Director – Technology Operations

Purpose of Role

The Head of Technology Operations will lead the operational aspects of our technology department, ensuring that our IT infrastructure is robust, secure, and efficient. The role requires a strategic thinker with a hands-on approach to oversee the development, implementation and maintenance of technology solutions that support our business objectives.

Responsibilities & Accountabilities

The role will be Director, Technology Operations within the Technology, Data and Information team and will be accountable for.

Strategy and Governance

• Develop and implement strategic plans for the operational management and development of systems and networks.
• Establish an effective governance framework that ensures efficient integration of all aspects of the support framework to deliver a stable and secure environment.

Vendor Performance Management :

• Oversee vendor relationships and ensure they meet performance expectations.
• Monitor vendor performance, track key metrics, and evaluate their effectiveness.
• Troubleshoot vendor issues and escalate as necessary.
• Collaborate with vendors to optimize service delivery and quality.
• Ensure all vendor contracts are well managed and remain relevant, effective, and active.
• Ensure all vendors are paid correctly and within expected timelines.

Staff Management :

• Lead and develop teams responsible for technology operations.
• Recruit, hire, and train staff.
• Provide continuous feedback, conduct performance reviews, and address any performance gaps.
• Manage staff schedules and assign responsibilities.

Internal Stakeholder Management :

Stakeholder management

• Support discussions at the Executive Leadership Team (ELT) and the Board to ensure they remain fully informed and are well placed to support investment in QTC's technology strategy.
• Engage with broader stakeholders across the business to ensure the delivery of technology services continues to support broader business goals.
• Maintain effective communication channels with all stakeholders.

Service Management Processes Application :

• Apply ITIL best practices to manage IT services effectively across all technical teams, including outsourced services.
• Implement and improve ITIL processes such as Incident Management, Change Management, Problem Management, and Service Level Management.
• Maintain and evolve QTC's Service Management tools and processes to improve the efficiency of service delivery across the business.

Operational Budget Management :

• Develop and manage the operational budget for technology operations.
• Allocate resources efficiently to meet business requirements.
• Monitor expenses, identify cost-saving opportunities, and optimize spending.
• Manage all costs against budget.

Technical Competencies

A Director of Technology Operations should possess a robust set of technical competencies to effectively oversee technology operations. Here's a list of key technical competencies:

• Technical Expertise: Knowledge in areas such as network architecture, software development, hardware, databases, and cybersecurity.
• Project Management: Ability to plan, execute, and oversee projects to ensure they are completed on time and within budget.
• IT Governance: Understanding of IT governance frameworks and the ability to implement them within the organization.
• Vendor Performance Management: An effective understanding of how to extract the best performance from vendor delivered services including a good understanding of contract structure, Service Level Agreement (SLAs)
• Strategic Planning: Skills in developing and executing IT strategies that align with the business goals.
• Risk Management: Competence in identifying potential IT risks and developing strategies to mitigate them.
• Operational Excellence: Ability to build, operate, and optimize business operations and technology capabilities.
• Innovation and Adaptability: Keeping abreast of emerging technologies and trends to drive innovation and adapt to changing business needs.
• Leadership and Team Management: Leading and developing a team of IT professionals to support and enhance technology operations.

Behavioural Competencies

• Integrity, including upholding strong professional and ethical standards.
• Competent and confident story teller; can effectively cut through large quantities of information to get to the 'so what'.
• Understands the viewpoint of higher management and effectively analyses complex problems.
• Effectively builds and maintains feedback channels, responds constructively to feedback from direct reports.
• Establishes a positive environment by always acting with positive intent, and assuming positive intent from others.

Leadership Competencies

• Builds trust and confidence with the team by communicating clearly, following through on commitment, values diverse perspectives.
• Takes personal responsibility for their team's work.
• Holds team to a standard of excellence and takes pride in the team's work.
• Ability to effectively manage, motivate, and develop a team of technology professionals.
• Strong communication skills to effectively convey complex technical information to non-technical stakeholders and to collaborate with other departments.
• Ability to make informed and timely decisions, balancing risk and opportunity, in a fast-paced and dynamic environment.
• Ability to lead and manage change, ensuring that the organization adapts to evolving threats and technologies.

Qualifications

Essential

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in information technology, Computer Science, or related field.

Desirable

• Industry certifications such as:
  • Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL)
  • Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)
  • Project Management Professional (PMP), Certified Scrum Master (CSM) and PRINCE2

Experience

Essential

• 15 years of experience delivering technology services in complex, high availability technology environments that deliver critical services.
• Experience in contributing to establishing technology strategies and associated roadmaps.
• 7 years experience leading teams of technology professionals.

Desirable

• Experience working in the financial services industry.
• Experience within the government sector.
• Experience in establishing and maintaining significant public cloud solutions, particularly in Azure.
• Experience implementing and complying with IS18 (ACSC Essential 8 and ISO27001)