Head of IT Operations
Ofwat (Water Services Regulation Authority)
Apply before 11:55 pm on Sunday 1st December 2024
Details
Reference number
Salary
Job grade
Contract type
Business area
Type of role
Other
Working pattern
Number of jobs available
Contents
Location
About the job
Job summary
We are seeking a Head of IT Operations s to join our IT Team and will be working within the Corporate Enablers Directorate. Our CE
directorate is collective of five vital functions that provide support to all teams across Ofwat.
Our IT vision is to deliver operational excellence, delivery and innovation supporting our people to be able to securely access the tools and technology regardless of location. We are very much focussed on the future re-imagining the way we work and how we can enable
transformational opportunities through the use of data and technology.
We are at the source of everyday life. Our work is high-profile and fast-moving, within a dynamic and agile environment. The work that you’ll be involved in every day will help us to deliver our strategy, to make us the regulator we want to be and help the sector to deliver for customers and society.
You can find out more about why you should join Ofwat, our strategy, our values and our Framework for Success in the attached Candidate Pack.
Job description
The Role
As the Head of IT Operations you will be responsible for driving the delivery of robust IT infrastructure and operations to support business capabilities and services. This pivotal leadership role at Ofwat which involves overseeing the entire IT landscape, from infrastructure and networking and application support.
You will lead operational efficiency and effectiveness of the team whilst ensuring the secure, scalable, and efficient management of our IT infrastructure. The role focuses on driving operational excellence, improving service delivery, and ensuring the highest standards of security and system availability.
To be successful in this role, you will need to inspire the respect and trust in others through integrity, action, and commitment, and have a positive impact on the working environment. You will also confidently navigate through periods of change with a positive and solution-based mindset, helping to manage the IT budget, and ensuring all projects are completed on time and within budget. You will need a strong
background in IT operations, excellent leadership skills, and a proven track record of delivering results in a fast-paced environment.
Key Deliverables
In this role you will be expected to:
- Lead the IT Operations team (7 individuals), aligning with the organisation's digital strategy in support of Ofwat's transformation into an activist regulator.
- Ensure the stability, and resilience of IT services, utilising the best practices in cloud infrastructure management, disaster recovery, and service delivery.
- Lead and develop a multi-disciplinary team, overseeing their development delivery of exceptional IT support and operations.
- Champion the integration of emerging technologies and continuous improvement methodologies to enhance efficiency and drive innovation and creating clear roadmaps for implementation.
- Build and maintain strong relationships with key IT and business stakeholders, acting as a trusted advisor to ensure the alignment of IT services with business needs.
- Oversee IT budget development and management, optimising costs and ensuring alignment with strategic IT goals and financial constraints.
- Oversee customer relationships where needed, and ensure VIP relationships are positive and that they are fully supported.
- Ensure processes are in place to escalate unresolved issues to second or third line support teams, or onward engagement with the appropriate vendor when required.
- Builds successful stakeholder relationships with other IT and business key stakeholders by developing a clear understanding of business needs, acting as a trusted advisor, and ensuring cost-effective delivery of IT services to meet those needs.
- Collaborates with Ofwat Security Lead to ensure I&O contributes to, embraces, and applies security strategy.
- Operates a formal governance mechanism to establish and monitor effective controls for the processes and functions performed by I&O teams. Supports periodic reviews by audit teams, compliance teams and other risk-related functions as required.
- Drives the adoption of (and commitment towards) service improvements through a programmatic approach to continuous improvement.
- Input into the target operating model in I&O to support the Ofwat Business and Digital Strategies.
Person specification
To be successful in this role you will need the below essential experience, skills, knowledge and attributes:
Experience, skills and knowledge
- Lead criterion: Proven experience in a leadership role within IT infrastructure, or related fields, with a track record of delivering reliable, secure IT services.
- Detailed understanding of Cloud and virtualised architecture, infrastructure and platforms with significant exposure to Microsoft suite of tools.
- Understanding of network infrastructure and technologies such as firewalls, VPNs and SIEM solutions and delivering services across a multi-site environment.
- Possess strong financial acumen, having experience of managing IT budgets and forecasts, and ensuring cost-effective resource allocation to meet business needs.
- Experience of leading on major transformation programmes and successfully restructuring and recruiting technology and delivery teams.
- Excellent knowledge of best practices around management, control, and monitoring of cloud infrastructure.
- Excellent communication skills with proven experience of engaging with key stakeholders.
- Demonstrated strength supplier and vendor management, including contract negotiations, and capacity planning.
- Knowledge of disaster recovery and backup technologies.
- Experience managing and engaging with stakeholders, well proven collaboration skills.
Attributes
- Champion and Lead of Change
- Builds Trust
- Delivers Outcomes
Attributes as per Ofwat's Framework for Success for Principal Band 4. You can read more about Attributes here.
Benefits
Why You Should Join Us:
We’re forward-thinking, creative, innovative, and ambitious. We constantly push the boundaries and embrace new ways of working.
With us, your work matters, your voice is heard, and your impact is felt. Ours is a culture of trust, flexibility, autonomy, collaboration, and innovation. We all want positive change for water customers, the environment, and the future of water.
But for us, change is more than what happens on the outside – we’ve always pushed boundaries internally, too. From becoming the first Civil Service organisation to achieve ‘Smarter Working’ status, to gaining our prestigious ‘Smarter Working Maturity’ award, we’ve consistently demonstrated our commitment to embracing innovative ways of working. Our people do their best work when given freedom over where, when, and how they work. Which is why we trust our teams to balance meaningful collaboration in the office with the flexibility of working from home.
You will also benefit from:
- Excellent employer pension contributions of 28.97% (for this role ranging from around £15,900 to £21,700 depending on salary). You can find further details about pension schemes under Terms and Conditions in the Candidate Pack.
- 27.5 days leave (25 days annual leave + 2.5 days privilege leave) increasing to max 32.5 days with each year of service, plus bank holidays
- Access to exclusive discounts on a variety of goods and services, including retail outlets,
theatre tickets, holidays, insurance, and a gym membership - Flexible working arrangements that suit your lifestyle
- Fees paid for membership of relevant professional bodies
- Up to 3 volunteering days per year
- Recognition vouchers scheme
- Generous shared parental leave and pay
- Enhanced sick pay
- Regular development opportunities
- Health and wellbeing initiatives
- Cycle-to-work scheme
- Season ticket loan for home-to-office travel
- Free eye tests and contribution to lenses/spectacles for VDU users
Things you need to know
Selection process details
How to apply
Apply through the Civil Service Jobs website where you’ll be asked to create an account and complete an application form (CV and personal statement). If you’re unable to make an electronic application, please contact recruitment@ofwat.gov.uk and we will support you in completing your application.
Please ensure you have submitted your application in full ahead of the deadline listed below. Unfortunately, we won't be able to consider late applications.
Please see the candidate guidance on our website for more detail and tips on how to best make your application.
Selection timetable
- Closing date: 23.55 on 01 December 2024
- Sifting: Week Commencing 02 December 2024
- Interview date(s): Week Commencing 16 December 2024
Assessment process
Sift Stage
We operate a blind sifting model to eliminate bias. All candidate identifying information will be removed from applications.
At sift stage we assess your application (CV and personal statement) against criteria 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 listed in the professional requirements section above.
Use your personal statement to address the lead criterion and tell us about:
- Lead criterion: Proven experience in a leadership role within IT infrastructure, or related fields, with a track record of delivering reliable, secure IT services.
In the CV section of your application, please state clearly how your skills, experience, and knowledge meet essential criteria 2, 3, 4, 5.
In the event of receiving a large number of applications, a pre-sift may take place on just the lead criterion
In the event of receiving a large number of applications, a pre-sift may take place on just the lead criterion.
Please ensure that anything submitted as part of your application is factually accurate, and you are not presenting the ideas and experience of others, or generated by AI, as your own.
Please note that if a high volume of candidates meet the minimum pass mark at sift stage, we will only progress the highest scoring candidates to interview. Candidates not invited to interview, who have achieved the minimum pass mark, will be placed 'on hold' until the final stage of the assessment process is completed. Should the role/s remain unfilled, candidates placed 'on hold' may be invited to interview in merit order.
You may find the STAR method useful in structuring your personal statement.
Interview Stage
At interview stage we will test against attributes, as well as skills, experience, and knowledge (set out above).
Our transparent interview process involves candidates receiving a list of attribute-based questions in advance. This has been proven to help neurodiverse candidates and others to perform better at interview and is part of our inclusive culture.
We will assess your Experience, Skills and Knowledge as well as Attributes (set out in the professional requirements section) at Interview Stage.
You can read more about Attributes in Ofwat’s Framework for Success.
As part of the interview process, we will require short presentation. Further details will be provided to shortlisted candidates upon invitation to interview.
Please note that the interviews will be conducted via video conferencing software such as Microsoft Teams.
Please ensure anything you present in your interview answers is factually accurate, and you are not presenting the ideas and experience of others, or generated by AI, as your own. You may expect follow up questions.
If you have any queries about any aspect of this role, selection process, or you require any reasonable adjustments please email recruitment@ofwat.gov.uk.
Please read the attached "Candidate Information Pack" for details on terms and conditions.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Nationality requirements
Working for the Civil Service
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).
Diversity and Inclusion
Apply and further information
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
- Name : recruitment@ofwat.gov.uk
- Email : recruitment@ofwat.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : recruitment@ofwat.gov.uk
Further information
