Who are we?
South Western Railway (SWR) operates over 1,500 services each weekday across the network and employs more than 5,000 people. We provide easy and convenient mobility, connecting people and communities in South West London, southern counties of England, and the Isle of Wight.
Join our team and help us continue to improve quality of life, by bringing people together to get the most out of life.
SWR is part of FirstGroup, the largest rail operator in the UK and second largest bus operator in the UK outside London. FirstGroup operates services throughout the UK and Ireland, with over 30,000 employees providing services that make travel smoother and life easier. FirstGroup works hard to reduce its impact on the environment, introducing cleaner and more environmentally responsible methods of transport.
About the job
To lead and manage the delivery of information, technology and digital services into the SWR business across both enterprise and customer facing systems. This includes budget planning, co-ordination of Suppliers and 3rd party vendor products and services. Deliver the IT Programme plan and lead a wider IT and Digital services team using a federated model to develop and adhere to architectural standards and management of the wider systems estate. Ensure that SWR is secure and data safe.
SWR is reliant on its people using technology to bring together normal business activity including train operations, retail, commercial, finance, security etc. This role will lead Data, Digital and Technology innovation to both support the current environment and infrastructure and also implement change to improve efficiency, reduce cost and develop better secure technology for the business.
Your main responsibilities will be:
Information Technology Management
* Lead and co-ordinate strategic development of the IT Infrastructure that supports all enterprise and customer facing systems including all change management, security, availability to agreed SLAs. This includes physical hardware, cloud-based services and all network management.
* Delivery of IT systems which successfully support the enterprise functions, including upgrades or new systems deployed, performance and supplier management, licences and SLAs.
* Ensure reliable and cost-effective provision of IT and Digital services including Service desk, break-fix arrangements, security (patching and Anti-virus), protection of all SWR data (backups / restores), Disaster Recovery and resilience with business continuity planning.
* Provide focussed Change Management leadership and support colleagues across all technology to best support organisational priorities.
* Overall policy ownership and adherence and application of parent organisation policies and standards.
Supplier Management
* Overall responsibility for Service management ensuring that all suppliers have agreed SLAs that both parties adhere to and are in-line with business requirements.
* Support colleagues when required to negotiate solutions and services with 3rd party suppliers to obtain best value for money solutions and provide technical authority around IT service and infrastructure contracts.
* Ensure IT and Digital Services have negotiated solutions that provide correct levels of security, data access and ownership and performance KPIs.
Security Management
* Lead through the IT Security Team a protective Cyber-Security strategy, focusing on perimeter protection, internal data protection, compliance to parent organisation patching and security policies and IT leadership for customer data under GDPR.
* Ensure via the IT Security Team that appropriate training is given to all SWR staff to make them aware of SWR security standards and what is expected of staff to adhere to them.
Digital Programme Management
* Ensure that all Projects with an IT component have the correct level of technical input and ownership and that all requirements for any project are fully signed off before commencing.
* Provide or lead IT representation at all project boards where IT are the key supplier or enabler.
* Through the DPD (Digital Programme Delivery Team) ensure all IT projects have a full and up-to-date risks / issues / dependencies matrix and that projects are managed to an appropriate level of governance to ensure projects are delivered to time, cost and quality with appropriate identification of testing and training requirement.
* Through the DPD (Digital Programme Delivery Team) ensure the development and management of the Digital Programme Delivery Plan containing the IT involvement in Major Projects, Projects and large BAU items of work.
Finance and Budget Planning
* “Own” the IT and Digital Services budget and ensure spend is contained within this budget by working closely with the relevant finance budget holder.
* Work with all other functions to identify future change activity and ensure appropriate budgets are presented that include all IT and Digital Services requirements.
* Ensure all capex submissions and change notes are costed correctly.
* Ensure SWR financial processes are followed at all times.
Stakeholder Management
* Influencing and delivering SWR Executive board technology services and changes. Representing IT and Digital Services to the Executive board as and when required around change management and cyber security.
* Chair The Technology Working Group, KIM (Knowledge Information Management) Working Group and DPD (Digital Programme Delivery) Working Group.
* Develop and manage appropriate IT and Digital Services governance.
* Own and publish the IT strategy for SWR.
* Promote the value of Information, Technology and Digital Services to both internal and external stakeholders.
* Attendance at relevant industry forums to both understand and influence industry behaviour and direction.
* Primary interface into Group IT ensuring synergies are obtained across both rail division and the wider group.
Information & Data Management
* Lead the company's efforts around Information Strategy and data storage, ensuring systems and processes meet the company's statutory and regulatory duties around data privacy, working with key internal and external stakeholders to ensure GDPR compliance.
* Lead the development of the company Data Lake and develop standards for updating and sharing common data.
* Lead the development and management information standards, including the implementation of a document management system, and the management of paper records.
Innovation
* Lead IT innovation ensuring solutions presented by and to business partners have a clear business goal / success criteria and resource assigned.
* Coordinate and support the work of Innovation Managers across the business.
* Coordinate and implement design and architectural standards across Data, Digital and Technology.
Resource Management and Development
* Ensure the IT and Digital Services team is resourced to an appropriate level of quantity and quality to deliver all IT and Digital services required, leading recruitment for the directly managed team, on-boarding of new staff when needed and support other directorates with Information and Digital Services activity.
* Develop the IT and Digital Services team to continually enhance their skill and capability in line with changes in technology and information processing.
* Lead and support the IT and Digital Services team in achieving both their company and individual aims and objectives.
* Where appropriate, undertake other reasonable duties not specifically stated, which from time to time may be necessary, without altering the nature or level of responsibility.
You'll need to be:
* A self-motivated, Senior IT Professional with significant IT and Digital experience, including managing an IT function consisting of service desk, architecture, infrastructure, and security.
You'll need to have:
* Experience of Digital and Data that includes managing this type of function and/or building data lakes to support Corporate activity.
* ITIL service management.
* Project Management (e.g. Prince2).
* Programme Management (e.g. MSP).
* Customer focused (both internal IT users and the end customer of TOC solutions).
* Excellent communication skills.
* Digital UX skills.
* Significant Information Management Strategy experience.
It would be beneficial if:
* You are educated to Graduate level, with relevant post graduate qualifications.
* Experience within a Rail environment.
* Experience working within a federated structure.
* Experience in data management.
About the location
South Western Railways HQ is based on the 4th Floor at South Bank Central, a stone's throw from the River Thames and a 10 minute walk from our busiest station, Waterloo. It is local to many well-known attractions, restaurants and retail facilities and is easily accessible by public transport.
Working pattern
On average you will be working 37 hours across 5 days per week. This role will have an on-call commitment.
The Reward
In return we offer a competitive salary and a variety of valuable benefits, including:
* Free duty and leisure travel on SWR services for employees.
* Free leisure travel for spouse/partner and dependants (criteria dependent).
* 75% discount on many other train operating companies.
* Full training and support with development.
* Large range of exclusive retail offers.
* Excellent pension scheme.
We all belong at SWR. FirstGroup's vision is to provide an inclusive environment for all colleagues, across its group of businesses, ensuring all candidates have an equal opportunity to access meaningful employment.
We value our differences such as age, gender, LGBTQIA+, ethnicity, religion, and disability. We maintain a zero tolerance towards any form of prejudice towards our colleagues, customers, and future talent.
We celebrate and encourage diversity of thought, progressive ways of working and seeing all our colleagues grow and thrive.
We review all roles and job descriptions to ensure they are accessible and, where possible, we support and provide flexible working options; we recommend that you refer to each vacancy description for further details.
If you require additional support to complete your application due to a disability or neurodivergent condition, for example, dyslexia, dyspraxia, or autism, please follow the links below. We encourage you to share any additional needs you may require so we can provide a fair and equal process for all who apply.
https://exceptionalindividuals.com/neurodiversity/
https://www.healthassured.org/blog/neurodiversity/
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