About this job

The Satellite Applications Catapult is an independent technology and innovation company whose purpose is to promote, develop and facilitate the commercialisation and advancement of the satellite applications industry. The company is a not for profit Research Organisation, with a commercial trading subsidiary. The organisation embraces an open and innovative culture, encouraging an ethos of knowledge exchange and sector engagement, and has quickly become a world class centre of facilities and expertise.

We’re one of nine “Catapults” launched by the UK’s Technology Strategy Board. The aim for each of them is to become a world-leading innovation centre in its own specialist area.

Ways of Working: We are a learning organisation where our ways of working are underpinned by coaching and feedback. Innovation is at the heart of everything that we do, therefore being highly adaptive and agile with a GROWTH mindset will ensure your success at the Catapult. We expect our people to be Pioneering, Agile, Collaborative and Entrepreneurial, working at PACE.

Responsibilities

Satellite Applications Catapult are looking for a Head of IT and Business Services. This exciting role will lead our full suite of information technology and business systems requirements. It invloves managing 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.

The Head of ITBS leads the full suite of information technology and business systems requirements across the Catapult. The role involves:

• Managing 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.
• Deliver a service that places the customer at the heart of everything, providing an outstanding customer experience.
• Strategy:
  • 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 value streams 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
• Internal operations:
  • Ensure 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.
  • Ensure the highest levels of cyber security are maintained, including around the company’s networks and websites which may be hosted internally or externally.
  • Preparation and on-going maintenance of the information technology and business systems business continuity / disaster recovery plans.
  • Ensure that all information technology assets are controlled, and software is correctly licensed.
• External-facing systems:
  • Working with the value streams, both technical and market, to develop, deliver and maintain commercial and customer facing solutions from conception through to delivery
  • 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.
• Technical Project Delivery:
• • Work collaboratively with the value streams and project management as a technical consultant on projects; ensuring an excellent understanding of the project and the priorities for the business, translating user and technical requirements into digital platform solutions that support those value streams and projects.
  • Support project teams through attending engagement meetings to proactively introduce, shape and develop technical opportunities.
  • Provide a high-level design overview, including costs, prior to the commencement of project build and service delivery to ensure smooth transition to operational support.

Profile

• 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, businessoriented 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
• Excellent presentation skills, both written and verbal, to inspire confidence in senior stakeholders
• Excellent relationship-building skills with senior internal and external stakeholders
• Excellent people management skills, with the ability to develop, inspire and motivate a high performing team
• Results orientated, self-motivated, flexible and driven to strive for continual improvement