Chief Operating Officer

Full Time, On-site / Hybrid working 

The University of Cambridge is a globally renowned academic and research institution, consistently ranked amongst the top universities in the World. With more than 30,000 students, 12,000 staff, 150 institutions (Departments Faculties, Schools), reliant on c.150 services and systems, the University Information Services (UIS) have a complex and diverse portfolio of digital infrastructure and administrative applications that support world-class teaching, learning and research activity.

We now seek to engage a new Chief Operating Offer (COO) who will continue to deliver strategic planning and operational leadership for approximately 320 technology focused staff. This exciting role brings challenges in the form of scale and complexity, but also represents and huge opportunity to work with amazing people and technologies to ensure University of Cambridge maintains an increases its global reputation for excellence. 

About the Role:

Reporting to the Director of UIS, the COO is a key role within UIS and the University, combining strategic planning with experience of operational leadership in a complex customer-focused IT organisation. You will be responsible for delivering a consistency of approach to service design, implementation, and service delivery across UIS, ensuring that solutions and operation approaches are driven by operational need. The complex and devolved nature of University has given rise to fragmented infrastructure and service provision, and the COO and SLT will be focused on improving this structure, using the existing working structure as a platform for continuous improvement.

As part of the Leadership Team the role will be a focal point for culture in UIS, driving high-quality service that can be delivered and run in a cost-effective manner, utilising suppliers and third parties as well as in house teams to deliver efficient and high performance throughout. You will also be responsible for nine direct reports covering Departmental Operations, Large Systems, Development and Operations, Infrastructure, Product and Service Design, Delivery Management, Service Management, Research Computing (largest high performance computers of any UK university) and institutional Relations. Working with the Director of UIS, Chief Architect and CISO, together you will manage the entirety of UIS.

About You:

Experience

• Managing successful delivery of IT Services in a large, complex environment
• Developing and Leading high performing, BAU technology operations
• Evidence of bringing together stakeholders in a shared vision for IT Services
• Developing people and processes to increase capability and capacity
• Knowledge of Government GDS services or the HE sector is advantageous but not essential
• Key member of the SLT working with all stakeholder to champion culture and vision for technology.

This role has a large remit and holistic transformation of the services is not an option. As such you will be leading continuous improvement across the whole of UIS, working with the SLT to deliver leading cost effective solutions to one of the UKs globally renowned institutions.

To apply

Please send your CV and a brief covering note to our recruitment partner Harvey Nash Janine.Hall-Green@harveynash.com. Please include the code COO.UoC and your name in the subject line of your email. 

Closing date for applications is the 20^th February 2023.

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

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