Apply Now
Details
Reference number
Salary
Civil Service Pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
Job grade
Contract type
Business area
Type of role
Information Technology
Working pattern
Number of jobs available
Contents
Location
About the job
Job summary
As Head of Information Technology (IT) you will lead and drive teams to deliver a wide range of IT services that support both internal and external stakeholders, playing a key role in delivering the VMD mission.
to protect public and animal health, the environment and promote animal welfare by assuring the safety, quality and effectiveness of veterinary medicines and other animal health inputs.
You will be an experienced IT professional with a strong technical background who is motivated and organised. You will have excellent communication skills, enabling you to lead the organisation through an exciting period of organisational and technical change. Developing a strategy and roadmap that modernises the IT landscape, providing stakeholders with a suite of tools and services that allow the VMD to deliver an excellent service to our stakeholders.
Job description
In your role as Head of IT, you will:
Have overall responsibility for all IT services delivered by the organisation.
Lead Operational teams, implementing, managing, delivering, and supporting IT services.
Lead Digital teams, delivering external facing digital services and bespoke internal facing services. Ensuring alignment with the Government Service Standard https://www.gov.uk/service-manual/service-standard
Be responsible for ensuring the legacy IT estate is maintained whilst transitioning to modern IT services.
Manage stakeholder relationships across several domains.
Your responsibilities will include:
Setting the IT Strategy, focussed on providing services that deliver value in the short, medium, and long term, ensuring user needs, and business outcomes are embedded in the services provided.
Providing technical leadership across the estate, ensuring that IT services are resilient, secure, compliant and that suitable tools and technologies are selected.
Supporting and driving team management activities. Identifying team capability and development requirements in relation to the needs of the VMD and the changing technical landscapes; manage team resources to ensure it is skilled and equipped to meet those needs.
Overseeing IT budgets and provide input into funding business cases as necessary, ensuring that required levels of service can be met within budget.
Building productive working relationships with key stakeholders within Defra, across government and external.
Overseeing the management of supplier and delivery partner relationships and proactively build relationships to support these.
Person specification
As Head of IT, it is important that you demonstrate excellent leadership skills as well as technical. We are looking for you to have:
Experience leading teams and setting strategic direction, focusing on delivering excellent service.
Experience working in and promoting agile methods.
Experience implementing transformational change and providing continuous improvement.
Experience of working in a fast paced environment, managing multiple work streams.
Strong communication skills, allowing you to confidently collaborate with stakeholders at all levels.
Strong technical skills across a wide range of technologies.
VMD are currently building services in both AWS and Azure as well as maintaining some legacy technologies and provisioning devices and software to staff, your experience will demonstrate you can discuss these at a technical level and provide guidance and assurance.
Some of the principles and technologies we currently use are:
Government Digital Service guidelines and services
– https://www.gov.uk/guidance/government-design-principles
– https://design-system.service.gov.uk/
Agile methodologies (Scrums, Kanban) – Jira, Confluence
Cloud platforms and technologies Microsoft Azure (Microsoft 365), AWS
Software development principles and Architecture (Enterprise architecture, Solutions architecture, software architecture and data architecture)
Cloud infrastructure and Infrastructure as Code (IaC Terraform, CloudFormation and Azure Resource Manager)
Databases and Storage SQL, MongoDb, PostgreSQL, Redis, Amazon S3, AWS DocumentDb
Identity Microsoft Entra ID (Azure AD)
Software Engineering – .NET, Node.js, Angular
Containerisation technologies Docker, Kubernetes, Amazone EKS
Several tools for logging, monitoring, assuring and securing.
We utilise Microsoft 365 tooling available through E5 licenses to provision devices to users.
Behaviours
We’ll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
Technical skills
We’ll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- At interview you will be asked questions on your technical expertise in relation to the technologies outlined within the person specification
Benefits
£18,262 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme.
Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
- Learning and development tailored to your role
- An environment with flexible working options
- A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
- A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
- Free onsite parking
- Free eyesight test
- Onsite gym
- Access to a prayer room
Office attendance
Successful candidates are expected to work from one of the office locations listed in this advert. Our current office attendance approach requires 60% attendance in Defra group workplaces or off site meetings with partners and customers. This balance provides thriving workplaces to connect with colleagues, as required by their role and business team needs balanced with personal flexibility and choice.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
Application Process
As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete a CV and Personal Statement, and Behaviour Statements. The CV will ask for your job history, qualifications and past skills and experience.
Your personal statement should demonstrate how your knowledge / skills / experience match the requirements set out in the job advert.
When giving examples of Behaviours please use the Situation, Task, Action, Result (STAR) format. Behaviours , Civil Service Careers (civil-service-careers.gov.uk)
Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
Sift
Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the lead behaviour, Changing and Improving.
Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.
Interview
If successful at application stage, you will be invited to interview where you will be assessed on Behaviours, Experience, Technical Skills and Strengths.
A presentation or additional exercise may also be assessed.
Sift and Interview dates
The sift will be conducted week commencing 15th January 2024
Interviews are currently scheduled to take place by MS Teams week commencing 29th January 2024
Please note that this timeline is indicative at this stage and could be subject to change.
Near miss
Candidates who are judged to be a near miss at interview may be considered for other positions in Defra which may be at a lower grade but have a potential skills match.
Salary
New entrants are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band.
Full Time post
This is a full-time post. It may be possible for individuals to fill these roles on an 80% FTE basis, but no less due to the tight time constraints of the work commitments.
Job shares could be possible, although a degree of flexibility would be required so that the job holder(s) could take full responsibility for all aspects of their own work, including attendance at relevant meetings. In order for a job share to be considered there must be two people who are successful at interview who want to work in this way.
Location
Please be aware that this role(s) will be contractually based at the VMD headquarters in Addlestone, Surrey.
The successful candidate is required to carry out all their duties from a UK location and cannot do so from an overseas location at any time.
Reserve List
A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.
Visa Sponsorship Statement
Please take note that Defra does not hold a UK Visa & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker License sponsor and are unable to sponsor any individuals for Skilled Worker Sponsorship
Reasonable Adjustment
If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.
If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:
- Contact Government Recruitment Service via defrarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
- Complete the Assistance required section in the Additional requirements page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if youre deaf, a Language Service Professional.
Accessibility
If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the ‘Contact point for applicants’ section.
Criminal Record Check
If successful and transferring from another Government Department, a criminal record check may be carried out.
In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf. However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.
Internal Fraud Database Check
Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicants details held on the IFD will be refused employment.
A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5-year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.
Higher Security Clearance
Please be aware the levels of national security clearance are changing which may impact on the level needed for this role by the time of appointment. All efforts will be made to keep candidates informed of any changes and what that will mean in terms of vetting criteria. For more information please See our vetting charter.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Nationality requirements
Working for the Civil Service
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission’s recruitment principles (opens in a new window).
Apply and further information
You may want to save a copy for your records.
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
- Name : Mike Griffiths
- Email : m.griffiths@vmd.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : DefraRecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Further information
Government Recruitment Services via email: defrarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: Click here to visit Civil Service Commission.
