Would you like to be at the heart of developing innovative and transformative ideas? Are you interested in being part of a team that identifies how space technology can address UK and global societal challenges? Do you want a Head of IT position which will make a real difference? If so, you may be who we’re looking for!

We are currently seeking a Head of IT & Business Systems to manage a team of multi-skilled IT professionals, providing coaching and feedback to drive performance and productivity, whilst ensuring the team is motivated and capable through empowerment, innovation and collaboration within the Catapult and with the wider community.

Reporting into our CFO, this is a highly networked role that requires an ability to deliver a service that places the customer at the heart of everything, providing an outstanding customer experience.

Our principal offices are in Harwell Oxfordshire, and we are looking for someone who can come into the office on a regular basis with some hybrid working options.

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop and maintain a strategy that ensures all information technology and business systems and services are available to support internal and external users at a level of service appropriate to each activity

• Work with internal clients to support their engagement with external stakeholders, to establish technical collaborations and bid/tender opportunities that benefit the Catapult, and the communities that we support.

• Recommend and pursue innovative and optimised technology investments in response to capital and operational budgets to be integrated into the ITBS strategy.

• Carry out proof of concept plans and deployments to ascertain whether identified technologies can provide benefits to support Catapult goals.

• Proactively assess and evaluate the competitive market landscape, to ensure that the Catapult can respond in a timely fashion and remain at the forefront of our sector.

• Develop and own the annual delivery plan and associated budget for the ITBS team.

• Influence, engage and provide relevant updates (either reports or presentations) to the Executive Management Team

Skills & Experience required:

Internal operations:

• You will have experience in ensuring that acceptable service levels of information technology (including laptops and audio-visual solutions) and business applications are maintained to support efficient and effective business operations.

• Experience in maintaining the highest level of cyber security including around the company’s networks and websites which may be hosted internally or externally.

• Preparation of and on-going maintenance of information technology and business systems business continuity / disaster recovery plans.

• Controlling all IT assets, and ensuring that software is correctly licensed.

External facing systems:

• Working with both the technical and market-facing teams, develop, deliver, and maintain commercial and customer facing solutions from conception through to delivery

• Ability to represent the Catapult externally at a professional level including attendance at conferences, stakeholder meetings, project meetings.

• Advise customers on appropriate technologies to create the best possible outcomes.

• Provide detailed responses to service and solution requirements as part of the tender/bid process. Creation and delivery of bid material as required, including written proposals and formal client presentations.

About you:

• Excellent people management skills, with the ability to develop, inspire and motivate a high performing team

• Excellent relationship-building skills with senior internal and external stakeholders

• Strong technical background in IT infrastructure, cyber security, and cloud-based services

• Knowledge and understanding of technological trends

• An aptitude for translating complex, technical subjects into clear, business-oriented language and can work across diverse organisations leading complex internal and external project teams.

• Experience managing high value projects efficiently, on time and to specification

• Ability to prioritise challenging and conflicting requirements form different areas of the business

• Results orientated, self-motivated, flexible, and driven to strive for continual improvement

How we work:

We strive to create a high trust environment that enables team members to bring their whole selves to work – this helps to create the foundations of an innovation culture.
Our shared values are critical to this:

• We care - for our people, our partners, and our planet

• We connect - and engage with people and ideas

• We learn - and grow, as people and as an industry

Underpinning this is our belief in great teams, our combined efforts will always deliver outcomes beyond that of any individual providing we are honest through debate, experiment and reflect, and create shared resolutions in support of our purpose. Live these values, work to our principles, take ownership to deliver, and we are certain you will thrive with us.