Associate Director of IT & Systems

Ipswich, Suffolk
Opus People Solutions Ltd

Associate Director of IT & Systems

90,000 + performance related bonus

Responsible to: Chief Finance Officer

Work Pattern: Hybrid (2-3 days a week in the office)

About the organisation
The Vertas Group is a collaborative organisation made up of three companies. Vertas, Concertus Design and Property Consultants, and Opus People Solutions.
The Vertas Group has become one of the largest integrated facilities management companies in Great Britain, winning multiple awards along the way.
Collectively the group cover a wide range of services from designing and building properties to pay management, recruitment capabilities, transport, and cleaning.
The Vertas Group embrace challenges alongside clients by working, developing, and learning together – delivering benefits not just to a place of business but to the communities that surround it too.
The Vertas Group are incredibly proud of the work they do and how they can support their client’s needs through the provision of multiple services under one roof.

The role
The role will report into the Chief Finance Officer for the Group and support the strategic development and transformation of IT and Systems across Vertas Group and all subsidiaries, which includes Concertus, Concertus Derbyshire, Opus, Opus Teach, Vertas, Oak Park, Verse, Vertas Derbyshire & Vertas Nottinghamshire.
This role sits at Associate Director level within our Group and will support the Board of Directors with the achievement of the strategic business plan by creating and implementing an IT transition and growth strategy.
The ideal candidate will be dynamic, a strong communicator, solution and action focussed with strong commercial acumen.

Key requirements

• Plan, develop and execute the corporate IT & Systems Strategy and roadmap to support the strategic plans of the Group. The goals here are to enhance client services, improve user effectiveness and encourage innovation.
• Review and adapt IT processes, policies and ways of working that support the longer-term strategic vision of both the IT function and the Group
• Analyse the business IT requirements of the Group to determine their IT & System’s needs.
• Liaising regularly with executive and senior management on the IT strategic deliverables, including the provision of service level KPI’s.
• Leading the IT Team and being responsible for performance management, recruitment, and employee relations matters. You are supported by the Groups People team.
• Maintain operational IT plans and lead the team to deliver these and ensure the on-going delivery of IT & Systems support across the Group including outsourcing / insourcing of activities.
• Ensure that wider Group maintains and/or achieves, the appropriate accreditations (cyber essentials Plus, ISO etc) in accordance with the IT & Systems Strategy.
• Maintain high performing service support functions including service desk, onsite support, outsourced support, IT Infrastructure and architecture, and IT training.
• Accountable for the Groups IT & Systems budget, report on expenditure and variances to budget.
• Regularly assess the level of customer IT service satisfaction and lead the team to remedy any areas of concerning, ensuring that the internal users are given a strong customer focus, and satisfaction levels increase.
• Review the IT training needs requirements across the Group at all levels, creating a flexible training delivery solution that is robust, flexible, and future proof to increase IT capability in our workforce. Supported by the Organisational Development Team.
• Accountable for the implementation and maintenance of IT & Systems policies, processes, and technologies.
• Plan, manage and oversee all IT communications to the Group, such as service notifications ensuring the message is simple and easy to understand. Supported by the Communications team.
• Lead the team to ensure they are managing IT suppliers and outsourced services in accordance with agreed service levels, being the final point of escalation for service level issues and holding the provider to account when required.
• Accountable for ensuring a comprehensive purchase review is carried out by the team to ensure cost-effective and value add purchase on technological equipment, software, contracts and systems.
• Maintain the IT Risk Register, reporting to the Board any internal information security issues and incidents providing solutions and recommendations to resolution.
• Support the Board in the management of Group Risk on all IT related matters and report on risk levels and mitigation monthly.

Skills & experience

• Extensive experience in IT, ideally have experience of operating at strategic level and reporting up to Board level
• Worked in a complex IT environment which is solution focussed
• Experience of leading large complex IT projects in a fast-paced environment
• Strong leadership and team management experience
• Degree (or equivalent) in Computer Science or related subject
• Experience with methodologies like PRINCE2, ITIL, Scrum and Agile
• Experienced (or at least significant exposure and keen interest) in the IT governance and information security discipline
• Proven experience in working with IT teams in complex and dynamic environments
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills including the ability to explain technical concepts and technologies to senior leaders including non-technical members of staff
• Good understanding of data privacy (GDPR) governance and risk management activities and how this influences IT and business operations
• Excellent understanding of the Microsoft eco-system, particularly M365, D365 F&O, Power Suite & Fabric
• Proven experience with Data & Business Intelligence within an ERP focussed environment

If you are interested in the position please submit an application and a member of the team will reach out to you to discuss the role in detail and next steps.