Head of IT Operations & Delivery

University of East London

We’re the University of East London (UEL) founded in 1898 and proud to change lives through education. Our goal is to advance industry 5.0 careers-first education and provide a clear path to the jobs and opportunities of the future. We’re committed to driving diversity in the 5.0 talent pipeline, working in partnership to promote talent wherever it is found and creating a balanced, inclusive, and green future.

But we can't achieve this goal alone. We need forward-thinking, innovative, and curious individuals like you to join our community and help us craft our future. As part of our team, you'll have the opportunity to work with a diverse range of people who share your passion for creating positive change. We’re an inclusive and welcoming community that is constantly moving forward, never satisfied with the status quo.

About the School / Service 

IT Services is a centralised resource working collaboratively with the University community to transform UEL's digital world in line with the University’s Vision 2028 strategic plan. Engaging in ground-breaking initiatives delivered within a dynamically developing cloud environment, IT Services work closely with staff, students, partners and other key collaborators to identify technological improvements to our learning and working environments. We implement, develop and provide support for systems and services within the university’s IT Service Portfolio.

Every member of staff will embrace the University’s values, ensuring their behaviour reflects the ethos of the University, one committed to building a learning community founded on equality of opportunity and celebrating the rich diversity of our student and staff populations.

About the Job

We are seeking an experienced and strategic Head of IT Operations & Delivery to provide senior operational leadership across key IT service and delivery functions within the University.

This role is responsible for leading multiple technical teams spanning application development and support, infrastructure, networking, end user computing, and integrations. You will ensure that IT services are secure, resilient, cost-effective, and aligned with the University’s strategic objectives.

You will play a critical role in driving operational excellence, ensuring effective service performance, governance, and delivery planning across a complex and evolving digital estate.

• Provide leadership and direction to multi-disciplinary technical teams, ensuring high performance and delivery outcomes
• Develop and support managers and team leaders, ensuring accountability, professional growth and succession planning
• Promote a culture of collaboration, accountability, customer focus and continuous improvement
• Lead workforce planning including recruitment, retention, and skills development
• Ensure availability, performance, resilience and recoverability of IT services across cloud and on-premise platforms
• Oversee ITIL-aligned processes including incident, problem, change and release management

About You

You are an experienced IT leader with a strong operational background and a passion for delivering high-quality, resilient services in complex environments.

You will bring:

• Significant experience leading multi-disciplinary IT teams across applications, infrastructure, integrations, networking and EUC
• Strong knowledge of IT service management and operational best practices (ITIL aligned)
• Experience delivering services in cloud and hybrid environments
• Proven ability to translate strategy into effective operational delivery
• Strong stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence at senior levels
• Excellent communication, leadership and decision-making skills
• A proactive, solutions-focused mindset with the ability to manage complexity and competing priorities

How to apply

Alongside the application form, please also upload an up-to-date copy of your CV for review.

Benefits Package

At UEL, we believe that a great role is about more than just a salary. It’s about the complete package, including our outstanding work environment and inclusive culture.

We offer a genuinely competitive salary, dependent on experience (DOE), and a range of excellent benefits.

You can explore our full benefits package here: https://uel.ac.uk/benefits-professional-services-positions

Equal Opportunities

As an inclusive, equal-opportunities employer, our Stonewall membership and Athena Swan awards reflect our ongoing dedication to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and we’re committed to closing the" diversity pay gap". We’re proud of the progress we’ve made and honest that there’s more to do. We’re determined to keep moving forward so everyone at UEL can thrive.

We're also a disability confident employer and value all applications. Please let us know if you require any reasonable accommodations throughout the recruitment process.

So, if you’d like to take your career to the next level with us here at the University of East London and are inspired by our environment and committed to success, we want you to apply today!

Please note that this advert may close earlier than the stated deadline if we receive a high volume of applications. We encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible.