Overview

We are undergoing the delivery of a massive £5.25bn regeneration programme that is further enhancing our town as we pave the way to becoming a truly modern city. Whilst our reputation as a hotspot of business growth and centre of tech innovation has never been stronger, our strategy has never been more ambitious.

It's already an incredible place to live, work, visit and do business with. With an exciting array of retail, leisure and restaurant options, a thriving tech sector, a vibrant arts and cultural scene, a friendly community vibe and unparalleled diversity, we're fiercely proud of our brilliant places and people. In fact, more than 360,000 residents and 13,000 businesses call Croydon their home, making us the 2nd largest borough in London.

As an award winning Council our ambition is to provide the best possible user experience across our services, transforming the relationship between our borough and the Council for the better whilst reducing costs and improving quality.  Our ambitions can only be enabled through the vitally important presence of solid technical foundations and ICT services that supports effective and efficient 24/7 operations.

About the role

Reporting to the Chief Digital Officer (CDO), this role is a key part of our senior IT leadership team and will be responsible for developing and delivering our ICT strategy as well as the management and continuous improvement of our technology systems and processes.

We've an ambitious programme of work underway aligned with our ‘Good 2 Great' vision (to design effective and efficient technology solutions that deliver great services to customers, residents and staff) and you will drive our new operating model leading it away from a single-supplier contract to working with a mix of specialist vendors.

This is an exciting opportunity to take control of an enhanced flexible multi-sourced ICT ecosystem that enables agile delivery and embraces change. We've delivered some exemplary work on this already, and as the incoming Head of ICT you'll be inheriting a strong and accomplished team that is well on the way to transforming both the technology stack and their own skills and ways of working.

Responsibilities:

• Ensure the continued provision, maintenance and improvement of operational technology that is efficient, reliable and cost effective
• Lead on developing and delivering ICT Strategy in line with the Council's vision for Croydon, bringing deep technology knowledge back into the heart of the strategic conversation.
• Ownership of Information Security and Information Management, working across the Council to improve data security and ensure compliance. Proactively identify risks and ensure effective IT service continuity and recovery strategies are in place
• With the support of the Head of Procurement, oversee procurement management for ICT and manage the relationships with contractors and suppliers
• Effective management of the £mm ICT budget
• Lead, inspire and develop the in-house ICT team to promote team building and collaborative working to deliver the ICT plan
• Be a champion of change, optimising current IT solutions whilst promoting innovative solutions to operational challenges
• Network, learn and take inspiration from a wide range of sources; participate in communities of practice and interest (e.g LocalGovCamp, OneTeamGov, and related networks and events)
• Collaborate with other Local Authorities to seek out, build upon and share best practice

Essential Criteria:

• Proven experience of setting, communicating and translating a strategic vision into deliverable operational plans
• Proven track record in creating, maintaining and improving high performing ICT services in a complex, real time operating environment
• Contract management, negotiation and monitoring - strong commercial acumen
• Proven track record in successfully leading and managing teams
• Proven ability to establish, develop and maintain effective working relationships with all colleagues, partners and stakeholders to deliver impact with excellent communication and influencing skills
• Proven ability to network and deliver presentations internally and externally
• Familiarity with a wide range of PPM methodologies including agile & waterfall (Qualification in Prince2/ITIL advantageous)

What's in it for you?

This is an exciting opportunity to work for a Council with ambitious plans to grow and genuinely want to develop their technology setup to improve customer experience.

We invest in our employees to help develop and achieve professional goals whilst also providing you with the opportunity to work with brilliant minds and be part of an exceptional high performing team. We also have a generous benefits package.

This post is politically restricted and under the Local Government and Housing Act 1989, as amended by the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009 and the post holder may not have any active political role either in or outside the work.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, colour, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status or disability status.