Head of CIO Office Information Services Reporting to: Chief Information Officer Salary: Grade 6-47,787-57,031 per annum (pro rata) depending on skills and experience. Salary progression beyond this scale is subject to performance Job Family and level: 6 Contract Status: Permanent Hours of Work: Full time Location: Kings Meadow Campus You are an IT leader with a track record of creating high performing teams and achieving successful change. Join the new Information Services senior leadership team at an unprecedented time of transformation to support the CIO in establishing new ways of working, managing internal and external communications and creating a sense of identity and joint purpose across the global team. You are a strategic thinker. You have experience of working in an innovative, customer-centred service organisation and will bring creativity, energy and challenging thinking to the leadership team. The University The University of Nottingham is one of the UK s universities, committed to providing a truly inspiring and international education. We are enterprising and produce world-leading research. Described by The Sunday Times University Guide 2011 as the embodiment of the modern international university The University of Nottingham has award-winning campuses in the UK, China and Malaysia. It is ranked in the UK s top 10 and the world s top 75 universities by the Shanghai Jiao Tong (SJTU) and the QS World University Rankings, placing it in the top 1% of all universities worldwide. Information Services Many of our services are typical of any business and offer similar challenges: Managed desktops and laptops, data storage, email, printing, web content management for the internet and intranet, data and voice networking, multimedia design and production, and the major applications underpinning finance, HR/payroll, marketing, facilities management, conferencing and a range of commercial enterprises, including incubator premises for new business ventures. Other challenges are specific to higher education and to our University in particular. Nottingham has huge ambition to transform the experience it provides to students to place them at the heart of its global, digital community. This will involve fundamental change to the business processes which underpin the student journey through the institution, major organisational change across professional services teams, and the implementation of a comprehensive, integrated suite of supporting IT systems. We in Information Services will play a pivotal role in this exciting and challenging change programme known as Transform.
We also run specialist systems to underpin the life cycle of each research project as it moves from grant application through to publication and dissemination. Our researchers need information to help them target the next exciting and lucrative research opportunity. They need to be able to demonstrate the impact their research is having in the world. As our mission says, by bold innovation and excellence in all that we do, we make both knowledge and discoveries matter. This depends on getting the right information to the right people within our community. Here, the creation, sharing, analysis and dissemination of information are defining activities. It s what we exist to do. Both students and researchers are demanding, innovative users of technology and we aim to provide them an information environment in which they can be boundlessly creative and highly productive. We have campuses in Nottingham, China and Malaysia, and aim to support mobility, ease of communication and team work across this hugely diverse and geographically spread community. In response to these specific challenges, we provide particular and differentiating services. These include a Virtual Learning Environment and other innovative technologies for learning, High Performance Computing services and a large range of specialist software. Our researchers produce vast amounts of data and need tools to manage, mine and generate information from it. Many of them collaborate with industrial partners and researchers in other institutions across disciplinary and organisational boundaries. Our students have grown up with internet technologies and expect to be constantly connected using their mobile devices. A technology-rich experience is what they expect from University life. We provide equipment in teaching rooms, PC suites, language laboratories, wireless everywhere, and internet services in the halls of residence. Our global nature also means that video conferencing is particularly important. Context There are two reasons for transformative change within Information Services. These initiatives have the full support of the University s Executive Board and significant investment has been allocated to both areas. Firstly, following the appointment of a new CIO in July 2013, Information Services is undergoing a major restructure and reinvigoration. The aim is to grow and build an organisation which can be the reliable, trusted, innovative and agile IT partner that the University needs to deliver its ambitious 2020 Strategy across the UK, China and Malaysia campuses. Secondly, the University is beginning a programme (known as Transform) to transform the experience it provides to students. This will involve fundamental change to the business processes which underpin the student journey through the institution, significant organisational change and the implementation of an integrated suite of supporting IT systems. Within the new organisation there are four senior roles reporting to the CIO: 1. Director Global IT Service Delivery Leads the delivery of customer focussed, cost-effective, secure, professional and responsive services. Accountable for optimising and continuously improving operational processes. 2. Director Global IT Programmes and Solutions Leads the effective delivery of the project portfolio. Plays the technical leadership role and maintains deep knowledge of emerging technology trends. Advises on how the University could best exploit these. Ensures that new solutions are delivered to the right quality standards and within a coherent architecture. 3. Director Global Partnering and Service Design Ensures that Information Services is engaging in constructive conversation with all University constituencies about their needs and agendas and understands how IT can bring benefit at every level. Ensures that services are designed with user s University of Nottingham 2 26 March 2014
needs in mind. Has particular accountability for ensuring that services are designed and operated in a truly global manner and that the needs of those based in China and Malaysia are considered in all decisions. 4. Head of CIO s Office (this role) Leads a small team supporting the CIO in driving the transformation, establishing the new ways of working, managing internal and external communications and creating a sense of identity and joint purpose across the global team. Gives assurance that every service and project is delivering benefit for the institution at appropriate levels of cost and risk. Ensures that Information Services continuously builds its own capability and skills. Your team You will establish and lead a team which is largely still to be recruited: Your Role Engagement a team of four who will design and manage internal and external communications for the global Information Services team for all audiences, across all channels and for all purposes, working closely with the University Marketing, Communications and Recruitment team. This team will also run a team of student employees who support the IT needs of their peers at the start of session, organise various stakeholder events, run focus groups and surveys, and commission IT training services from the University staff development function and externally as necessary. Administration an existing team of four administrators who provide diary support for the leadership team, secretarial services to various governance groups and act as the point of contact into University-wide processes for HR, procurement, finance and accommodation management. Process and information analysis two roles with data and process analysis skills who will use a systems thinking approach as an innovative agency for change to working practices across Information services. Risk analyst who will monitor and help manage operational and strategic risk across the global operation, working closely with the Solution Architect (Security), the University risk management function and auditors. Technology evangelist an envisaged role planned for later recruitment who will have a particular responsibility to work with and observe the student population so as to understand, predict and support their creative uses of new technology as these arise. The Head of the CIO office is a major leadership role in our new organisation. You have experience of working in an innovative, customer-centred service organisation and will bring creativity, energy and challenging thinking to the leadership team. You will work extremely closely with the CIO and help lead and inspire the transformational changes to working practice which will place students and researchers at the heart of all that we do. This is inevitably a broad and interesting role since it supports the full range of the CIO s responsibilities. You are an exceptional communicator and will play a particularly important role in ensuring that our team is globally inclusive and sensitive to the tri-campus nature of the University. Your leadership style is open, enabling and challenging and will be an explicit antidote to hierarchical thinking. You are a systems thinker who constantly challenges people to work effectively in teams across the silos and use an evidence based approach to improving working practices. You are interested in the evolving way that organisations depend on technology and its potential as a creative / disruptive force, but may not have a deep technical background. University of Nottingham 3 26 March 2014
Principal Accountabilities 1. Design, establish and lead the Office of the CIO. Model leadership behaviours in line with the principles and philosophy agreed by the Senior Management Team. Work with the CIO to create the context for high performing teams across the whole of Information Services: Ensure that the teams have clarity of purpose, understand the wider strategy and context in which they work, why their contribution is important and are focussed on results Ensure they have the knowhow, resources, environment and support necessary to achieve results in an effective manner Use evidence based approaches to drive continuous improvement Foster excellent team work removing constraints and enhancing effective working across boundaries within IS and with other parts of the University Ensure that team members plan the development of skills in a strategic manner so as to prepare for new technologies and changes in context. Help individuals to plan their careers and maximise their employability. Provide constructive feedback and encourage reflective thinking 2. Design, establish and own the strategy for internal and external communications, taking particular care to ensure that this works in a truly global manner and that as far as possible the three campuses have equal status and ability to contribute and influence. Work closely with the University s Marketing, Communications and Recruitment team to ensure a coherent approach to the branding, style, tone and voice of all messaging. Build a network through which the wide range of audiences can be reached. Effective working relationships with the IT Partnering team and Students Union will be particularly important. Manage communications across all channels, to all audiences and for all purposes: operationally, to support project roll outs, to promote awareness of services, in major incident situations etc. 3. Support continuous improvement initiatives across Information Services: Help to establish a culture of outside in thinking and continuous improvement Work with the leadership team to identify sub-optimal operational processes, support the gathering and analysing of data to reveal failure demand and design cleaner and more effective approaches. Design and track appropriate capability measures to demonstrate the effectiveness of change Be able report on progress as necessary to maintain the confidence of the University s Executive Board and other key stakeholders 4. Design, establish and own the risk management process within Information Services: Work with the University s Risk Manager and Internal Audit Services to ensure a coherent approach and to escalate strategic risks as necessary Create a culture of open, blame free information sharing in relation to risk. 5. Design, establish and own the strategic skills development process within Information Services: Work with the leadership team to identify strategically important areas for skills and personal development, and develop plans accordingly Help to create a culture of reflective practice and challenge Own and manage the training budget University of Nottingham 4 26 March 2014
Build supplier relationships with training providers 6. Design, establish and own the approach to technology anthropology - the study of how students interact with and use technology to support their lives at University. This is an evolving area whose importance is expected to increase over time. Work with Solution Architects to ensure that analytic capability is built into all solutions Use analytic information, focus groups and other approaches as necessary to build an evolving picture of how students are engaging with technology Engage with the industry and academic research community as necessary to maintain awareness of emerging trends and use these to predict future behaviours. Run pilot evaluations to test proposed new approaches 7. Play the role of Project Executive or Senior Supplier as necessary in significant University-wide projects. 8. Own certain strategic supplier relationships particularly those relating to staff training and development. 9. Play a leadership role as necessary during major incidents. This may demand occasional availability out of core working hours or at the weekend. Qualifications, Knowledge and Experience Required Essential Desirable Qualifications/ Education Educated to degree level or with equivalent experience Experience of IT service management disciplines based on ITIL or similar. Qualified in PRINCE2 project management / Managing Successful Programmes (MSP) Skills/Training Proven ability to lead and develop staff, and create high performing teams Experience of risk management A customer oriented, systems thinker who is able to use evidence to challenge and optimise operational processes Exceptional ability to communicate and explain complex issues in clear, concise, persuasive language both verbally and in writing Exceptional ability to influence others Empathetic and with strong interpersonal skills. Highly adaptable and flexible. Able to adjust quickly to new situations and changing priorities. University of Nottingham 5 26 March 2014
Able to lead others through problem solving challenges Broad interest and understanding of the way organisations depend on IT services to support their business processes. Interest in emerging technology trends and the potential of these. Experience Management experience in a complex, customer-oriented, service organisation Familiar with the HE context and environment Experience of contributing to transformational change programmes involving business process and organisational change University of Nottingham 6 26 March 2014