Position Details
IT Services
Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK
Full time starting salary is normally in the range £46,485 to £55,295 with potential progression once in post to £62,098
Grade: 8
Full Time, Permanent
Closing date: 12th March 2025
Our offer to you
People are at the heart of what we are and do. The University of Birmingham is proud to have been a part of the City of Birmingham and the wider region for over 100 years, and we are equally proud to be recognised as a leading global university. We want to attract talented people from across the city and beyond, support them to succeed, and celebrate their success.
We are committed to helping the people who work here to develop through our sector-leading Birmingham Professional programme which provides all professional services staff with development opportunities and the encouragement to reach their full potential. With almost 5,000 professional services jobs in a wide range of functions in Edgbaston and in our campus in Dubai, there are plenty of opportunities for you to develop your career at the University.
We believe there is no such thing as a typical member of staff and that diversity is a source of strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation, and debate. We warmly welcome people from all backgrounds and are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where diversity is at the heart of who and what we are, and how we work.
Supporting our people to achieve a healthy work/life balance is important both to our employees and to the success of the University and, depending on the role, we offer a variety of flexible working arrangements. We therefore welcome discussions on all forms of flexible working. In addition, you will receive a generous package of benefits including 40 days paid holiday a year, one paid day a year for volunteering, occupational sick pay, and a pension scheme. We also have three high-quality subsidised day nurseries.
The University is situated in leafy Edgbaston and there are excellent transport links to our beautiful campus, including main bus routes and a train station on site. On campus, we have a state-of-the-art sports centre with pool, shops, places to eat and drink, our own art gallery, museum and botanical gardens.
Background
All new initiatives in IT Services are managed within the Portfolio framework and at any one time there are more than 100 change initiatives in progress, delivering new University services or significant upgrades to live services. These initiatives (programmes, projects, and products) deliver new services to meet objectives in the University Strategic plans and Digital Strategy. This translates to a substantial financial and staff resource investment in the delivery of initiatives and represents a significant opportunity and risk to our university, which needs to be carefully managed.
Portfolio Delivery Assurance is crucial in managing this risk by acting as a central service for IT Services, providing professional expertise, comprehensive advice to colleagues across IT Services, and advising the IT Senior Management Team, Portfolio Investment and Delivery Groups on key issues impacting on the progress of these initiatives. Portfolio Delivery Assurance is responsible for:
* Providing stakeholders with timely assessment of portfolio progress, with early identification and correction of portfolio-level issues that may impact performance
* Providing a central pool of project management resource to deliver Professional Service projects
* Providing project management and process mapping methodology
* Providing training, advice and support to other project managers and Scrum Masters to enable successful projects and product teams
* Coordination of IT Services resources demand and allocation across projects and business as usual
* Coordination and management of IT Services finances and procurement activities
Role Summary
Providing comprehensive professional advice and cascading expertise on the management of change initiatives to senior managers and colleagues across IT Services, Professional Services and Colleges within our University, to enable the successful delivery of activity aligned to our strategic objectives.
Take a leading role in the ongoing development and implementation of the portfolio delivery for IT Services in collaboration with the Head of Portfolio Delivery Assurance, Project Management Lead and Demand Manager providing leadership and championship to the Portfolio Analysts within IT Services.
Leading the continuous development and delivery of portfolio management methods, in line with IT Services strategic needs and best practice in the industry, including the provision of innovative solutions and responsibility for the quality control and quality assurance of the methodology. Also contributing to the development of portfolio management methodologies across the wider Professional Services.
Coordinating and managing the portfolio of initiatives across IT Services and developing a high-level view across all current and up-coming work, dependencies, resources, and impact across initiatives and business as usual. This will include close liaison with the Head of Portfolio Delivery Assurance, Project Management Lead and the Demand Management Teams.
Ensuring that all IT Services initiatives adhere to the appropriate IT Services governance, reporting processes, providing reports and information to the Head of Portfolio Delivery Assurance and Senior Management to support both prioritisation and decision-making. Articulating the value behind new requests, understanding how these will be shaped and scoped.
Representing IT Services in significant and complex initiatives to deliver new services to meet the objectives in the University Strategic Framework and Digital Strategy. This will involve developing and putting forward proposals for approval by the relevant senior management team or Authority Groups and acting as a critical friend providing constructive and candid feedback on initiatives within the portfolio.
Line and functional management of the Portfolio Analysts, including providing guidance, advice, and coordination of their day-to-day activities.
This is a busy, dynamic, and challenging post working as part of a fast-paced, customer-focused department.
The post holder will be required to possess a high level of knowledge and experience of portfolio, project, and agile management to enable them to work at a strategic level within IT Services. You will lead the development and delivery of portfolio management methods for IT Services. You will be able to work without direct supervision and exercise a high level of discretion and self-motivation, working simultaneously on multiple tasks whilst maintaining a clear focus on the key issues that need to be addressed. You will act as a conduit between the Portfolio & Project Office and stakeholders within IT Services and the wider University, and your approach will be collaborative and founded on real enthusiasm with the innovative endeavours of IT Services and the wider University.
Main Duties
Portfolio Management
* Leading the development and delivery of portfolio management methods for IT Services. Working in collaboration with the Head of Portfolio Delivery Assurance to continuously develop the portfolio strategy and framework across IT Services.
* Leading the Portfolio function to ensure that the portfolio of initiatives across IT Services is appropriately coordinated and scheduled in line with priorities and resource availability. This includes specific responsibility for overseeing and proactively managing any changes within the portfolio and will involve working closely with the Head of Portfolio Delivery Assurance and the Demand Manager.
* Collaborate with Business Partners and ITS to understand and shape new requests, ensuring clarity and alignment to ITS strategy and UOB Digital Strategy.
* Developing a comprehensive overview and understanding of current and upcoming activity within the IT Services remit, and those across our university which may impact on IT Services.
* Leading on the pro-active monitoring of the portfolio.
* Participating in required University-wide governance meetings.
* Coordinating and chairing meetings.
* Preparing, writing, and presenting reports for the Head of Portfolio Delivery Assurance, the IT Services Senior Management Team and wider University governance groups, including business cases and highlighting risks and issues, and escalating when required.
Line Management
* Line management responsibility for the Portfolio Analysts, including providing guidance, advice and coordination of their day-to-day activities.
* Working closely with the Delivery Teams to coordinate portfolio management, monitoring, and reporting.
Projects and Programmes
* Taking on the role of critical friend for the range of projects and programmes within the remit of the Project and Portfolio Office. This will involve the knowledge of multiple methodologies including Waterfall and Agile.
* Working with the Project Manager, Project Executives, and customers to assess and interpret customer needs and to understand the objectives and deliverables of projects and programmes within the Portfolio.
* Leading on the forward planning of initiatives to ensure that other areas of Professional Services and our university are involved early enough to plan for resource requirements and clearly understand the resource and timescales required for them.
* Planning and leading on the overarching Portfolio schedule which includes a 1–5-year view to ensure compliance with University Strategic plans. If there are any significant deviations from the overall schedule these should be highlighted to the Head of Portfolio Delivery Assurance for review and approval.
* Provide assistance with ensuring all initiatives are fully costed, and funding approved in line with university procedures. Presenting proposals for approval to the respective senior management team and then, where appropriate, to senior decision-making committees within our university.
Agile and Product Management
* Enabling the team and others to use Waterfall and Agile Methodology best practices.
* Maintain a relationship with product teams to understand the objectives and deliverables of products within the Portfolio.
* Ensuring products are appropriately represented when planning and managing the overarching Portfolio schedule.
* Keeping Product Teams informed of current portfolio issues and risks that may affect products.
* Identify the impact on other initiatives and co-ordinates with other colleagues to resolve issues or conflict.
Best Practice and Continual Development
* Assist in monitoring and evaluating best practice in the Higher Education sector and implementing it where appropriate.
* Advising or coaching staff in portfolio management techniques, software, tools, and methodologies.
* Providing support, guidance and expertise to stakeholders across the Portfolio Delivery Assurance team and the wider University.
* Quality assurance to ensure a consistent level of portfolio management and documentation across all initiatives and that initiatives are integrated and coordinated to meet the objectives in our University and Strategic plans.
* Developing techniques and expertise to aid in good portfolio management, such as estimating techniques, risk analysis, and benefits realisation.
University Engagement
* Attending specialist or management group meetings to report on progress of initiatives.
* Communicating on portfolio issues with key stakeholders and colleagues within Professional Services and Colleges.
* Liaison with senior staff across Professional Services and Colleges.
* Presentations to meetings (e.g., senior management team, staff meetings) on key initiatives and contributions to the Portfolio Delivery Assurance website and publications where appropriate.
* Promoting Portfolio Delivery Assurance team to senior staff in our university community.
Other Duties
* Actively manages equality, diversity and inclusion through monitoring and evaluation and actively challenging unacceptable behaviour.
* Supports the University’s sustainability agenda through resource efficient working.
* Any other duties commensurate with the grade.
Required Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications, Experience
* Educated to degree level (or equivalent qualifications) plus substantial work experience in a relevant technical/scientific and/or management/supervisory role in a specialist area. A higher degree may also be held. Where no equivalent qualification is held a proven track record of extensive and substantial work experience in a series of progressively more demanding and relevant roles will be required.
* Proven technical specialist knowledge and understanding in a relevant technical area (specialists will require advanced technical expertise).
* Ability to exercise a substantial degree of independent professional responsibility and discretion and apply an expert understanding of their specialism to the needs of the University.
* Experience of developing and implementing portfolio and project strategies for significant services including an understanding of working and communicating at a strategic level.
* Significant experience of leading change, with the ability to lead change effectively across a complex service.
* Ability to provide a positive leadership style that inspires others and excellent interpersonal skills and a commitment to promote and adhere to the agreed values of the University and IT Services.
* Considerable portfolio and project management experience, with a successful track record of managing projects within timescale and budget.
* Considerable experience or formal training in Waterfall and Agile Methodology.
* Line management or team management experience.
* Considerable experience of stakeholder engagement, negotiation and management including stakeholder analysis, communication, and collaboration with all levels of stakeholders.
* Ability to build networks to facilitate collaboration, promote knowledge sharing, provide constructive challenge as appropriate, and gain commitment to action or change.
* Excellent communication skills, including writing reports, preparing, and presenting management information for different audiences.
* A high degree of professionalism, tact and diplomacy and the ability to exercise discretion regarding the handling and management of sensitive information / issues.
* Enthusiasm and willingness to meet challenging demands, working to different people and deadlines, and the resilience to manage changing priorities.
* Ability to maintain effective working relationships with staff at all levels within our university.
* Formal training in relevant techniques and methodology, particularly Prince2, MSP, Agile or APMP accreditation, is highly desirable.
* Membership of a professional project management body is highly desirable.
* Understanding and experience of higher education is highly desirable.
* Experience of championing Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in own work area.
* Ability to monitor and evaluate the extent to which equality and diversity legislation, policies, procedures are applied.
* Ability to identify issues with the potential to impact on protected groups and take appropriate action.
Role context
Roles at this level will either be technical specialists operating at a very high specialist level as expert contributors or experienced functional/technical professionals with a broader knowledge across their discipline with managerial responsibility for the delivery or ownership of a service.
Core competencies/transferable skills
Working at this level you will be able to develop and successfully demonstrate the core competencies/transferable skills outlined in each of the areas shown below. You will be expected to take ownership for getting things done, including calling on or joining others to assist. You will be expected to be flexible as required in supporting your department and wider University.
Planning and organising
* Lead and manage a technical/IT/specialist team to deliver a service, balancing short term delivery with longer term planning horizons;
* Determine priorities and allocate resources to meet planned objectives and requirements;
* Monitor performance standards, taking appropriate actions to ensure service delivery is uniformly excellent;
* Ensure health and safety of the area and equipment/hardware;
* Carry out project work including planning and delivering programmes of work to budget and deadline;
* Advise on future requirements of, for example, equipment, apparatus, furniture and fittings, space;
* Make a major contribution to the development of policies and procedures to ensure that all legislative and University requirements are met within the laboratories/workshops and work areas.
or
* Make significant contributions to the design/development/application of services, techniques, specialist equipment or materials;
* Design, plan and deliver programmes of specialist work;
* Operate as a high level specialist – initiating and developing ideas/approaches, promoting and delivering innovative solutions.
Problem solving and decision making
* Use analytical and problem solving skills to resolve specialist and technical issues; may be one of the few able to provide solutions in a specialised field;
* Provide comprehensive advice and make innovative contributions.
Organisational understanding
* Has an excellent understanding of own working area and a broad understanding of the contribution other areas make to the success of the University;
* Has an excellent understanding of how the University operates, together with an understanding of how academia operates in the UK;
* Demonstrates empathy with the academic endeavour and seeks to encourage others to do so.
Relationships and communication
* Communicate clearly on technical or professional issues to non-specialists and senior level audiences and command their respect;
* Represent the department at internal and external meetings/events/network with colleagues in other institutions to share best practice.
Informal enquiries to Dominyk Maggs, email: d.maggs@bham.ac.uk
View our staff values and behaviours here
We believe there is no such thing as a 'typical' member of University of Birmingham staff and that diversity in its many forms is a strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation and debate at the heart of University life. We are committed to proactively addressing the barriers experienced by some groups in our community and are proud to hold Athena SWAN, Race Equality Charter and Disability Confident accreditations. We have an Equality Diversity and Inclusion Centre that focuses on continuously improving the University as a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We are also committed to sustainability, which is a key part of our strategy. You can find out more about our work to create a fairer university for everyone on our website.
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