JOB DESCRIPTION

Job title IT Operations Manager
Department IT
Grade 8
Hours of work Full Time (1FTE)

Salary £46,220 – £52,867
Contract type Permanent
Responsible to Head of IT
Responsible for Technology Systems Administrator, Technology Service Desk Engineer (x 3), Technology Projects Engineer, Technology Administrator
Liaises with Internal: Head of IT, IT Delivery Manager, Business Applications Manager, other IT colleagues, Digital Learning Manager, Creative Performance Technologies team, Professional Services Managers
External: Hardware, Software and Service Suppliers

Job overview

The IT Operations Manager is responsible for providing up-to-date and resilient ICT services and support to staff and students, with day-to-day responsibility for the ICT infrastructure, operational contracts, cyber security and the help desk. The IT Operations Manager leads a team of six and is a key member of the IT management team, reporting to the Head of IT alongside the Business Applications Manager and the IT Delivery Manager.

Main Duties & Responsibilities

• Resolution of problems, including the ICT Service Desk and the service management process e.g. incident, problem and change control, managing the delivery of appropriate service levels.
• Systems administration, including ensuring cyber resilience, ensuring that effective Disaster Recovery and Breach Response procedures and testing schedules are in place.
• Responsible for operational contracts e.g. Microsoft 365, Azure AD, including supplier negotiations and contracts, budget management, and maintaining a contract database.
• Manage and monitor the rolling programme of software and hardware updates for the ICT infrastructure e.g. laptops, servers, storage.
• Cyber training and compliance, and other IT training as required for staff and students.
• Monthly reporting including KPIs relating to systems compliance, cyber security and training, help desk support and projects where applicable.
• Maintain IT policies and procedures, including for incident management, change control and business continuity.
• Ensure RCM’s compliance with software licensing, data protection and other relevant legislation.
• Maintain technical knowledge and keep up to date through appropriate training & development.
• Manage a team of six, facilitating support from team members of that team to the ICT Delivery Manager as agreed with the Head of IT, and ensuring they undertake appropriate training & development.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

All of the following criteria are considered essential unless otherwise noted.

Qualifications

• Educated to degree level in a relevant subject areas or equivalent professional experience.
• ITIL Manager Certified. (Desirable)

Experience, Skills & Knowledge

• Experienced IT professional.
• Experienced team manager with strong team management skills and effective delegation.
• Organised and able to effectively prioritise resources.
• A high-level of experience in Microsoft Windows and Network Maintenance, Administration and Troubleshooting.
• Experience of Microsoft Office 365 Maintenance, Administration and Troubleshooting.
• Experience of Desktop Hardware Maintenance, Administration and Troubleshooting.
• Experience of Cloud technologies.
• Experience of Apple Macintosh network maintenance, administration and troubleshooting (Desirable)
• Experience of SQL Server Maintenance, Administration and Troubleshooting.
• Able to work collaboratively with other IT managers, and with Colleagues from other teams with strong communication skills.
• Experience of negotiating and managing operational contracts and budgets and of KPI reporting to senior management.
• Experience of a disciplined IT Service Management environment and working with SLA’s, with a customer service mindset.
• Experience and good understanding of cyber security challenges and how to minimise the risks and impact.
• Good project management skills and experience.
• Excellent problem solving skills.

Technical Skills

• Microsoft Certified. (Desirable)
• Active Directory / Group Policy Management. (Desirable)
• CCNA or equivalent switching certification. (Desirable)
• Mitel or similar VOIP Administration. (Desirable)
• Azure Cloud Backup. (Desirable)
• Microsoft HyperV. (Desirable)
• McAfee E Policy Orchestrator. (Desirable)
• Microsoft System Centre Configuration Manager (SCCM). (Desirable)
• PowerShell / Scripting. (Desirable)
• Asimut Administration (Desirable)
• PaperCut Administration (Desirable)
• Experience of call-logging tools (e.g. CA Service Desk Management or similar) (Desirable)

Personal Attributes

• A confident personality demonstrating resilience and adaptability.
• An appreciation of the arts, particularly music, in education.
• A commitment to recognising, valuing and celebrating diversity and to proactively advancing equality and inclusive practice in all areas of College life.

The duties and responsibilities assigned to the post may be amended by the Head of IT within the scope and level of the post.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Job title Head of IT
Department IT
Grade 10
Hours of work Full Time (1FTE)

Salary £63,911 – £71,343
Contract type Permanent
Responsible to Director of Finance and Technology
Responsible for IT Operations Manager, IT Delivery Manager, Business Applications Manager
Liaises with Internal: Heads of Professional Services Departments, Head of Creative Technologies, Digital Learning Manager, Directorate members of the Digital Steering & Implementation Committee, the Audit and Risk Assurance Committee
External: Jisc, Hardware and software manufacturers, Technology suppliers and service providers, network of other Heads of IT

Job overview

The Head of IT provides leadership for the delivery of IT services for the College, including the development of the College’s IT strategy and its implementation and the provision of IT Services. The role ensures the IT infrastructure is resilient, efficient and capable of supporting the needs of the College. The post-holder takes a leadership role in influencing other senior managers to improve digital capability and skills on their teams and to look for digital opportunities to improve business models.

The role also has responsibility for the Cyber Security of the College and the protection of College data, IT systems, and digital assets. The role defines appropriate policies and standards, cyber security strategy and improvement initiatives to ensure the College remains resistant to cyber-attack and hostile activity. The post-holder is responsible for risk management and regulatory compliance in this area, and leading incident response efforts in the event of security breaches, including incident investigations. They work closely with other senior managers to promote a culture of awareness and manage resources to effectively safeguard the organisation’s information infrastructure.

This role reports to the Director of Finance & Technology, is a member of the Digital Steering and Implementation Committee (DSIC) and is an active member of the wider senior management of the College.

As a senior leader accountable for all aspects of IT, the role holder is expected to work with autonomy and minimal supervision. security.

Key Responsibilities

IT services and infrastructure

• Leading, managing and developing the RCM IT team of 10 staff. Providing advice and guidance, ensuring the team have the support they need to provide quality service, fulfil their roles and balance different priorities.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues across the institution, proactively seeking to explore and understand the needs of stakeholders with a view to anticipating changes in organisational needs and future requirements.
• Responsible for managing operating and capital budgets, ensuring value for money and making the case for investment.
• Responsible for the IT and communications infrastructure including:
  • Network hardware and software
  • IT and communications hardware and software (servers, PCs, printers, telephones etc)
  • Software and hardware support for RCM systems and applications
  • External connections to RCM
• Accountable for the design and implementation of IT infrastructure improvements ensuring the right initiatives are budgeted and prioritised, and that systems and cyber defences remain resilient and up to date.
• Overall responsibility for IT support for students and staff, setting and maintaining standards for the provision of IT helpdesk support working to agreed KPIs where appropriate.
• Proactively seek to identify IT training needs for staff and students and work with the IT Operations Manager to identify solutions and implement training initiatives
• Building long-term strategic partnerships with external suppliers and service providers through service level agreements.
• Working collaboratively with the Head of Creative Technologies who has primary responsibility for certain related areas such as AV provision and the Apple Mac labs.

Cyber security

• Implement and drive policy changes to promote business resilience and security of operations.
• Responsible for ensuring the timely delivery of Cyber Security training, working with the IT Operations Manager to monitor and report on completion rates and effectiveness.
• Through overall leadership of the IT function, ensure the cyber security environment conforms to our policies, principles, and standards, and mitigates risks and vulnerabilities.
• Provide leadership and direction to ensure threats to students, staff and suppliers are addressed effectively and expeditiously. Ensure appropriate response to security incidents and drive continuous improvements by learning from them.
• Direct and guide decision making during IT and Cyber Security incidents, serve as the primary point of escalation, involving external support agencies if appropriate to ensure outcomes and lessons learnt are documented for future events.
• Ensure IT infrastructure reflects best practice, maintaining organisational resilience in light of potential cyber threats that is dynamic and evolving. The role holder will be expected to remain knowledgeable and informed by engaging with peers in the sector and with Jisc to exchange views and learnings. Foster a culture of security awareness, education and best practices throughout the College.
• Liaise with functions outside IT, including the DPO, Finance and HR teams as well as external bodies such as Jisc to ensure the organisation maintains a robust security posture and works collaboratively.

Strategy and Governance

• Plan and facilitate an appropriate IT strategy and governance structure, and provide regular reporting to the DSIC, and the Audit and Risk Assurance Committee.
• Responsible for developing and implementing the IT Strategy for the College, ensuring that the IT Strategy is aligned with the College’s Strategic Plan and facilitates the work of other key areas of College
• To act as a member of the Digital Steering and Implementation Committee (DSIC), Professional Services Committee and contribute as an active member of the wider senior management of the College.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

All of the following criteria are considered essential unless otherwise noted and will be assessed by both application form and interview.

Qualifications

• Degree/postgraduate qualification in a relevant discipline or equivalent professional experience

Experience, Skills & Knowledge

• IT professional with significant skills and experience committed to continued professional development and looking to further develop through a challenging, influential and broad role within Higher Education.
• Evidence of deep and broad knowledge of the whole functional work area and of setting the overall standards for service across an IT department of similar function.
• Experience of setting and maintaining service levels in line with KPIs.
• Confident working autonomously with minimal supervision.
• Significant professional experience in a senior management role with demonstrably strong team management skills and effective delegation.
• Able to manage and prioritise effectively operational and investment needs across a large team.
• Strong IT skills and significant understanding of commercial IT technologies including networking, server technology, hardware, software, cloud technologies and infrastructure planning.
• Able to develop and advise senior management on IT strategy demonstrating full working knowledge and proficiency of their own area of expertise and acting as a point of reference for others.
• Committed to continuous professional development, acquiring and refining skills and expertise in new or related areas through undertaking and encouraging internal or external development activity.
• Experience of managing large capital and operational budgets.
• Experience of managing large contracts and partnerships with suppliers.
• Experience of managing cyber security incidents and a thorough understanding of the challenges posed by cyber security and how to manage the risks and impact.
• Understanding of the current cyber security threats faced by the Higher Education sector. (Desirable)
• An understanding of the role of IT in a Higher Education setting, including learning, teaching and research. (Desirable)
• Excellent communication skills and a demonstrable ability to work with and influence senior Colleagues across the College.

Personal Attributes

• Ability to cope calmly under pressure and demonstrate senior management ability in management, leadership, and decision making.
• Good communication skills and the ability to work with senior Colleagues across all areas of the College.
• A customer service mindset, supporting both staff and students.
• A driven individual with the ability to implement a compelling long-term vision for the IT function, aligning it with organisational goals.
• A commitment to recognising, valuing and celebrating diversity and to proactively advancing equality and inclusive practice in all areas of college life.

The duties and responsibilities assigned to the post may be amended by the Director of Finance and Technology within the scope and level of the post.