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Head of IT

Cambridge Permanent View Job Description
This is a unique opportunity to combine strategic leadership with hands-on technical expertise. You'll drive digital innovation, enhance organisational systems, and lead the integration of technology across global operations.
  • Reporting to the COO, this is the lead role within the conservation charity.
  • To shape and deliver the strategic direction of our technology landscape.

About Our Client

This organisation operates in the not-for-profit sector and is well-regarded for its impactful work. It is a medium-sized organisation. The charity's shared purpose is to protect the diversity of life on Earth, for the survival of the planet and its people. We work closely with local conservation partners around the world to save nature, together. We harness this collective expertise to inspire positive change globally.

Purpose:

  • To lead, shape and deliver the strategic direction of IT globally, ensuring that our systems, services, and infrastructure are robust, forward-looking, and support the operational and strategic goals of the charity, combining strategic leadership with hands-on technical input.
  • To drive digital innovation, enhance organisational systems, and lead the integration of technology across global operations.
  • To play a key role in ensuring compliance with regulatory frameworks, including UK charity regulations and GDPR, while embedding digital transformation in support of the charity's vital work protecting nature around the world.

Job Description

Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership & IT Governance

  • Develop and deliver a forward-looking IT strategy that aligns with the charity's conservation and operational objectives, ensuring systems are efficient and secure.
  • As the senior IT advisor to the Senior Leadership Team, provide strategic guidance on digital innovation, emerging technologies, and sector-relevant trends.
  • Develop and maintain IT policies and operational standards aligned with charity sector best practice, fostering accountability, sustainability, and a strong culture of cyber risk awareness.
  • Ensure robust, inclusive infrastructure that enables access, capacity, and resilience across the charity's global teams, including those in remote or low-connectivity settings.
  • Lead the selection and management of key external service providers, including the University of Cambridge, ensuring high-quality partnerships and service delivery.



IT Operations and Service Delivery

  • Provide oversight of IT services across the charity's global locations.
  • Ensure staff have the IT equipment that is fit for purpose, maintained appropriately, cost-effective, and integrated in organisational systems.
  • Oversee IT asset lifecycle management, ensuring procurement and disposal are undertaken ethically, sustainably, and in compliance with UK and international regulations.



External Provider Management

  • Lead procurement, selection, and ongoing relationships with outsourced IT and telecommunication providers, ensuring accountability, value for money, contract compliance, and high service performance.



Information Systems & Digital Development

  • Oversee the development, integration and continuous improvement of internal systems to support knowledge sharing, collaboration, and efficient IT system deployment across the global organisation.
  • Collaborate across departments to identify IT needs and deliver solutions that are user-informed and operationally aligned.
  • Play a key role in shaping and executing our global AI strategy.
  • Support and enable digital transformation initiatives that improve conservation impact, organisational efficiency, and staff engagement, and lead on change management to support adoption and ensure continuous improvement.



Cybersecurity, Data Protection & Regulatory Compliance

  • Lead on cybersecurity strategy, ensuring robust frameworks are in place to protect sensitive data and organisational assets, business continuity planning and disaster recovery, ensuring organisational resilience in the event of disruption.
  • Ensure compliance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), charity-specific data requirements, and other relevant information governance standards.
  • Maintain effective systems for data access control, management of cyber risks, and regular data security training across all offices.



Leadership and Team Development

  • Lead and support the IT team, fostering a culture of service excellence, continuous learning, and innovation.
  • Provide effective line management through objective setting, continuous performance review, training provision and personal development planning.
  • Oversee the day-to-day functioning of the IT department, including troubleshooting and resolution of technical issues, as well as contributing to the team's project delivery.



Budgeting and Financial Stewardship

  • Lead the IT budgeting and financial planning process, providing insight to support long-term IT and systems investment planning.
  • Monitor IT expenditure and contracts, to ensure value for money and service delivery



Digital Communications & Collaboration

  • Ensure the charity communication systems, including voice, video, mobile, and digital collaboration platforms, are secure, scalable, and fit for a globally distributed, hybrid-working organisation.
  • Continuously evaluate and enhance tools to support seamless internal collaboration, external engagement, and agile working across time zones and geographies.



Policy Implementation and Training

  • Lead on the communication and implementation of IT policies and procedures.

The Successful Applicant

Based in Cambridge, the charity supports around 600 employees globally with additional support from an external IT agency.The role requires a strategic mindset and the ability to be hands-on operationally. You will manage the current IT Manager, with a view to growing this to 4 or 5 FTE.

The role requires a strategic mindset and the ability to be hands-on operationally.

You will shape and deliver the strategic direction of our technology landscape, ensuring that our systems, services, and infrastructure are robust, forward-looking, and aligned with our mission. You'll drive digital innovation, enhance organisational systems, and lead the integration of technology across global operations.You'll also play a key role in ensuring compliance with regulatory frameworks, including UK charity regulations and GDPR, while embedding digital transformation in support of the charity's vital work protecting nature around the world.Essential Requirements:

  • Demonstrable ability to lead, manage and motivate a small team, being strategically minded as well as hands-on within the role.
  • Experience in leading and implementing organisational change related to technology implementation and adoption.
  • Excellent understanding of IT security principles, including risk management, data protection, and cybersecurity best practices.
  • Demonstrable experience in a senior IT leadership role, preferably within a global or multi-site organisation.
  • Detailed knowledge and understanding of Information Management and Information Security Standards, and proven ability to utilise management information, processes and technology to enhance the quality of IT and Digital services and to monitor performance.
  • Extensive knowledge and understanding of existing and emerging technologies and how these can impact organisational efficiency.
  • Ability to develop and implement comprehensive IT strategies aligned with organisational goals.
  • Committed to the delivery of customer-focused services and continuous service improvement.
  • Ability to build effective organisational relationships.
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
  • Excellent interpersonal skills, with ability to influence effectively at all levels.
  • Excellent organisation, prioritisation and time management skills.
  • Educated to degree level or equivalent through relevant training and experience in fields related to business, computer science, or extensive equivalent professional IT leadership experience



Desirable (but not essential)

  • Understanding of the global IT landscape and the challenges and opportunities it presents.
  • Experience in the Charity sector.



Behaviours:

  • Proactive and able to adapt quickly and effectively.
  • Excellent team player, with the ability to work independently.
  • Hands-on and 'can-do' approach.
  • Culturally sensitive.
  • Flexible to respond to the demands of operating across different time zones.
  • Enjoys mentoring and training, researching issues and solving problems.



Other:

  • Commitment to and empathy with the charity's mission and vision.
  • Ability to undertake international travel.
  • Pre-existing right to work in the UK.

What's on Offer

  • The starting salary for the role will be £70,000 + bens.
  • Employer pension contribution of 8% of salary after 3 months' continuous service.
  • Group Life insurance, currently set at a benefit of 4 x basic salary
  • 25 working days' annual holiday entitlement plus Public/Bank Holidays and any normal working days that fall between 24 December and 1 January inclusive, during which time the charity UK offices are closed.
  • Hybrid working practices in place.
Contact
Rutesh Shah
Quote job ref
JN-022026-6941984
Phone number
+442072692314

Job summary

Job function
Technology
Subsector
CIO / IT Director
Sector
Not For Profit
Location
Cambridge
Contract type
Permanent
Consultant name
Rutesh Shah
Consultant phone
+442072692314
Job reference
JN-022026-6941984