Head of IT Solutions

**Contract type**: Full time, Permanent
**Location**: Cowley, Oxford
**Salary**: £75,000 to £90,000 dependent upon experience, plus car / car allowance, 33 days holiday, pension, bonus, life assurance, employee assistance programme, wellbeing support, and flexible benefits scheme

As Head of IT Solutions, you will lead the development of IT solution proposals to support new business opportunities for Unipart Logistics. You will work proactively alongside Business Development, Supply Chain Engineering, Operations and Finance colleagues and across the Unipart Logistics IT team to design and cost IT solutions that meet customers' business requirements.

With a strong background in logistics and IT solutions architecture, you will possess exceptional analytical, communication, and leadership skills. Additionally, you will have a successful track record in IT solutions architecture and design in logistics businesses and a deep understanding of warehouse management systems, integration technologies and business intelligence. You will also have a strong commercial understanding and the ability to design cost effective IT solutions.

**As part of your key responsibilities you'll**:

- Propose solutions that meets the customer's requirements and fits with Unipart Logistics' operational proposal
- Document customer requirements to ensure all relevant information is captured and shared with IT colleagues
- Work closely with the Supply Chain Engineering and Innovations team to ensure IT solution designs are aligned to operational process designs and ensure change management is similarly aligned
- Work across Unipart Logistics IT teams (including Service Management, Applications, BI, Infrastructure, Security, Programme Delivery and Integration) to develop solution proposals which provide cost effective solutions and meet customer requirements - solutions must include resource forecasts as well as testing, training and support requirements
- Lead IT solution design and architecture for IT solution proposals, ensuring integrated, secure and cost-effective proposals are developed in accordance with time and cost constraints
- Develop professional, customer-focussed IT proposals which demonstrate compliance with customer requirements and highlight the benefits of the proposed solution
- Work with IT colleagues to drive standardisation of solutions (and solution add-ons) and costings to better enable Business Development to offer customer focussed and cost-effective logistics proposals
- Lead on IT cost negotiations, where applicable
- Work with the Unipart Logistics IT Finance Manager and Operational Colleagues to agree how IT solution costs will be recharged
- Work collaboratively with IT colleagues to develop product roadmaps to support business growth through cost effective solutions
- Work with the Unipart Logistics IT Programme Delivery team to plan resourcing for potential new customer projects
- Keep Unipart Logistics' IT Leadership Team updated on the new business pipeline and our plans for solutions
- Provide technical expertise and guidance to IT colleagues and ensure customer focus is maintained
- Establish and maintain strong relationships with key customers, stakeholders and business partners, fostering trust, collaboration and long-term partnerships
- Monitor market trends, industry best practices, and emerging technologies to drive innovation and continuous improvement in IT solution architecture and design
- Stay informed about regulatory changes and compliance requirements in the logistics industry, ensuring solutions meet legal and quality standards

**About You**

**Essential**:

- Educated to graduate level or above
- Experience and expertise in IT solutions design and architecture in logistics organisations
- Experience of working in complex logistics organisations
- Experience in warehouse management system (WMS) development
- Experience in systems integration in logistics organisations
- Strong understanding of business intelligence development and reporting
- Commercially astute with experience of costing IT solutions
- Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to interact at a senior level, demonstrating gravitas, impact, and credibility
- Strong relationship-building skills across all levels and functions, including experience working with customers and stakeholders at a strategic level
- Ability to influence and inspire others to improve customer experience

**Highly Desirable**:

- Blue Yonder Dispatcher
- Oracle Transport Manager
- WebMethods
- SAP Analytics Cloud

Our recruitment and selection process has been developed to ensure that it is consistent, fair and provides equality of opportunity - all selection decisions are based solely on technical and behavioural competencies. We do not discriminate on the grounds of race, colour, or nationality, ethnic or national origins, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, disability, religion or belief, age or any other current or future protected characteristic as defined in the current Equality Act of England and Wales. As an organisation we also promote an environment which encourages diversity of characteristics and thought, where you feel included, safe and confident to be the best version of yourself and do your best work every day.

You may have experience in the following: Head of IT Solutions, IT Solutions Director, Chief Information Officer (CIO), IT Solutions Manager, IT Solutions Leader, IT Solutions Executive, Head of Technology Solutions, Director of IT Strategy, etc.

REF-208202