Head of IT

Hays; St Helens; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 51,000; Full time

Job summary

A well-established further education college in St Helens seeks a Head of IT with a strategic leadership capacity to drive technology initiatives. The role involves managing IT projects, building relationships, and leading a team to support modern educational environments. The successful candidate will benefit from generous annual leave and a competitive salary along with professional development opportunities.

Benefits

42 days holiday plus bank holidays

Local government pension scheme

Professional development opportunities

Access to wellbeing initiatives

Qualifications

• Experience as an IT leader in the education sector.
• Ability to manage a team and deliver IT strategy.
• Strong relationship-building skills with senior leaders and staff.

Responsibilities

• Shape and deliver the institution's technology vision.
• Lead IT projects while managing the technology budget.
• Oversee an IT team ensuring high performance and service level.

Skills

Leadership

Cybersecurity

Strategic Planning

Job description

Your new company
This role is based at a large and well-established further education college in St Helens, known for its commitment to transforming lives through high-quality education and training. The institution offers a diverse range of academic and vocational programmes, supporting learners from all backgrounds to achieve their goals.With a strong focus on staff development, the college provides a supportive and inclusive working environment, modern facilities, and a comprehensive benefits package. These include generous annual leave, a government pension scheme, professional development opportunities, and access to wellbeing initiatives. The college is also actively engaged in building partnerships with employers and the wider community, contributing to regional skills development and economic growth. Reporting to the Deputy CEO, the successful Head of IT will be joining a collaborative team where you will have the opportunity to grow and develop. Your new role
In this strategic leadership role, you will play a pivotal part in shaping and delivering the organisation's technology vision. You will assist with overall business technology planning, aligning current capabilities with future needs, and lead the identification and delivery of strategic IT projects. Your responsibilities will include analysing departmental requirements, managing a capital IT programme, and ensuring robust network and cybersecurity arrangements are maintained. You will also oversee the delivery of specialist technology to support modern teaching environments, act as project lead for internal IT initiatives, and provide leadership to the IT Service Desk, Network, and Reprographics teams. A key focus will be on driving innovation, performance management, and continuous improvement, while ensuring compliance with relevant policies and legislation. You will manage the technology budget effectively and ensure IT policies remain current and aligned with emerging technologies and legal requirements. Finally, a key part of this role will be the management and development of a well-established IT team, ensuring the team remains high-performing and that the IT service provided is of the highest level in the college.

What you'll need to succeed
In order to be successful in securing this position, you will have experience of working as an IT leader, ideally with specific experience working in the education sector and demonstrating the ability to lead a team, whilst also remaining technically hands-on. You will have the ability to build strong working relationships with senior leaders, as well as work closely with staff and students, providing an on-site IT support service. This is a progressive role which will allow you to deliver and manage an IT strategy and budget, therefore experience working at a strategic level is also essential.
What you'll get in return
In return, you will receive a salary plus an industry-leading benefits package which includes 42 days holiday (plus bank) and a local government pension scheme, therefore further enhancing the offering. The salary for this role is between £50,000 and £51,000 and this will be subject to review as your career continues at the college. You will be working as part of an experienced IT and leadership team, therefore providing you with the opportunity to further develop your own skills and knowledge.
What you need to do now


If you're interested in this role, click 'apply now' to forward an up-to-date copy of your CV, or call us now.
If this job isn't quite right for you, but you are looking for a new position, please contact us for a confidential discussion about your career.

Hays Specialist Recruitment Limited acts as an employment agency for permanent recruitment and employment business for the supply of temporary workers. By applying for this job you accept the T&C's, Privacy Policy and Disclaimers which can be found at hays.co.uk