Assistant Director IT Operations & Shared Services

London Gov; London; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 90,000

Job description

Assistant Director IT Operations & Shared Services

The Greater London Authority (GLA) is the centre of government for London, serving both the Mayor and the London Assembly. The Mayor of London sets the priorities to make London a better place for everyone who visits, lives or works in the city. The Assembly holds the Mayor and Mayoral advisers to account.

The GLA is part way through a transition to shared services with Transport for London. We are seeking to make improvements to our technology, delivering more efficient and effective services for our employees. This will enable our people to deliver projects across Greater London over areas including Housing & Land, Adult Education, Transport, Environment, Arts & Culture, Business & Economy, and Regeneration & Planning.

If you want to be part of having a major impact across London and the people who live, work and travel there as Assistant Director IT Operations and Shared Services, please do get in touch.

The Role

The Assistant Director IT Operations and Shared Services will need to understand and help support the wider implications as a result of these changes including (but not limited to) the impact to digital and data services. They will help design and enable a new operating model for the GLA that is fit for purpose and helps the GLA deliver an excellent corporate service to the users.

This role represents a unique opportunity for a skilled communicator, who can engender trust and has a track record of delivering complex projects or programmes at a senior level. This role will oversee, lead and manage the GLA aspects of the transition programme and be responsible to the GLA Executive Director of Corporate Resources and Business Improvement.

Job Purpose

• To provide strategic leadership and operational oversight for the transition of IT services from the Greater London Authority (GLA) to Transport for London (TfL), ensuring the successful delivery of the shared services model. The role will focus on program governance, stakeholder engagement, and the development of an operating model that aligns with the GLA’s strategic objectives and enhances corporate services.
• To provide leadership for service management of IT infrastructure services related to operational IT and to work with TfL as the shared service partner.

Principal Accountabilities

Programme Leadership and Delivery

• Lead the implementation of the IT Shared Service model, ensuring the timely and cost-effective transfer of services to TfL.
• Develop and oversee a comprehensive transition plan, encompassing project delivery, service integration, and the decommissioning of legacy systems.
• Monitor programme milestones, risks, and dependencies, providing regular updates to senior leadership and governance boards.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Act as the primary liaison between the GLA, TfL, the Mayor’s Office, and the London Assembly, ensuring clear communication and alignment on programme objectives.
• Lead staff briefings and consultation exercises to build awareness and support for the transition across the organisation.
• Engage with and influence stakeholders to ensure that services are developed and managed to meet agreed service levels, security requirements, and other quality standards.
• Collaborate with the Director of Digital to design and implement a fit-for-purpose operating model that supports the GLA’s strategic goals and enhances IT service delivery.
• Ensure the new model incorporates best practices in digital and data services to deliver a high-quality user experience.
• Development of service management strategy to ensure resilience, security, and scalability of IT operations, ensuring integration with TfL.

Strategic Vision and Alignment

• Shape the long-term strategic direction of IT service delivery across the GLA and TfL, ensuring alignment with the Mayor’s priorities and London’s broader digital transformation agenda.
• Identify and leverage opportunities for innovation in IT and digital services to position the GLA as a leader in public sector technology and service delivery.
• Develop and implement a cyber security strategy to ensure systems and services are continuously operational and resistant to attacks and disasters.
• Development of GLA-wide incident management policy and processes including business continuity plans.
• Leadership for information security incidents.

Organisational Change Leadership

• Drive organisational change management efforts to embed the new IT Shared Service model within the GLA, fostering a culture of adaptability and continuous improvement.
• Serve as a strategic advisor to senior leadership, providing insights and recommendations on leveraging technical capabilities to enhance operational efficiency and service quality.

Governance and Reporting

• Provide oversight of program governance, including preparing materials for key governance forums such as the GLA Collaboration Board.
• Maintain a comprehensive risk register and escalate critical issues to the Executive Director of Corporate Resources and Business Improvement governance boards as required.
• Lead IT governance, ensuring compliance with industry standards, best practices, and regulatory requirements.
• Monitoring and reporting on key KPIs for IT service management.

Resource and Budget Management

• Oversee the commissioning, procurement, and management of resources allocated to the program, ensuring effective utilisation and value for money.
• Manage the programme, IT shared services, and operational budgets, ensuring delivery within financial constraints while achieving agreed outcomes.
• Manage supplier relationships, negotiate contracts, and ensure that service level agreements are met.
• Ensure cost-effective and high-quality service delivery.

Equality and Inclusion

• Promote and enable equality of opportunity and inclusivity, ensuring the transition program reflects and supports the diverse needs of London’s communities.

The Person

The Assistant Director IT Operations and Shared Services will bring the relevant knowledge and experience to lead the transfer of its technical services to Transport for London.

Knowledge and Experience

• Proven experience leading complex, large-scale transition or change programs in a multi-stakeholder environment.
• Strong understanding of IT service delivery, including digital and data services, and their role in supporting organisational objectives.
• Experience working in a politically sensitive or public sector environment is desirable.

Skills and Abilities

• Excellent leadership and team management skills, with a track record of leading multidisciplinary teams to deliver complex programs.
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to influence and engage stakeholders at all levels.
• Strong program and project management skills, including risk management and budget oversight.
• Analytical and strategic thinking skills, with the ability to design and implement effective operating models.

Building and Managing Relationships

• Identifies and engages a diverse range of influential contacts within stakeholder and community groups, and partner organisations.
• Builds alliances to establish mutually beneficial working arrangements, openly sharing knowledge and insights.
• Actively challenges and addresses ‘silo attitudes’ to encourage effective relationships.
• Understands the complexities of political dynamics and uses this to manage relationships and resolve conflict effectively.
• Identifies clear win-win situations with external partners.

Communicating and Influencing

• Articulates self with credibility and conviction, encouraging buy-in to corporate position.
• Influences the thinking of other organisations, encouraging them to deliver.
• Ensures that the organisation communicates inclusively with staff and external stakeholders.
• Acts as a credible and convincing spokesperson and negotiator.
• Instils a corporate commitment to accessible communication.

Stakeholder Focus

• Adapts public facing position based on the context behind stakeholder needs and requests.
• Committed to meeting the needs of Londoners.
• Manages partner organisations’ and Londoners’ expectations by anticipating and influencing changing priorities.
• Instils a culture that encourages staff to think about meeting Londoners’ needs first.
• Builds the confidence of staff, partner organisations, and Londoners by ensuring the delivery of quality work.

Responding to Pressure and Change

• Demonstrates resilience in the face of challenge from staff, media, and partner organisations.
• Shows positivity in the face of external pressure, minimising negative impact.
• Drives a culture of continuous improvement.
• Sets the direction for organisational development and ensures effective communication of change initiatives.

Decision Making

• Makes difficult decisions for the long-term benefit of the organisation.
• Presents and instils confidence in strategic decision-making.
• Consults stakeholders early in critical organisation-wide decisions.
• Accepts and promotes accountability for decision making.
• Ensures the organisation balances effective risk management with the need for timely actions.

Strategic Thinking

• Develops a positive and compelling vision of London’s future potential, demonstrating confidence in the strategic direction.
• Translates an understanding of the complex and diverse threats and issues facing London into positive action.
• Proactively involves partners in strategic thinking, incorporating their views into plans and working with them to align strategic priorities.
• Sets organisational priorities by identifying where time and investment is needed most.
• Generates and leads strategic initiatives that reflect the GLA and London Council’s position as regional authorities.

To apply for this post, you must complete the online application process no later than 23:55 hours on Sunday 13th April.

You are required to submit the following:

• a comprehensive CV setting out your career history and including details of any professional qualifications.
• a short supporting statement giving evidence of your ability to meet the essential criteria for the role. Please provide specific examples to demonstrate how you meet the areas identified in the person specification.

Failure to submit both documents (CV and Supporting Statement) will mean the panel only have limited information on which to assess your application against the criteria in the person specification.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

London's diversity is its biggest asset, and we strive to ensure our workforce reflects London's diversity at all levels. We welcome applications from everyone regardless of age, gender, gender identity, gender expression, ethnicity, sexual orientation, faith, or disability.

We particularly encourage applications from Black, Asian, and Minority ethnic candidates and disabled candidates who are currently underrepresented in our workforce.

We are committed to being an inclusive employer and we are happy to consider flexible working arrangements. We would welcome applications from candidates who are seeking part-time work as this role is open to job share.

Please note we are a Disability Confident Employer so for candidates who wish to be considered under the scheme and meet the essential criteria, they will automatically be invited to interview. Please note, should you require any adjustments through the process, we will accommodate as much as possible. Please contact the recruitment team for further information if required.

GLA staff are hybrid working up to 3 days a week in our offices and remotely depending on their role. As part of this, you will need to split your time between home working and coming into the office.

In addition to a good salary package, you will be paid every four weeks, providing frequent salary payments. We also offer an attractive range of benefits including 30 days’ annual leave, interest-free season ticket loan, interest-free bicycle loan, and a career average pension scheme.

Additional Information

Please note, all candidates will need to confirm that the information provided in this application form is true and correct. Should a candidate deliberately give false information, including the use of AI software, they understand that this would disqualify them from consideration.

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record (DBS) check but some roles may require additional security screening.

The GLA is proud to be a Level 2: Disability Confident employer. We are committed to becoming a more inclusive and accessible organisation, and creating a truly inclusive and accessible workplace and culture for our disabled staff. We have named Disability Equality as a key corporate priority within our EDI Strategy. We welcome and encourage applications from disabled applicants. Should you wish to opt into the scheme, please let us know during your application.

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