Chief Technology Officer

The Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea are seeking a Chief Technology Officer (CTO) on a permanent basis.

Our Royal Borough is one of the smallest in the country. It’s also one of the most densely populated and diverse. Everyone here is focused on delivering the best service for our residents, businesses, and communities. Nowhere more so than in our Digital, Data & Technology Service, where we have big ambitions to transform how we deliver truly life-changing services.

As CTO, you will play a crucial part in enabling our digital strategy. You will be responsible for developing the enterprise technology strategy, horizon-scanning, investing in emerging technologies and managing the technology life cycle. This includes technology infrastructure modernisation, cloud strategy, and technology innovation to transform and innovate not only IT Operations, but to influence and advise on appropriate innovation for the entire council. 

The CTO is also responsible for developing the future capabilities of the organisation including professionalised Enterprise Architecture, Strategic Business engagement,  improved leverage of data and analytics, and hot-housing those emergent capability requirements such as product management, Agile and similar. You will have 3 direct reports, and be accountable for circa 29 staff in the service.

As CTO you will be responsible for:

• Responsible for leading ideation and development of innovative and appropriate solutions to best support the council plan and Digital strategy
• Creates and owns the technical roadmap acting as custodian for design principles
• Responsible for developing a truly strategic business relationship capability across the Council that works in partnership with services to align, develop and implement optimal technologies to enhance our resident and user experiences
• Own the systems architecture ensuring an enterprise view of the technical estate is developed, articulated and pursued
• Solves organisational challenges with technical solutions and thought leadership ensuring the short and medium-term mapping of the technical and digital estate
• Actively contribute to and participate in the definition and implementation of the long-term technology strategy aligned to the council plan
• Leverage internal and external technical partnerships to develop and inspire innovative and SMART solutions
• Collaborate closely with senior teams to lead the assessment, prioritisation and feasibility of potential opportunities
• Working with internal partners across the Council, develop Agile and Product capabilities across the organisation
• Creates an ‘incubator’ environment for nascent capabilities that are not yet sufficiently mature to function on their own

The role reports into the CDIO and has line management responsibilities for the following functions:

• Enterprise Architecture (including strategic Relationship Management, Data Management, Technology Adoption)
• Emerging and Disruptive Technologies (including UX, AI & Automation, Device Technology, SMART Building technologies, SMART City)

Applicants should demonstrate their skills and experience against the following essential criteria in your CV and supporting statement:

• Educated to degree level or demonstrable equivalent experience leading, transforming and developing a Digital Data and Technology function in a large, complex organisation (preferably Public Sector)
• Significant specialist background in IS, Data and Digital Leadership
• Demonstrable experience of leading significant transformation and change initiatives
• Demonstrable experience of managing Multi £M budgets and portfolios
• Successful track record of successful team leadership, driving modernisation and innovation in IT, Data and Digital
• Experience of creating and delivering strategy is essential, across multiple organisations is desirable
• Experience of managing large and complex outcome-based projects and programmes
• Experience of joint procurement, market testing and outsourcing as well as negotiating quality, cost-effective services
• A clear understanding of the key issues affecting local government and wider public sector service delivery
• Experience of working with a senior management team to develop strategies that will effectively support their business needs
• Evidence of delivering high quality, customer focussed services
• Understanding of the issues relating to effective service delivery at a time of budgetary constraints
• Excellent interpersonal skills, able to influence, build and maintain strong working relationships with a wide range of stakeholders, collaborative and consultative

Applicants will also demonstrate the following Behaviours, which you will be assessed against if Shortlisted:

• Putting communities first
• Respect
• Integrity
• Working together

To apply, applicants must provide a tailored CV and a supporting statement (up to 1,250 words) explaining how your suitability for the role.

The application deadline is Sunday 18^th December at 23:55.

We want RBKC to reflect its community and the very best of 21st century Britain. We encourage applications from all suitably qualified applicants, irrespective of background or circumstances.