Applications Specialist

Sword Group; Bellshill; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Career development

Flexible working

Pension scheme

Private health

Job summary

Sword Group is seeking a skilled Applications Portfolio Manager to drive architecture assessment and roadmap creation during an M&A program. You will prioritise critical applications, guide integrations, and ensure secure, compliant delivery across platforms and data environments.

You will collaborate with client teams, perform transition planning, and contribute to continuous improvement efforts while supporting training and knowledge transfer.

Qualifications

• Experience as applications lead or applications portfolio manager in large scale M&A projects.
• Strong understanding of IT infrastructure, integration technologies, and system architecture.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Knowledge of deployment and infrastructure models.

Responsibilities

• Support an M&A activity from discovery through design and implementation.
• Assess applications architecture, strategy and build roadmap.
• Create an application landscape and a transitional road map.
• Identify critical applications and set priorities for migration.
• Support system implementation, configuration, and integration projects.
• Provide technical expertise to ensure security and operational standards compliance.
• Deliver training and knowledge transfer to client teams.
• Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives and best practice development.

Skills

Applications portfolio

IT infrastructure

Stakeholder engagement

Analytical skills

Job description

Sword is a leading provider of business technology solutions within the Energy, Public and Finance Sectors, dedicated to driving transformational change for our clients. We leverage proven technology, specialist teams, and extensive domain expertise to create robust technical foundations across platforms, data, and business applications. Our mission is fueled by a passion for technology as a means to solve complex business problems and achieve our clients' objectives.

About the role:

• Supporting an M&A activity covering detail Discovery phase then moving to a design and implementation phase moving towards a day-1 To-Be state
• Assess applications architecture, strategy and build roadmap
• Create an application landscape and an application transitional road map
• Be able to identify critical applications and make necessary priority
• Support system implementation, configuration, and integration projects
• Provide technical expertise to ensure compliance with security and operational standards
• Deliver training and knowledge transfer to client teams
• Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives & best practice development

Requirements

Knowledge and full understanding of a wide range of applications attributable across all core business areas including but not limited to:

• Operations, Production & Maintenance
• Reporting
• Control/management applications
• Understanding of deployment and infrastructure models
• Previous roles as applications lead or applications portfolio manager in large scale M&A projects
• Understand different applications delivery models
• Experience with software vendors management
• Excellent understanding of IT infrastructure, integration technologies, and system architecture
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with a client-focused approach
• Effective communication and stakeholder engagement skills

Benefits

At Sword, our core values and culture are based on caring about our people, investing in training and career development, and building inclusive teams where we are all encouraged to contribute to achieve success. We offer comprehensive benefits designed to support your professional development and enhance your overall quality of life. In addition to a Competitive Salary, here's what you can expect as part of our benefits package:

• Personalised Career Development: We create a development plan customised to your goals and aspirations, with a range of learning and development opportunities within a culture that encourages growth.
• Flexible working: Flexible work arrangements to support your work-life balance. We can't promise to always be able to meet every request, however, are keen to discuss your individual preferences to make it work where we can.
• A Fantastic Benefits Package: This includes generous annual leave allowance, enhanced family friendly benefits, pension scheme, access to private health, well-being, and insurance schemes

At Sword we are dedicated to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace and are proud to be an equal opportunities employer, ensuring that all applicants receive fair and equal consideration for employment, regardless of whether they meet every requirement. We embrace diversity in all its forms, valuing individuals regardless of age, disability, gender identity or reassignment, marital or civil partner status, pregnancy or maternity status, race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation. Your perspective and potential are important to us.