(Internal Vacancy) Head, Global IT Operations

This job vacancy is only available to internal applicants of Save the Children International. Unfortunately, external candidates will not be considered for this opportunity. Please check our job listings page for other vacancies that are open to external applicants.

Job Title: (Internal Vacancy) Head of Global IT Operations

Team: IT

Reports To: Director of Information Security & Data Protection

Contract Length: Permanent

Grade: M4

Location: Any approved Save the Children International office location.

Time Zone (that the role holder must be available to work in): Asia, ESA, LAC, MENAEE, WCA

Right to Work: The successful candidate must possess the unrestricted right to work in their current or preferred location for the duration of employment. 

Language Requirements: English

International Travel Requirements: Yes, up to 20% 

Budget Responsibility: Direct budgetary responsibilities in the order of $500k per annum, with a broader indirect influence over country IT spend, estimated at a further $3-5000k p.a.

People Management Responsibility: Number of people managed in total: 5 direct reports spread globally and dotted line responsibility for c. 50 country IT leaders.

Manager of a team: Yes

Team Manager (manager of multiple teams): No

Team and Job Purpose

To ensure technology across the SCI is delivered in a safe, secure and effective manner, empowering staff and supporting SCI's mission to inspire breakthroughs in the way the world treats children and achieve immediate and lasting change in their lives. This role will be pivotal in driving IT compliance, promoting child safeguarding, and enhancing the overall IT capabilities of the organisation.

Role purpose

The role holder is accountable for leading a team of regionally based leads, who are responsible for leading and driving the safe and secure consumption and delivery of global technology services and business solutions, setting direction to all field/country office IT staff and acting as the key link between regions, countries and Centre. The role holder will act as the Technology Business Partner and, in conjunction with their team, provide point of contact for the Regional Director and senior management team and Country Directors in the provision of technology to deliver high quality programmes for children. The role holder is accountable for ensuring all global technology services consumed through country/field offices are fit for purpose, and technology services provided by Country Offices are fit for purpose and comply with IT Standards, Policies and Procedures as laid out in the SCI Quality Framework. The role holder will also oversight the global Centre IT Technology Hubs ensuring the staff are appropriately supported and facilities provided to enable to deliver effective services

In the event of a major humanitarian emergency, the role holder will be expected to work outside the normal role profile and be able to vary working hours accordingly.

The scope of the role includes:

• To ensure all CO’s deliver safe, secure and effective IT services.
• Ensure CO technology services are complaint with COOM and applying appropriate escalation to CO/RO and Centre leadership where required to achieve compliance.
• Working with the Global IT Leadership to provide reliable, scalable IT services to all SCI countries & members that consume global technology services to agreed standards.
• Ensuring level 1 and 2 support and maintenance of all operational systems are delivered to SLAs and KPIs to the countries including user IT devices such as laptops and mobile phones.
• Technology business partner to Regional and Country leaders, with focus on helping them understand how to use technology to deliver high quality programmes for children.
• Effective Oversight of Regional and Country Infrastructure including telecommunications networks, Field technologies, IT Security and Data Protection ensuring all Co’s are meeting the security standard and fully compliant with all aspects of Data Protection.
• Ensuring appropriate employment support and facilities are provided for staff at Centre IT Tech Hubs from Centre and CO
• Ensuring new Technology 4 Development and business simplification Process Initiatives get the required approval and T4D Catalogue is kept up to date.
• Supporting the delivery of global priority projects in regions and countries, in line with any agreed PMO plans as well as regional projects which are approved by RD and CIO
• Technology and Brand Advocate, including speaking at Technology/NGO conferences.

Principal Accountabilities

• To ensure IT across regions is delivered in a safe, secure and effective manner.
• Ensuring all CO’s and regional offices comply with the IT Controls as laid out in the Country Office Operating Model. Where any risk is identified, hold RDs/CDs to account for the delivery of the remediation plan to agreed timelines.
• Leading a global IT Operations team to provide effective oversight, support and direction to all regional & country office IT staff.
• Ensure Child safeguarding, personal safety and security and protection of sensitive digital data is foremost in all activities.
• Supporting Global Director of Information Security and Data Protection to ensure effective Risk Management & Information Security processes are in place and adherence to IT policies and standards 
• Capacity-building through coaching, training and mentoring the technology staff within the regions to continuously improve their personal and team performance, and staying updated on IT guidelines, standards, policies and strategy.
• Coordinating IT needs during emergency operations where required.
• Working with IT service and solution leaders (applications, user devices, Enterprise and field technologies) to develop appropriate regional and country service strategies and sourcing arrangements, which collectively help deliver the overall SCI IT Strategy. 
• Adhering to global ‘service management framework’, based on ITIL industry standards and tools, with focus on effective incident, problem and change management across centre, regional and country IT staff
• Maintaining supplier management process for regional and country IT suppliers, working with procurement to ensure alignment and adherence to SCI Technology Minimum Requirements.

Experience and Skills

Essential

1. Substantial experience of working at regional IT leadership level, preferably working with IT service and project delivery teams in a ‘matrix’ organisation working in remote, inhospitable and insecure environments managing regional IT staff and suppliers.
2. Familiar with all day-to-day aspects of managing the IT needs of an organization, with familiarity of MS365, MS Windows, MS Office Products, Servers, LAN/WAN infrastructures and cybersecurity.
3. Demonstrable and good interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate and negotiate clearly and effectively at all levels, taking into account cultural and language difficulties. Tact and diplomacy are essential as is the ability to speak fluently.
4. Outstanding business partnering & communication skills, both written and verbal, to effectively collaborate with diverse teams and stakeholders with focus on helping them understand how to use technology to deliver high quality programmes for children.
5. Considerable experience in Technology “Governance” developing and implementing IT policies, procedures, and best practices. 
6. Ability to manage multiple projects, ensuring timely delivery and prioritising tasks effectively. 
7. Significant experience of implementing IT service management processes and tools, in accordance with recognized industry standards such as ITIL.
8. Experience of working in a fast-paced environment with quick turnaround times with ability to resolve complex service issues, with a balance of pragmatism and rigour whilst delivering to the highest standards.

Key Relationships

Internal (excluding direct team and manager) 

• TDIT SLT
• Country SLT
• Global Enterprise Technology Team 
• Global Application Services Team 
• PMO Team 
• Information Security Team 

External 

• Members 
• Core Technology Vendors

Education and Qualifications

Essential

• Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field: Equivalent experience may be considered in lieu of formal educational qualifications. 
• Continuous Learning: Proven track record of engaging in continuous professional development to stay current with industry trends and best practices.

Desirable 

• ITIL Certification 
• Relevant professional certifications (e.g., Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect, AWS Certified Solutions Architect, etc.) are highly desirable. 

Working at Save the Children International

Save the Children is the world's leading organisation for children, employing ~25,000 staff. We save children's lives. We fight for their rights. We help them fulfil their potential. Through our work in 116 countries, we put the most deprived and marginalised children first.

We know that great people make a great organisation, and that our employees play a crucial role in helping us achieve our ambitions for children. We value our people and offer a meaningful and rewarding career, along with a collaborative and inclusive environment where ambition, creativity, and integrity are highly valued.

The work here is challenging but is also immensely rewarding. At Save the Children, you will be in good company, working with talented, like-minded individuals who are determined to ensure that all children survive, learn, and are protected. Your contribution will help ensure children's voices are heard at the highest levels, and that we achieve our global strategy, Ambition for Children 2030, and reach every last child.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Equal Opportunities

DEI is core to our vision, values and global strategy. Save the Children is committed to creating a truly diverse, equitable and inclusive organisation, and one which will support us in our vision to ensure every child attains the right to survival, protection, development, and participation.

We are committed to equal employment opportunities, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, race, colour, ethnic origin, nationality, disability, marital or civil partnership status, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, caring or parental responsibilities, age, or beliefs and religion. We are committed to diversifying our staff to better represent the communities we serve and actively welcome underrepresented groups to apply.

Reasonable adjustments will be made should any candidate invited to interview require this.

Application Information

Please attach a copy of your CV and cover letter with your application. A full copy of the role profile can be found here via the job listing. It is recommended that you save a copy of the role profile as it will no longer be available after the advert closes.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and the job advert may be closed earlier than advertised subject to the volume of suitable applicants. Please submit your application at your earliest convenience to avoid disappointment.

Our recruitment process:

1. Application review by our recruiting team based on your CV and cover letter
2. Two-stage competency-based interviews with the hiring team
3. Some recruitment may include an additional assessment or case study stage, or a third stage interview
4. If successful, you will receive a conditional offer of employment, followed by your contract subject to passing background checks

We need to keep children and adults safe so our selection process includes rigorous background checks and reflects our commitment to the protection of children and adults from abuse. All employees are expected to carry out their duties in accordance with our Code of Conduct and all policies and procedures relating to Anti-harassment, Health and Safety, Safeguarding, and DEI and Equal Opportunities.

Save the Children does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process.