Interim Director of IT Projects

Location: London

£800 per day

Our client is a large research University, and they are looking for an Interim Director of IT Projects.

The team provides technology and digital services to the staff and students, including front line support services, infrastructure, applications, and project delivery, with 150 staff based across their London campus. The role offers hybrid working with 3 days required on site.

You will report to the Chief Information Officer (CIO) and will be a member of the new IT Leadership Team. The post is responsible for the shaping and delivery of transformative digital change through technology, working with other senior leaders within IT to ensure that the approach to delivery of new technologies is clear and well supported, and delivers on the university’s strategic goals.

The role is responsible for the direction of the IT Change Portfolio, and development of the project, programme, and portfolio management capabilities, and the business analysis capability, to deliver it. It is also responsible for direct and indirect management of a team of project managers, business analysts, project support officers and other relevant roles.

Qualifications and Knowledge Required

• Educated to degree level, or with equivalent work experience.
• Knowledge of different methods and approaches to project, programme and portfolio management including appropriate qualifications such as PRINCE2, MSP, MoP etc. or equivalent experience.
• Deep and substantial knowledge of strategy development, strategic planning, and financial forecasting.

Experience Required

• Substantial experience managing projects, programmes, and portfolios with a significant technology and digital change impact in senior leadership role, operating in a complex organisation.
• Experience of business case development, project, and portfolio planning, and tracking benefits.
• Substantial experience of providing visionary and inspiration leadership with extensive people management experience including performance management, leading and developing high performance teams, and optimising departmental resource.
• Experience of developing and implementing project management frameworks within a technology department, and applying different methodologies e.g., Agile, waterfall, APM etc.
• Experience of building and leading teams of in the region of >25+ staff, including project managers, business analysts and other specialists.
• Financial management of budgets in excess of £1m
• Experience leading an IT project change function in a complex environment.
• Substantial experience of winning the confidence of senior leaders and executives and working with them to deliver successful projects and programmes, ideally in an assurance and critical friend role.
• Experience of developing and operating a significantly sized IT PMO function >£20M capital, 20+ projects

Interviews will be held before Easter, with a start date in April.