Overview of role Location: Liverpool The Head of Application Support will lead the Application Support and Technical Services teams within the GSC Information Systems (IS) function of a large FMCG business. This role is responsible for ensuring the smooth operation and maintenance of various business-critical applications across multiple business units. You will have a strong background in application support, excellent leadership skills, and the ability to manage complex systems in a dynamic environment. This position not only involves direct management of these critical areas but also extends to supporting the Grocery Group IS Director with the operational leadership of the wider IS function. The role requires a blend of strong leadership skills and technical expertise. The Head of Application Support is responsible for leading the Application Support and Technical Services teams towards excellence, while also managing key stakeholder relationships within Grocery Group and ABF’s Business Technology Services (BTS). Additionally, this role involves representing Information Services at various Grocery Group and ABF forums. This role operates as a key member of the IS Leadership team reporting to the Grocery Group IS Director. Primary responsibility is around Application support and Technical Services team with a broader remit for supporting the Grocery Group IS Director in the effective running of the IS team. The GSC IS team is currently the IS support for five different Grocery Group businesses, each with their own IT landscape and requirements.Key Accountabilities Leadership:Lead and manage the Application Support team, providing direction, mentorship, and performance management. Develop and implement strategies to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of application support services. Foster a culture of continuous improvement and customer-centric service delivery. Application Support:Oversee the support and maintenance of all business-critical applications, ensuring high availability and reliability. Coordinate with business units to understand their application needs and ensure timely resolution of issues. Manage the application lifecycle, including upgrades, patches, and decommissioning of obsolete systems. Stakeholder Management:Act as the primary point of contact for application support-related matters with internal stakeholders. Build and maintain strong relationships with business unit leaders to ensure alignment of application support services with business objectives. Communicate effectively with stakeholders to provide updates on application performance, issues, and resolutions. Incident and Problem Management:Develop and implement incident and problem management processes to minimize downtime and improve application performance. Lead the investigation and resolution of complex application issues, coordinating with other IS teams as necessary. Conduct root cause analysis and implement preventive measures to avoid recurrence of issues. Vendor Management:Manage relationships with third-party vendors and service providers, ensuring they meet agreed service levels. Negotiate contracts and service agreements to optimize costs and service quality. Monitor vendor performance and address any issues or concerns promptly. Compliance and Security:Ensure all application support activities comply with relevant regulations, standards, and policies. Implement and maintain security measures to protect applications and data from threats and vulnerabilities. Conduct regular audits and assessments to ensure compliance and identify areas for improvement.The Right Person • At least 5 years’ experience at a senior level in IS, leading a large Application Support team, preferably within FMCG industry. • Strong leadership and team management skills. • Strong experience of building, maintaining and developing stakeholder relationships directly and through the team. • ITIL and Service process understanding and ability to apply it in real situations with a logical and systematic approach to problem resolution across a broad spectrum of technologies. • Excellent communication skills. • Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, or a related field. A Master’s degree is preferred. • Excellent problem-solving and analytical abilities. • Experience with incident and problem management processes. Allied Bakeries are owned by Associated British Foods. ABF is a diversified international food, ingredients and retail group with sales of £13.9bn and 128,000 employees in 53 countries. It has significant businesses in Europe, Africa, the Americas, Asia and Australia Our sister companies in ABF UK Grocery produce products under many market-leading household brands, including Jordans, Ryvita, Pataks, Blue Dragon & Silver Spoon. We are proud of our brands: we make top 10 UK grocery brand Kingsmill as well as Allinson’s, Bürgen and Sunblest. You’ll know us best through our white, wholemeal and seeded market-leading loaves, as well as Kingsmill 50/50, the nation’s favourite Healthier White, and our delicious pancakes, crumpets, hot cross buns and other bakery products. The success of our business depends on us having the right people on the team. We are incredibly passionate about our business, but it isn’t for the faint-hearted – it’s pacey and demanding so our people need to have a positive attitude and to want to work inclusively. We take massive pride in what we do, not least in how colleagues based in our bakeries and depots have one of the best safety performance records in the industry. Our Grocery Service Centre, based near Liverpool, is a hub for transactional activity across multiple ABF companies within the ABF Grocery division. Supporting some of our well-known brands such as Kingsmill, Pataks, Blue Dragon, Jordans, Ryvita and Silver Spoon, amongst others. We deliver Shared Service activities across a wide range of disciplines including Customer Services, Consumer Care, Finance, Payroll, HR and IS. If you’re looking to join a business that is passionate, encourages you to be the best you can be, and values its people, we’d love to hear from you.