Deputy Director of IT Business Operations

As part of the University’s digital transformation journey, we are seeking a Deputy Director of IT Business Operations to join the IT Executive team and provide strategic and operational leadership across the business management of IT Services.

Reporting to the Chief Information Officer, you will have delegated authority for Business Partnering, financial and budget oversight and management, workforce planning, governance, risk, assurance and executive performance reporting.

The role translates University strategy into integrated multi-year plans for IT Services, sets professional operating standards across these functions and ensures that resources, controls and operating arrangements enable the department to deliver its strategic commitments.

We value, empower and support every member of staff to get the best out of your unique talents, so you’ll be rewarded with a generous salary, 32 days holiday PLUS Bank Holidays, pension contribution of 14.5%, and a unique and vibrant working environment.
Role & Responsibilities:  The role will serve as the key liaison between IT Services and academic/professional service units, fostering strong relationships and supporting their success in IT and digital initiatives. This role involves translating business needs into IT service requirements, ensuring alignment with strategic objectives, and acting as a point of escalation for stakeholders to resolve issues effectively.

Responsibilities include:

Lead the IT business partnering function across the University, establishing a consistent model for strategic engagement with faculties and professional services

Build trusted senior relationships, anticipate demand, shape technology priorities and investment choices, ensure institutional needs and benefits are reflected in IT strategy, portfolio planning and service design, and act as the senior escalation point for significant stakeholder issues.

Represent the University’s service needs and stakeholder voice within IT by translating business needs into IT service requirements, ensuring alignment of technology solutions with strategic objectives, advocating stakeholder priorities in service planning and delivery, and serving as a point of escalation to ensure effective issue resolution and follow-up. Drive service improvement and digital opportunities by pre-empting customer needs through operational analysis and user feedback, championing change to improve user satisfaction and efficiency, representing IT Services in faculty and departmental strategic planning forums, and identifying opportunities that inform IT Services strategy.

Establish, monitor and report on KPIs and transformation outcomes, setting the strategic approach to stakeholder engagement, communications and customer insight across IT Services, and working with the IT Service Desk Lead to ensure timely, transparent and audience-appropriate communications across the University. The IT team at Surrey are plugged in to the whole University, and our digital transformation work underpins the University’s strategy.

IT is growing our digital transformation capability, improving student experience, and helping increase our research impact.  It’s a vibrant and exciting time to join a great and well-respected team at the heart of the University’s strategic plans.

What’s in it for you? We think Surrey is an amazing place to work, and we are carefully crafting a dynamic, flexible, and fun place to work and thrive.  Our campus is a beautiful, leafy environment with carefully designed gardens, vibrant green playing fields, and a picturesque lake. With the buzz of student life and superb working facilities, the University is a global community of ideas and people, dedicated to life-changing education and…