Head of Digital and Service Delivery

This is a hybrid role with expectation of working in either our Kidlington or Jarrow office 2-3 days per week.

Essentra’s global Technology team’s vision is to create an amazing customer and employee experience, built on a modern, secure infrastructure, effective workspace tools and highly engaged, customer-focused support. We are a customer focussed, technology and data driven business and recognise the key role outstanding technology professionals play in helping us achieve our goal.

The digital and service delivery team is accountable for the delivery, management and support (build & run) of key digital and business applications that support the commercial and operational performance of Essentra Components. The role covers a broad range of Technology solutions and will need to work very closely with stakeholders to understand business requirements and how the Digital and Service team enable the delivery of commercial targets.

The Head of Digital and Service Delivery is responsible for leading the team that provides Tier-1 and 2 application support and development services to our internal customers. This is a role that requires understanding of the Essentra’s business and strategy and the ability to translate that into a digital platforms and applications strategy. To be successful the applications team needs to understand business requirements (functional and non-functional) by working with product teams and business stakeholders. Core to this will be ensuring that service delivery is to the agreed levels, ensuring that the business has the tools and applications it needs to succeed.

The Head of Digital and Service Delivery will work to ensure that commercial and operational teams clearly understand solutions that are being delivered and is able to communicate technical concepts to a non-technical audience. This is a role that will operate in a fast moving, dynamic environment working cross functionally to support the different business functions.

Responsibilities

• Accountable for the service provision and management of business applications to the Essentra business
• Responsible to ensuring update and availability of applications to the agreed service levels.
• Understanding the business strategy and translating that into the applications strategy designed to support the running and growth of Essentra Components
• Support the deployment and transfer to operations for the new CRM and ERP solution that is being deployed. Work alongside the ‘D365 Technology Lead’ to ensure edge applications and digital are managed alongside the deployment to ensure successful delivery of the program.
• Support of Business Functions, Regions and Sites to proactively look for opportunities to simplify and standardise the applications portfolio used across the Essentra business. This can be through the removal of duplicate technologies or implementation of new services to displace multiple legacy systems
• Lead and manage the Digital Delivery team, a hybrid team of internal and external resources, providing strategic leadership and direction to enable the delivery teams to meet their objectives
• Drive a culture of continuous improvement in delivery approach, technology choices and execution. Champion and/ embed Agile delivery methodology, DevOps, Lean, and other key drivers of Digital culture
• Provide technical and functional expertise in resolving business operations issues related to IT systems/applications
• Deliver enhancements and developments to base applications to improve efficiency and effectiveness
• Plan and execute UAT, provide consultation to users, document issues and resolutions, lead cross-functional linked teams to address business or systems issues
• Collaborate with other IT teams and cross functional teams in resolving reported issues.
• Management of third party application service partners
• Describing the structure, characteristics, behaviour, and other aspects of software implementation and integrations to stakeholders and how they meet the requirements of the business
• Providing specifications according to which the solution is defined, managed, and delivered
• Analysing the technology environment, enterprise specific and documenting requirements where required
• Creating a solution prototype, conducting technology selection, and solution development control
• Supporting PM activities to ensure that resources, risk recognition, and planning stay aligned with the solution goals
• Partner with HR to ensure robust performance/talent management and succession planning processes are in place to support growth for both individuals and the business
• Champions IT governance adoption and compliance with policies and standards to maintain consistency and reduced risk across IT applications service and solution delivery
• Technical Design Authority, ensuring Standards are deployed and maintained
• Responsible for application software licence management and compliance
• Responsible for Operational Process Documentation
• Responsible for Technical High/Low-Level Designs and associated Documentation
• Responsible for Capacity Planning and Monitoring.
• Responsible for IT Architecture R&D and Strategy for applications
• Responsible for decisions and inputs into Architecture, R&D and Strategy & TAB

Required Qualifications, Skills and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree qualified preferably Engineering or IT
• Project Management (PMI Agile certified)
• Software development certifications in Microsoft or Java (desirable)
• Qualification on Azure &/or AWS applications or software development and release (desirable)
• Solid understanding of the information technology industry and how technology can drive productivity and performance improvement
• Track record of working with senior teams from all functions and departments
• Comfortable working with autonomy and in an environment with constant interruptions, with guidance in only the most complex situations.
• Experience of supporting IT services in line with ITIL frameworks and toolsets
• Able to identify, prioritise, and solve complex infrastructure and application issues with strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Solid experience in application support and related field
• Experience with supporting/enhancing various ERP systems
• Experience with integrating ERP system with other business applications
• ERP implementation experience with integrations with legacy systems and 3rd party solutions
• Experience implementing middleware solutions using Microsoft Azure Integration Services
• Experience implementing solutions using no-code/low-code technologies
• Experience with implementations that involves large data transfers
• Experience delivering e-commerce solutions using Cloud technologies and on-prem solutions
• Experience in Cloud platforms (particularly Microsoft Azure) & Automation is desirable
• Operated within an international corporate information technology function
• Experience in multiple end to end IT project delivery lifecycles as an end customer, consultant and supplier
• Experience managing change to legacy architectures
• Flexibility to work outside of core business hours when required
• Reliable, with strong time management and self-organisational skills
• Good understanding of DevOps principles and practices
• Experience of managing globally dispersed teams and individuals
• Understand multi-cultural and diverse working environments - across continents, religions, local working practices, beliefs

What we offer

• Competitive Salary
• Private Medical Insurance (Family Cover)
• Car Allowance
• Discretionary Annual Bonus
• LTIP
• Up to 5% matched pension contribution
• 4x annual salary life assurance
• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays
• Employee discounts through Edenred
• Eyecare Vouchers
• Cycle to work scheme
• Employee Assistance Programme

Essentra plc is a FTSE 250 company and a leading global provider of essential components and solutions, focusing on the manufacture and distribution of plastic injection moulded, vinyl dip moulded and metal items.

Headquartered in the UK, Essentra's global network extends to 28 countries worldwide and includes over 3,000 employees, 14 manufacturing facilities, 24 distribution centres and 33 sales & service centres serving c.74,000 customers with a rapid supply of low cost but essential products for a variety of applications in industries such as equipment manufacturing, automotive, fabrication, electronics, medical and renewable energy.

At Essentra we are ideally looking for individuals who enjoy working as part of a close team, are passionate about what they do and who strive to make a difference. We are always looking to better ourselves and are keen to recruit individuals who like to innovate and improve processes.

As part of our recruitment process you will be required to provide evidence of your right to work in the UK. Documentary evidence will be requested at interview.