Head of Group IT Solutions & Data Platforms

About the Role

Head of Group IT Solutions & Data Platforms

Reports to: Group IT Director
Location: Hybrid

Role Purpose

The Head of Group IT Solutions & Data Platforms is a senior leadership role responsible for shaping, delivering, and supporting the Group’s application and data landscape. Operating within a highly operational waste management environment, the role ensures that the organisation’s packaged, SaaS, and bespoke applications—as well as its data platforms and integration technologies—are robust, scalable, secure, and aligned with business strategy.

This role leads a small internal team, augmented by strategic third-party partners to provide broader capability within a flexible resourcing model. The postholder will define and govern the strategic architectural roadmap, ensuring standards, policies, and best practices are embedded across the software and data ecosystem. They will work closely with stakeholders across the business and peers within the IT senior leadership team to drive operational excellence, digital transformation, and data-driven decision-making.

Key Responsibilities Strategic Leadership & Architecture

• Develop and own the Group’s IT applications and data platform strategy, ensuring alignment with business goals and the wider IT strategy.
• Define and maintain the enterprise architecture roadmap covering applications, data, integrations, and supporting technologies.
• Establish, govern, and continually improve architecture standards, design principles, and compliance processes.
• Work with IT senior leadership peers to ensure alignment with internal cyber security, ITIL processes, and general IT policies and procedures.

Software Supplier & Product Lifecycle Management

• Own and manage strategic software supplier relationships across packaged, SaaS, and bespoke solutions.
• Maintain a deep understanding of supplier product roadmaps, release cycles, and strategic direction.
• Influence and contribute to supplier product lifecycle processes to ensure the organisation’s functional and operational requirements are incorporated into future product releases.
• Drive supplier performance management, ensuring alignment on service expectations, SLAs, innovation opportunities, and continuous improvement.

Solutions Delivery & Development

• Oversee design, development, configuration, and integration of all business applications.
• Ensure solutions meet functional and non-functional requirements, including performance, security, scalability, resilience, and usability.
• Promote continuous optimisation and rationalisation of the application and data landscape.

Data Platforms & Integration

• Own the strategy, implementation, and ongoing operation of the Group’s data platforms, including data warehouses, data lakes, analytics environments, and reporting tools.
• Lead the design and management of integration architectures, APIs, and data flows across the application estate.
• Champion data quality, data governance, and lifecycle management practices.

Operational Support & Service Delivery

• Ensure availability, reliability, and performance of business-critical applications and data services.
• Partner with IT Operations to ensure effective incident, problem, and change management within agreed ITIL standards.
• Maintain robust monitoring, disaster recovery, and security controls aligned to business and cyber requirements.

Financial Ownership & Budget Management

• Own the budgeting and forecasting for software licences, maintenance, and SaaS subscriptions.
• Ensure cost-effective procurement, renewal, and optimisation of software assets and vendor contracts.
• Monitor consumption-based licensing models to avoid overspend, ensure compliance, and optimise value.

Team Leadership & Partner Management

• Lead, coach, and develop a small, high-performing team of application and data specialists.
• Manage strategic third-party partners, ensuring they provide the required depth and breadth of expertise within a flexible resource model.
• Ensure suppliers meet contractual obligations while delivering value, innovation, and quality.

Stakeholder Engagement & Business Partnership

• Act as the primary point of contact for business stakeholders regarding applications, data, and…