrades and mergers / integrations
• Chair the Change advisory board to ensure that change is managed in a controlled way and to ITIL compliance
• On-call as required to ensure all escalation are dealt with and services are maintained
• Assisting in capacity planning and monitoring of storage and systems at all times
• Research and development of new ideas and technologies to improve the infrastructure, data protection and cyber security
• Specification and implementation of technical solutions and infrastructure technologies to meet business requirements and growth plans
• Management of the Service Desk, Applications Support, Field Support, Desktop Support and technical functions to ensure optimum delivery of Services
• Vendor management and contract negotiations including competitive pricing and formal procurement processes
• Provide technical training on 3rd line skills and tasks to support and Infrastructure staff if required.
• Resolution of 3rd and 4th line technical and service issues, by providing around the clock on call support to support teams and business leaders as required
• Escalating and owning calls that have been sent to 3rd line support in or outside vendors, returning the result and relaying resolution back to the Service Desk where needed.
• Document solutions and technical plans in knowledge base articles and ITIL compliant change processes
• Participate in all Critical Issue and Solution management calls while on shift or on call and drive to resolution
• Proactively use Maintenance tasks to prevent support calls when possible and relay these plans to the Service Desk
• Provide Technical Governance across multiple projects and clients
• Present relatable and meaningful information to senior managers as required to both explain and demonstrate the value of technology and IT strategy.
• Provide Project Management in an Agile framework for all IT projects and change processes
• Provide IT roadmap and strategy for technical solutions and services
• Lead quarterly and annual DR and Cyber Security testing / reviews for full BC
• Manage the annual cyber security and data protection certification processes for successful certification
• Manage supplier SLAs and monitor hosted environments while contributing to issue resolution when possible.
• Manage the ticket tracking and workflow systems to generate appropriate data for measuring the SLAs of the services and informing the efficiency of the service processes.
• Manage the full quality assurance and user acceptance testing for all new versions, releases and changes on the company's business systems.
• Deputize for the Chief Information Officer and provide leadership to all IT team members when required

Profile

Above all else, we are looking for the right cultural fit. We are looking for a go-getter and you must have energy and pace in your approach. Our client is a fast moving organisation with ever changing needs and demands.

You will need to be strategic yet hands on. Perhaps this will be your first Head of Technology role.

• Technical leadership experience with delivery and project ownership
• Demonstrate solid experience managing and delivering solutions for technical support and infrastructure management in large organisations.
• Customer Service driven individual who understands the importance of the person and the business behind the technology
• Business literate, confident and enthusiastic about technology.
• Tenacious problem solver who demonstrates creativity in finding solutions.
• Degree in an IT or related discipline and proof of continued learning for evolving technologies and solutions including at least one MCSE in 2016 related track
• Able to work collaboratively to manage suppliers and senior stakeholders in a business with a proven track record on delivery of projects and technologies
• Attention to detail with a high focus on best practice and preventative measures
• Focused on risk and growth with an effective ability to balance change with sustainable solutions
• Absolutely passionate about security and best practice frameworks with a drive to stay on top of infrastructure tasks

Job Offer

• The chance to work for an inspirational CIO
• Work in a diverse team with a forward thinking D&I policy
• Work for a market leading organisation who provide a crucial service for millions
• Excellent salary and overall package
• Immediate start available

Due to the anticipated volume of applications, we will only be able to consider suitable candidates who are local and have the relevant experience. Shortlisted candidates will be contacted in due course.