Systems and Intelligence Lead

Birmingham City Council; Birmingham; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible & hybrid working

Public sector pension

Generous annual leave

Wellbeing initiatives

Job summary

Birmingham City Council is seeking a Systems and Intelligence Lead to drive strategic leadership across commercial systems and technology. You will own the roadmap for procurement platforms, oversee upgrades, and ensure governance and value delivery across finance, HR and other corporate systems.

The role requires extensive experience with ERP and enterprise platforms, strong stakeholder engagement, and a track record in digital transformation and change management.

Qualifications

• Significant experience managing enterprise systems such as ERP, Finance, HR, CRM or procurement platforms within a complex organisation.
• Experience developing technology roadmaps and leading end-to-end implementation of new systems and digital transformation programmes.
• Strong understanding of systems integration, data management and information governance for secure operations.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills to deliver strategic technology solutions.
• Experience developing persuasive business cases and securing investment for technology initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Act as the product owner for the Council's commercial and procurement systems and define the long-term technology roadmap.
• Lead evaluation, procurement and implementation of new systems and digital solutions to enhance procurement capability.
• Develop business cases for technology investment delivering measurable value and governance.
• Oversee system performance, integration, security and data integrity across procurement, finance, HR and other platforms.
• Lead major system upgrades and digital transformation initiatives with minimal disruption.
• Collaborate with procurement, finance, IT and reporting teams to improve data quality and automate processes.

Skills

ERP / Integration

Systems leadership

Stakeholder management

Data governance

Change management

Communication

Analytical thinking

Job description

As the Systems and Intelligence Lead, you'll provide strategic leadership across commercial systems and technology by:

• Acting as the product owner for the Council's commercial and procurement systems, defining the long-term technology roadmap and driving continuous improvement.
• Leading the evaluation, procurement and implementation of new systems and digital solutions that enhance procurement capability and decision-making.
• Developing business cases for technology investment, ensuring solutions deliver measurable value, improved efficiency and stronger governance.
• Overseeing system performance, integration, security and data integrity across procurement, finance, HR and other corporate platforms.
• Leading major system upgrades and digital transformation initiatives, ensuring successful implementation, user adoption and minimal business disruption.
• Working closely with procurement, finance, IT and reporting teams to improve data quality, automate processes and strengthen commercial intelligence.

You’ll bring:

• Significant experience managing enterprise business systems such as ERP, Finance, HR, CRM or procurement platforms within a complex organisation.
• Experience developing technology roadmaps and leading the end-to-end implementation of new systems and digital transformation programmes.
• Strong understanding of systems integration, data management and information governance, ensuring secure and reliable business operations.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to identify root causes and deliver strategic, long-term technology solutions.
• Experience developing persuasive business cases and securing investment for technology and business improvement initiatives.
• Outstanding communication skills, translating complex technical requirements into practical business solutions and building confidence across technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Experience leading teams through change, driving user adoption and fostering a culture of innovation, continuous improvement and professional development.

Working for Birmingham City Council is more than just a job; it's about making life better for the 1 million plus people who live and work in the city. The Council is a fantastic place to work. You will find an organisation that is both challenging and supportive; with a leadership impatiently adventurous in its pursuit of excellence.

Five key priorities

• A Prosperous Birmingham: through a focus on inclusive economic growth, tackling unemployment, attracting inward investment, and maximising the benefits of the Commonwealth Games.
• An Inclusive Birmingham: through a focus on tackling poverty and inequality, empowering citizens, promoting diversity and civic pride, and supporting and enabling all children and young people to thrive.
• A Safe Birmingham: through a focus on making the city safer, safeguarding vulnerable citizens, increasing affordable housing, and tackling homelessness.
• A Healthy Birmingham: through a focus on tackling health inequalities, encouraging physical activity and healthy living, supporting mental health, and improving outcomes for adults with disabilities and older people.
• A Green Birmingham: through a focus on street cleanliness, improving air quality, continuing the route to net zero, and becoming a city of nature.

We see the Council's role as providing strategic leadership – that’s being able to visualise a new future for the city and equipping others to share our vision. We want to ensure the provision of services for all, so we can support those least able to support themselves by working with partners and putting citizens and neighbourhoods at the heart of our decision-making. We are always looking for people who put the customer at the centre of their approach, with a commitment to excellence to help us achieve our vision. We will support you to develop and thrive in your role, building a pathway for long-term success, with lots of development opportunities, such as apprenticeships.

In return, we offer:

• The opportunity to shape the future technology strategy for a major public sector procurement function.
• A senior leadership role delivering digital transformation across a complex and ambitious organisation.
• Opportunities to further develop your expertise in technology leadership, business transformation and commercial systems.
• Flexible and hybrid working opportunities where service needs allow.
• A competitive Local Government Pension Scheme and generous annual leave entitlement.
• Access to a wide range of employee wellbeing initiatives and staff benefits.
• A rewarding career where your leadership will improve digital capability, strengthen commercial performance and help deliver better outcomes for Birmingham's residents.

We encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that represents the communities we serve. Our data tells us that for this level of role, ethnic minorities are underrepresented and therefore we will use positive action to support us to achieve diverse shortlists. This may mean that recruitment times are a little longer, but we think this is worth it to achieve our aim. Birmingham City Council is an accredited Disability Confident Leader employer, and we are committed to employing, retaining and developing all of our people. We want to ensure your recruitment journey with us is a positive and equitable one, so please let us know if there are any reasonable adjustments, additional support, accessibility needs, or if there is any way in which we can support you through your application.

In return, we offer you excellent terms and conditions, generous annual leave, a great pension scheme, well-being support, annual travel passes and discounts at a number of city centre establishments.