Head of IT Service Operations (Temporary)

University of Exeter, United Kingdom

Updated: 3 months ago
Location: Exeter, ENGLAND
Deadline: Blank ; ;

The Role

Due to some unplanned absence in our Service Management function within IT Services we have the need for a Service Management expert to join our leadership team for a temporary assignment, in the role of Head of IT Service Operations. If you have experience in leading teams across end-user device, data centre infrastructure, cyber security and networking capabilities then please reach out for a conversation.

We are predominantly a Microsoft environment alongside the other big tech partnerships you would expect of an organisation our size. We have a strong team of engineers with an extensive change programme ahead of us but need some additional help due to current circumstances.

Reporting to the Director of IT Services, the Head of IT Service Operations will be responsible for ensuring that the University’s IT services meet our business needs, and are able to protect, support and enhance the full breadth of services that will be delivered either on-campus, purely digitally or in a blended model. The services currently provided by our Service Management function include Data Centre Operations, Networking, End-user Device Support (2nd line) and Cyber Security.

The successful candidate will temporarily lead the Service Management function including all staff and processes. You will work with senior IT colleagues and business leaders to make sure our services meet their needs and change as needed over the coming months.

Working with the IT Operating Board, service owners and platform providers you will provide temporary leadership support for a vital capability in IT Services.

The ideal Candidate will:

  • Lead on the operational delivery of the Service Management department within the IT Services Division, ensuring the highest standard and fully compliant professional service that is completely customer focussed, service centric and design led.
  • Provide leadership as a member of our IT Operating Board and support the Director of IT Services in the effective and efficient delivery and support of agreed IT services, and provide advice and guidance to inform collective decision-making.
  • Manage the analysis of the end-to-end performance of all IT services to ensure operational and service level agreements are met and improved. Ensure alignment of IT service performance with business need and established SLAs including our shared service centres.
  • Manage the development of methods to ensure customer’s expectations, preferences and aversions are measured and monitored, and report on the overall satisfaction and advocacy of all IT services to drive service improvement to maximise service value. Minimum monthly at the IT Operating Board and termly with senior customer stakeholders.
  • Manage the governance and response for high severity incidents (P1 & P2) across the IT service supply chain to minimise disruption and focus IT managers and technical experts to concentrate on speedy resolution and user communications.
  • Support against cyber-attacks and unauthorised access including identifying vulnerabilities, and attack prevention and detection, working in a coordinated manner to anticipate risk, mitigate, recovery and restore services.
  • Support budgetary management of Service Management functions and line management and career development of staff, and facilitate matrix working arrangements.
  • In collaboration with the IT Operating Board and all PS Divisions, ensure the seamless and integrated end-to-end service delivery to academic, research and professional services staff.
  • Raise the positive profile and good reputation of the University as a representative in your engagements locally, nationally, and internationally, and lead on University wide projects and initiatives acting a Chair, Sponsor or as an active member.
  • Be prepared to work irregular hours and be on-call as a Duty Incident Manager in accordance with the needs of the role. (noting the temporary nature of this role this item may well be adjusted accordingly)

    • Line management responsibilities

  • Act as a role model for the University Values including acting in a way that demonstrates the University's commitment to Equality and Diversity for staff, students and partners
  • Carry out regular performance development reviews and promptly deal with under-performance issues relating to staff in line with the University's procedures.
  • Actively delegate responsibility for delivering results through leaders within the functions, while maintaining overall accountability.
  • Offer promptly and effectively praise and due recognition to staff in relation to successful, excellent or exceptional performance in line with the University's approach to Performance Development.
  • Train, coach and mentor staff to deliver excellent customer service in all aspects of their role.

    • This description summarises the main duties and accountabilities of the post and the post-holder may be required to undertake other duties of similar level and responsibility.

    Package Details

    This temporary post is available immediately on a full-time basis and offers the opportunity for hybrid working – some time on campus and some from home.

    The University of Exeter combines world-class research and education with high student satisfaction at our campuses in Exeter and Cornwall. We are a member of the Russell Group that comprise the UK’s leading research-intensive universities. We are proud of our achievements, but we remain ambitious for the future.

    We seek to question, encourage, and support our talented researchers, educators, and students to achieve more than they ever thought possible, recruiting the very best people from around the world. We enable academics from different disciplines to work together question conventional thinking about the world we want to live in and changing it for the better. As a result, our research impacts on the most fundamental challenges facing the world today, from dementia and diabetes to climate change, pollution by plastics and global security.

    Exeter will undergo significant transformational change over the coming years, underpinned and driven by digital transformation. We have already seen how the COVID-19 pandemic has created seismic change across all sectors and we can expect this pace of change to continue. Universities and global education and research will no doubt be at the forefront of this change, but in order to ensure that we lead from the front and grasp the exciting opportunities on offer now and into the future, we must ensure that we have the insights, leadership and capabilities within our university.

    We are an ambitious institution on an exciting journey and the IT function sits at the heart of that ambition, acting as a key enabler for our success. As we look to deliver our ‘Strategy 2030’, we are seeking an Assistant Director IT Business Technology Services (BTS) who is ready to make an impact at a critical time in our development and to ensure that our core business platforms are fit for purpose and able to support the business processes needed to release successful outcomes.

    Salary Details

    The starting salary will be from £63,335 to £79,795 on Grade H, depending on qualifications and experience.

    Temporary Worker Engagement

    As a temporary worker you will be engaged under the University of Exeter Temporary Worker Terms and Conditions. These can be viewed on this website under ‘Further information’.

    Our temporary workers claim for hours worked via our online timesheet system. If successful, you will be required to register as a temporary worker and undergo a right to work check, before any work starts.

    The University of Exeter

    We are a member of the prestigious Russell Group of research-intensive universities and in the top 200 universities in the world (Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2024 and QS World University Ranking 2024).  We combine world-class teaching with world-class research, achieving a Gold rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework Award 2023, underpinned by Gold ratings for Student Experience and Student Outcomes.  

    Our world-leading research impact has grown more than any other Russell Group university in recent years, and we are home to some of the world’s most influential researchers, seeking to answer some of the most fundamental issues facing humankind today.  More than 99 percent of our research is of international quality and 47 percent is world-leading (2021 Research Excellence Framework).

    We encourage proactive engagement with industry, business and community partners to enhance the impact of research and education and improve the employability of our students. Read about our world leading research – Green Futures and how we are transforming education for a changing world. We are located in a beautiful part of the country and Exeter (a fast growing tech hub) is one of only a few UK cities to have been designated as a UNESCO Creative City

    Our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Commitment

    We are committed to ensuring reasonable adjustments are available for interviews and workplaces.

    Whilst all applicants will be judged on merit alone, we particularly welcome applications from groups currently underrepresented within our working community. 

    With over 30,000 students and 7,000 staff from 150 different countries we offer a diverse and engaging environment where our diversity is celebrated and valued as a major strength. We are committed to creating an inclusive culture where all members of our community are supported to thrive; where diverse voices are heard through our engagement with evidence-based charter frameworks for gender (Athena SWAN and Project Juno for Physics), race equality (Race Equality Charter Mark), LGBTQ+ inclusion (Stonewall Diversity Champion) and as a Disability Confident employer.

    We are proud signatories of the Armed Forces Covenant and welcome applications from service people.

    Further information

    Reasonable Travel is expected for this role (for example to vendor meetings / conferences etc). This role will be subject to additional background screening.

    For informal enquiries, or to apply for this role, please submit your CV and a covering letter to Nathan Burden n.burden@exeter.ac.uk.

    The closing date for applications is Sunday 26th January.


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