Main purpose of the role

The primary responsibility of this role is to manage the Technology Support Services (part of DTS team), responsible for effective management of IT systems, business applications & information; and adapt CIFF’s IT systems and related operational procedures to be more efficient, effective, and streamlined across all locations.

The role will involve working directly with the Head of DTS and India Operations, Change Delivery Programme Manager, Technical Architect, IT Analysts, main point of contact for third party services providers and a wide range of stakeholders across the organisation, to efficiently deliver the technology support services.

The role requires effective management of IT systems and assets, delivery of fit-for-purpose IT services, management of technology support services team and to act in alignment with CIFF staff needs and system functionality to contribute to organisational policy. It also includes handling the global annual IT operations budgets and ensuring cost effectiveness.

The role is crucial for creating and maintaining focus, enthusiasm, and momentum through effective leadership for technology support services team and building people-centric team ethos, enabling positive and productive environment for employees at work.

The role also has line management responsibilities for the IT Analysts in  the DTS team across locations and will be responsible for performance management and pay review related aspects of the team.The role holder will also be expected to deputise for the Head of Digital Technology Solutions specifically in relation to IT Service Delivery matters across any location in times of absence and where appropriate delegation is requested.

Role’s responsibilities

Strategy & planning

·        Prepare and present high-quality analysis and research, as required, to support the business needs in determining future strategic priorities and setting operational plans for IT support.

·        Lead and deliver on the development of sustainable strategies related to global technology support services which fundamentally contributes to the realisation of DTS strategy and the associated digital and technology investments, alongside other team members.

Delivery & performance

·      Develop, set and drive objectives for the technology support services team, with a key focus on customer service and satisfaction.

·      Accountable for team delivery against the agreed objectives and for the effectiveness and efficiency of technology support services across CIFF.

·      Lead and deliver the overall technology support services portfolio, overall management for resourcing, budget control, communication, and implementation.

·      Develop and maintain the required processes, tools, and templates, covering all the aspects of how team operates and how technology projects are planned, executed, and implemented to the organisation.

·      Maintain essential IT operations, including business applications, IT infrastructure, servers, email systems, audio-visual equipment, and end user computing devices across all the operating offices.

·      Own projects, solutions, and key responsibilities within a larger business initiative.

·      Handle business-critical IT tasks and systems administration.

·      Research and evaluate emerging technologies, hardware, and software and identify opportunities and make recommendations for effective and efficient use and adoption of IT systems across the organisation.

·      Develop and implement of IT policies and best practice guides for the organisation.

·      Direct line management for the technology support services team members, provide direction for the technology support services team members and identify the opportunities for team training and skills advancement.

·      Conduct regular system audits and share regular operation system reports with senior staff.

·      Oversee and determine the timeframes for major IT projects including system updates, upgrades, migrations, and outages.

·      Third party supplier management for the technology support services portfolio across CIFF

·      Track and maintain hardware and software inventory.

Stakeholder and partner management

·        Conduct rigorous research and evaluation of potential partners, using agreed corporate protocols and techniques, to assess their suitability and credentials for collaborating on technology initiatives.

·        Apply CIFF’s agreed account management disciplines and approaches in all dealings with vendors and stakeholders, to ensure productive and professional relationships are maintained in a coordinated and strategic manner.

·        Collaborating with senior colleagues, help to develop strategic technical capabilities to support CIFF’s field facing agenda.

Membership and leadership of the team

·        Be a role model to less experienced team members, demonstrating CIFF’s leadership behaviours and providing mentorship to aid their growth.

·       Adopt a coaching approach with colleagues which instills a culture of openness and trust, embraces diverse thinking, and encourages continuous improvement and learning.

·        We operate a matrix structure so reporting lines can vary between specific aspects of the role.

Requirements

Qualifications & Experience

·      Experience working in multi-site organisations, preferably international.

·      ITIL and MS Administration / Azure / Power Platform Certification.

·      Excellent knowledge and experience on technical management, information analysis and of the following technologies:

o    Microsoft 365 including Exchange, SharePoint, OneDrive, and Teams

o    Microsoft Intune, Group Policy Management, Active Directory and Azure Active Directory

o    Microsoft Azure

o    Citrix ShareFile and Mimecast (mail gateway, Large File Send, Secure Messaging)

o    Networking Concepts and supporting product knowledge

o    Mobile Data Management and Telephony

o    Polycom based AV infrastructure.

·      Self-starter with the ability to work and prioritise activities without supervision.

·      Ability to manage expectations from the business and manage personnel.

·      Educated to degree level, with appropriate specialist accreditation.

·      Builds valuable partnerships/relationships based on shared goals, transparency, and mutual respect.

·      Constantly seeks opportunities to improve and innovate, driving towards ever greater effectiveness and impact.

·      Excellent communication & interpersonal skills, written, verbal & exceptional active listening skills, with a customer service mentality.

·      Ability to clearly articulate messages to a variety of audiences using multi-channels.

·      Able to effectively & collaboratively at all levels in an organisation influence other and move toward a common vision or goal.

·      Forward-looking with a holistic approach and strong business acumen with an understanding of organisational issues and challenges.

·      Good organisational skills with a natural inclination for planning strategy and tactics, problem-solving and root causes identification skills.

·      Strong ability to prioritise, multitask and work independently, whilst maintaining the quality of work expected and meeting multiple deadlines as required.

·      Flexible and adaptable; able to work in ambiguous situations, resilient and tenacious with a propensity to persevere.

·      Is passionate about CIFF’s mission, maintaining perspective on how daily actions contribute to improving the lives of children.

Key working relationships

·      CIFF CAO

·      Head of DTS

·      Change Delivery team

·      IT Analysts

·      Programme and Sector team SPOCs

Management dimensions

Responsibility for Technology support services team financial budget planning and tracking.

Benefits

The salary for this role is £80,000 per annum.

Alongside a competitive salary, we offer a generous benefits package here at CIFF that includes, but is not limited to the following:

• Annual leave – 25 days per annum. Increasing by 1 day after each year of service, to a maximum of 30 days.
• Bonus – CIFF currently operates a discretionary bonus scheme.
• Training allowance
• Wellbeing allowance
• Life insurance
• Medical insurance

Please submit your application on or before 27th May 2024.