26006127)
: Antrim-Belfast-Belfast Office
:Down-Dundonald-Dundonald Office, Antrim-Antrim-Antrim Board Centre, Armagh-Armagh-Armagh Office, Tyrone-Omagh-Omagh Office
Contract Type : Permanent
Duration of Contract/Contract End Date : N/A
Status : Full-Time
Hours per Week : 36 hours per week
Working Pattern : Monday - Friday There will be requirement to attend meetings outside normal working hours as and when required including some evening and weekend work.
Grade/Scale : Assistant Senior Education Officer | NJC pts 58 - 61 | £70,626 - £73,955 per annum
Additional Allowance(s) : Not Applicable
Anticipated Interview Date(s) : TBC
Additional Information: Base location to be discussed and agreed with the Director of DTS, however, the post holder will be expected to be regularily based in one of EA’s main current offices, Belfast, Armagh, Omagh, Dundonald or Antrim (subject to change). As the role carries regional responsibility, travel across Northern Ireland (and on occasion further afield) will be required in order to attend meetings and fulfill the full range of duties and responsibilities.
Post: Head of ICT Support
Reports to: Director – Digital Technology Services
Staff - 60
LEADERSHIP
Heads of Service are responsible for working flexibly and collaboratively with the relevant Chief Officer and Directors to provide leadership to the EA’s services and functions. Heads of Service are responsible for overseeing the delivery of high-quality, efficient services; ensuring alignment across directorates; leading service improvement initiatives; and contributing to corporate programmes and projects.
These positions demand demonstrated expertise in leadership and effective collaboration to ensure that our services enable schools to achieve optimal outcomes for children and young people.
In this context, the roles have responsibility for the following:
As a member of the directorate’s senior management team, streamline structures, leverage strengths, and enhance EA as an excellent place to work.- Provide effective services to schools and other stakeholders, while implementing projects and programs that align with EA's priorities, business plan, and both directorate and service-level objectives.
- Work collectively with other Heads of Service to inform, align, agree and progress corporate and directorate priorities.
- Support the Directors to ensure that the optimum structures are in place for the directorate and delivering any changes required to deliver these structures,
- Provide directorate and service-level leadership to empower and develop managers and staff and develop a culture of improvement and operational excellence.
- Assist the Directors in providing reviews of EA’s essential operations and current challenges to help create a more equitable organisational structure.
- Advance EA’s medium-term objectives for sustainability by ensuring that directorate and service delivery models are consistently aligned with its vision and strategic priorities.
- Provide support to Chief Officers and Directors in prioritisation of EA’s activities to determine which are essential and which may need to be discontinued, paused or reconfigured.
- Ensure that the service’s annual budget allocation is effectively managed.
- Ensure proactive performance management of services by implementing performance indicators. Promote a performance management culture through team and individual accountability.
- Work collaboratively with stakeholders including partners across the education sector, governing bodies, school leaders, trade unions, elected representatives, other related agencies, the media and the public.
- Maximise opportunities for improvements while promoting innovation and risk appetite.
- Provide leadership for any projects relating to the service’s delivery model while ensuring that EA adheres to relevant legislation and standards.
- Ensure that service delivery is shaped by service user input.
- Advise Chief Officers and Directors on policy issues and contribute to policy reviews in collaboration with counterparts in the Department of Education.
The above responsibilities apply to all Heads of Service. Whilst initially appointed to a specific post there may be opportunities to move to another position at grade in any directorate where there is a match between individual skill sets and experience, providing personal development opportunities for a wide-ranging and varied career and supporting the organisation in the most effective use of strategic leadership experience at this tier.
Key areas of focus for the post
This role leads a critical function within the Digital Technology Service, acting as a strategic enabler for the organisation. Success goes beyond delivering ICT support metrics and requires a strong focus on the experience of staff and end users who rely on digital services to support teaching, learning, and administration. The postholder must balance operational excellence in a challenging financial environment with the development of team capability, technology modernisation, and organisational readiness for ongoing change.
Key Responsibilities
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Lead ICT support services across all user channels, ensuring excellent customer experience and service performance.
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Manage service desk operations, budgets, suppliers, contracts, and resources to meet service and business objectives.
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Monitor and improve service performance, including resolution rates, response times, customer satisfaction, availability, and value for money.
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Lead workforce planning, performance management, and team development to maintain a skilled and resilient support function.
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Drive a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, customer focus, and knowledge sharing.
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Maintain effective quality assurance, service standards, and knowledge management practices.
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Oversee service management platforms, telephony, self-service technologies, and support tools.
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Lead service transformation through automation, artificial intelligence, and digital innovation, delivering measurable benefits.
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Redesign support processes to improve efficiency, increase automation, and enable effective human-AI collaboration.
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Use service data and insights to support governance, informed decision-making, risk management, and performance improvement.
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Champion proactive problem management and continual service improvement to enhance user experience and service resilience.
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Build strong partnerships with stakeholders, suppliers, educational services, and corporate functions.
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Lead the people, process, and technology change required to successfully implement new services and operating models.
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Ensure compliance with corporate policies, governance requirements, security standards, and regulatory obligations.
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Align ICT support services with strategic priorities, delivering measurable value, user benefits, and operational efficiency.
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Provide strategic leadership for end-user computing services, ensuring secure, cost-effective, and responsive device management.
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Lead identity, access, and licensing services, ensuring secure, compliant, and efficient user administration.
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Provide strategic oversight of web and digital services, ensuring security, accessibility, service continuity, and alignment with business needs.
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Manage strategic service relationships with other Organisations, including The Department of Education, CCMS and CSSC, ensuring effective SLA performance, stakeholder engagement, and continual improvement.
Other
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Any other duties related to the role which may be required from time-to-time by the Chief Executive and the Board.
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In accordance with Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act (1998), be expected to promote Good Relations, Equality of Opportunity and pay due regard for Equality Legislation at all times.
This job description will be subject to review considering changing circumstances and is not intended to be rigid and inflexible but should be regarded as providing guidelines within which the individual works.
PERSON SPECIFICATION
Candidates must demonstrate on their application form that they meet the following essential criteria.
Factor
Essential Criteria
Method of Assessment
Qualifications/Experience
1. Hold a bachelor's degree (UK Qualification and Credit Framework Level 6) or an equivalent or higher qualification in Information Technology, Business Management, Service Management, Digital Services, or a related discipline and have three years' demonstrable experience in a large and complex organisation* of:
a. Leading ICT support or service management functions
b. Managing service performance, budgets, suppliers and contracts
c. Delivering service improvement, transformation, or technology modernisation initiatives
d. Implementing governance, risk management, and service assurance arrangements
- The definition of “large and complex” is defined as cross-cutting across a number of business areas, involving internal and external stakeholders, and having an impact on multiple people/groups.
OR
Have five years' demonstrable experience of the areas set out at criterion above.
2. Demonstrable experience of managing and improving customer-facing ICT or digital support services, including the use of performance data, service management practices, and continuous improvement techniques to enhance user experience and service outcomes.
3. Demonstrable experience of leading significant service transformation, automation, digital innovation or organisational change initiatives that delivered measurable improvements in service quality, customer satisfaction, operational efficiency, value for money, and agreed business outcomes.
4. Demonstrable experience of leading and developing high-performing teams, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
5. Demonstrable experience of building effective relationships and influencing a wide range of stakeholders through strong communication, engagement and a customer-focused approach.
6.Demonstrates an understanding of the opportunities and the challenges of delivering high-quality effective support services to children and young people.
Application Form
Presentation
Interview
Other
The successful candidate will be required:
to have access to a suitable vehicle (appropriately maintained and insured for Education Authority business) that will enable them to carry out the mobility requirements of the post in an efficient and effective manner and thus meet this essential criterion;
OR
be able to provide sufficient information on the application form that will satisfy the employer that he/she has access to an appropriate alternative form of transport that will enable them to carry out the mobility requirements of the post in an efficient and effective manner and thus meet this essential criterion.
Desirable Criteria
Some or all of the desirable criteria may be applied by the Selection Panel in order to determine a manageable pool of candidates. Desirable criteria will be applied in the order listed. You should make it clear on your application form how, and to what extent you meet the desirable criteria, as failure to do so may result in you not being shortlisted.
Factor
Desirable Criteria
Method of Assessment
Experience
Demonstrable experience of applying ITIL, Service management, or equivalent best practice frameworks to improve support services, service performance, and user outcomes.
Demonstrable experience of leading digital service improvements involving automation, self-service, artificial intelligence, or service management platforms within a large and complex* organisation
- The definition of “large and complex” is defined as cross-cutting across a number of business areas, involving internal and external stakeholders, and having an impact on multiple people/groups.
Shortlisting by Application Form
Our Values
Through the selection process we will also seek evidence that the personal values of candidates align with those of the EA. This will include evidence of commitment to equality and excellence in service delivery. These reflect our aim which is to meet the needs of all our children and young people equally, removing barriers to learning and ensuring equality of access to excellent education services so that every child can develop to his or her full potential.
DISCLOSURE OF CRIMINAL BACKGROUND
The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups (Northern Ireland) Order 2007 defines working directly with children or young people or in specified places as ‘regulated activity’.
In the event that you are recommended for appointed to a post that involves ‘regulated activity’, the Education Authority will be required to undertake an Enhanced Disclosure of Criminal Background. Please note that you WILL be expected to meet the cost of an Enhanced Disclosure Certificate. Details of how to make payment will be sent to you at the pre-employment stage.
Further information can be accessed at NI Direct or the Department of Justice.
