A Leading Charity based in City of London is seeking a Head of IT to join their team on a permanent basis. The Head of IT will work proactively with the Operations Director to ensure that network uptime is maximized, network threats are detected and mitigated against and that technical team resources are managed accordingly. This will be a hybrid working position that would be mainly remote but perhaps once a week in the office.
ABOUT THE COMPANY
The charity provides specialist support for families. When things get challenging or difficult for people with the condition and their families, They work alongside them. They give the one-to-one support, guidance and practical solutions people need, and that can be hard to find elsewhere.
The staff are continually trained, developed and supported. Families that have their support have someone truly expert and caring by their side - helping them to live more positively with the condition in the present, and to face the challenges of tomorrow with more confidence and less fear.
ABOUT THE ROLE
To have overall technical responsibility for the organisation's network and telecommunications infrastructure, core and cloud applications and cyber security. This is a demanding ‘hands-on’ role which will require the post holder to balance managerial functions such as managing staff and suppliers, with the responsibility for leading initiatives to help enhance the overall operational effectiveness of the organisation through its use of technology, process efficiency and knowledge-sharing. As an engaging and effective leader of operational IS services, the Head of IT will shape and deliver the IS operations strategy and operational activities to enable substantive transformation. This will include investigating and resolving complex IT issues, overseeing the implementation of complex IS projects and improvement in the quality of management information available to users, at the same time as ensuring effective and reliable ‘business as usual’ IS services.
The post-holder will have a solid background in the management of Information Services and information governance, and will need to be committed to keeping up-to-date with developments and advances that are likely to be of benefit to the Charity. The Head of IT will develop and maintain effective relationships within the various teams in each Directorate and between the Charity, technology vendors and strategic technology partners, being the main point of contact for these relationships.
Key Accountabilities and Responsibilities:
Provision of Strategic Input - Help shape the IS strategy and budget based upon consultation with users and suppliers, as well as an understanding of emerging technologies and their relevance to the organization. Provide overall technical leadership and ensure that the charity has in place an IS strategy, supported by a realistic and achievable implementation plan, that will support the effective delivery of the charity’s organisational objectives and priorities. Advise on optimal approach and cost effectiveness for acquiring new systems and monitor the actual costs and progress of projects to implement the IS strategy, taking appropriate actions where necessary. Take ownership for decision-making on key areas such as IS Support, selection and management of suppliers, Staff training and development, and performance management. Proactively identify and propose opportunities for using IS to enhance operations, processes, knowledge-sharing/information management, and service delivery. Prepare and present business cases for IS investments where appropriate.
Management of Service Providers and Stakeholders - Provide business-facing leadership of the IS team and ensure effective management of IS systems to deliver tangible IS Service improvement. Deliver an agreed IS programme and technical architecture through an appropriate set of supplier contracts, to extend in-house capability and capacity. Take overall responsibility for procurement of IS systems and services and the management of key contracts and strategic supplier relationships. Actively manage outsourced IS services, monitor SLA’s and manage supplier performance, to ensure that the external service contracts deliver value for money and meet the charity’s needs, taking remedial action where necessary.
Managing Technical Knowledge and Expertise - Act as a ‘trusted advisor’ to foster buy-in and enable effective communication of IS objectives and priorities. You will advise on and help document IS policy and ensure that there is up-to-date documentation of the network infrastructure as well as a comprehensive and easily updateable knowledge base of user guidance, solutions, operating instructions, system definitions, contingency plans and other reference materials. This ensures to manage the knowledge effectively and, in the event of fast-moving issues, the team is able to act quickly and decisively to resolve them or escalate as appropriate.
Core Network Infrastructure - Ensuring that the cloud, terminal and on- premises servers have the required uptime and performance, managing and escalating issues with the technology partners when appropriate. Managing telecommunications systems and wireless networks, to deliver seamless operational performance for staff and stakeholders, ensuring that the Charity’s IS systems and communications networks (both internal and external) are supported and remain operational.
Applications and Web Services - Ensure that applications and web services meet the requirements of the Charity through structured management, reporting and governance, strong technical knowledge, proactive risk management, support and incident management. You will take overall responsibility for the planning, design/architecture and delivery of new projects, as well as for preparing, testing and implementing appropriate Business Continuity contingency plans to ensure that system/platform faults and disasters have a minimum adverse impact upon the charity’s operations. You will assist in alleviating technical issues, through use of IS resources and/or by liaising with relevant suppliers. This will maximise efficiency and value from investment as well as providing an optimal user experience.
Cyber Security - Provide leadership in areas of IS compliance, security, continuity and best practice. Develop and implement a suite of secure, robust and reliable cyber/information security tools and controls which minimise information security risks and develops staff awareness of the role they play in keeping the charity secure, without inhibiting innovation. Monitor for attacks, intrusions and unusual, unauthorised or illegal activity, ensuring network security threats are detected and mitigated against. Keep up to date with the latest security and technology developments. You will contribute to (inter alia): disaster recovery planning, certification, mail filtering, acquisition of security standards and create contingency plans in the event of any security breaches, in order to reduce exposure to organisational harm caused by a compromised network or device.
Data Protection and Information Governance – Work with the Charity’s “Data Protection Officer” for the purposes of maintaining confidentiality and ensuring information security regulatory compliance with the requirements of the Data Protection Act 2018 (incorporating the UK General Data Protection Regulation). Implement governance controls that strike a sound balance between the need for documentation and authorisation, and the flexibility to deliver business needs at pace. Ensure that user accounts/permissions within IS systems are securely managed (including management of processes for leavers/joiners/role changes) and ensure that Backups, DR, Critical Incident and Cyber Incident plans are in place and tested for effectiveness regularly. Ensure that suitable standards and mechanisms are in place to monitor/audit systems and data against unauthorised access, including remote user connections.
Project Management – You will be comfortable leading on projects and being an active participant in others. Familiar with techniques which deliver success you can scope, design, initiate and execute projects successfully using, issue management, performance reporting, risk mitigation and lessons learnt reviews. They are working as an organisation to improve project accountabilities and schedule resources more effectively so you will be able to share your expertise with other colleagues as appropriate.
Staff Training & Development - You will ensure that your staff are managed fairly and in accordance with the policies and procedures of the Charity, consistent with the stated Organisational Values. You will identify technical resource requirements and assist in recruiting technical staff (both full-time and contract), where necessary. You will manage provision of support to users at all locations during implementation and upgrade of IS systems. You will identify the training needs of internal system users and IS staff, to either design and run internal training courses or use external training providers to upskill staff and users, where required. You will also act as a mentor to the IS staff to ensure their personal development is matched with the Charity’s needs, and empower the team to deliver.
Collaboration and Teamwork – Work collaboratively to form effective relationships with a broad and diverse range of stakeholders to achieve an understanding of and support for the IS strategy and its associated implementation plan. Inspire people to work together to use IS to its full potential for knowledge-sharing and collaborative working, to optimise the IS experience for all staff. You will also build constructive and successful working relationships with key suppliers, partners and stakeholders. Communicating complex issues, using your insights, to a range of audiences, enabling a good understanding and obtaining support for new IS concepts and proposals.
Additional general responsibility - All staff should actively promote the core Values of the organization whilst working towards achieving the strategic objectives of the Charity, focusing on the impact of the departmental Operational Plan. Supporting the management team to ensure that the organisation fulfils its obligations for the Health, Safety and Security of all employees and relevant stakeholders including Volunteers. Represent the organisation in relevant charity sector initiatives and ensure that the Charity continues to learn from and share information with internal and external stakeholders as appropriate. Promoting equality of opportunity, diversity, and inclusiveness to ensure that the delivery of people management, policies, and systems through all aspects of the Charity are fair, transparent, and consistent, without prejudice or discrimination to all internal and external stakeholders.
PERSON SPECIFICATION
The skills, abilities, experience, and knowledge outlined below provide a summary of what is required to carry out this job effectively; together with the selection criteria required to demonstrate competency to carry out the role.
Qualifications Skills and Experience:
Essential:
Minimum of 5 years IT/IS experience.
High level of technical literacy across all aspects of service provision with experience of managing an IT/IS function of significant complexity in a mid to large-sized organization with diverse user requirements. Familiarity of cloud-based services and infrastructure, including best practice in systems management and administration, supplier/contract management, desktop and helpdesk service management, security, and continuity planning.
Experience of developing IT/IS Strategy, with the ability to translate business needs into appropriate IT/IS solutions, and a good understanding of how technology can be applied to support effective and efficient business processes and knowledge management strategies.
Experience in preparing submissions to board level on IT/IS issues and of presenting business cases to gain senior-level support for proposals.
Experience of leading transformational change to business processes and systems to deliver cost savings and service improvements (able to demonstrate knowledge of procedures for managing projects and associated budgets, with the ability to prioritise, action and monitor a number of different tasks at the same time.
Structured approach to problem-solving and addressing ambiguities, setbacks and problems, in a way that problems and conflicting demands are anticipated and solutions to manage complex IT/IS issues identified quickly.
Ability to engage key user groups to determine their requirements and priorities and translate these into specifications for IT/IS systems, and foster ‘buy-in’ to agreed solutions.
Ability to view requirements and their solutions from an organisational perspective as well as identifying the most appropriate technical solution(s)
Experience of handling medium to large budgets, ensuring value for money
Experience of managing strategic partners, suppliers and other stakeholders
Experience of Support Desk Service Management
Staff management and development experience
Good understanding of Microsoft 365
Cyber security and threat detection experience, so that in the event of a security incident, you can manage the situation in accordance with the Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery policies
Understanding of GDPR regulations and awareness of how to handle sensitive data
Desirable:
Bachelor level degree in computer science, computer engineering or other relevant field
Familiarity or experience with project management methods such as PRINCE2.
An understanding of AGILE techniques and how they drive innovation
Knowledge or experience of an ITIL service environment
Experience in the use of “business process improvement” (BPI) techniques to ensure that requirements for systems take into account opportunities for improving effectiveness and efficiency.
Understanding of the importance of digital Marketing and Communications
Experience of negotiating IT/IS contracts
Understanding of the Charity sector and commitment in supporting the work of the organisation.
Personal Attributes:
Essential:
Highly motivated ‘hands on’ self-starter, able to work autonomously to see plans through to conclusion and to lead by example.
Ability to work satisfactorily under pressure, respond quickly to changing circumstances and tight timetables, whilst dealing with conflicting priorities, to deliver results.
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, being able to confidently present to large groups, and the ability to influence and tactfully deal with sensitive issues. Able to convert and communicate complex technical issues into easily understandable language to a range of audiences, without the use of jargon (bridging the gap between technical and non-technical staff and earning the trust in judgement to obtain support from senior management).
Highly organised and results orientated, with excellent attention to detail and an analytical approach to effectively deal with ambiguities and setbacks.
An ability to quickly learn and understand technical topics in enough detail to ensure that problems and conflicting demands are anticipated and that solutions are identified quickly.
Structured and methodical approach to problem solving
Established staff management and development skills, with the ability to lead and motivate others
Ability to develop effective working relationships with a wide range of technical experts, staff, suppliers, and other stakeholders
Excellent Team-working skills, able to form constructive working relationships with all stakeholders and work with cross-functional teams with differing skill levels, to inspire people to work together for collaborative working and knowledge-sharing.
Ability to provide clear management information and reporting
Demonstrable knowledge of the practical use of information and communications systems and technology.
Able to demonstrate strong emotional intelligence and an ability to determine underlying issues in potentially challenging situations
Willingness to travel to office or other pre-agreed locations when required eg. Data centres, offices of key support services
Awareness of risk, security, data protection, and health & safety at work
Conduct yourself in line with the general standards of conduct, values, norms, and behaviours of the Charity, embracing the cultural diversity of all colleagues and service users
Desirable:
Having worked within, or for, a charity or other “not for profit” organization
An interest in maintaining Knowledge of IT trends and emerging technologies, and exploring their possible applications for the charity.
WORKING HOURS
37.5 hours (Monday to Friday) with some out of hours cover and occasional weekend work
BENEFITS
33 days Annual Leave (excluding 8 bank holidays)
Pension - 8% Employer Contribution
Season ticket loan
Childcare Vouchers (subject to eligibility)