A little about PTSG: PTSG is one of Europe’s leading providers of specialist services to the construction and FM sectors. It was formed in 2007 with a handful of people and a vision to deliver the full range of specialist building services from ‘under one roof’. After almost 17 years of successive growth, that vision has been achieved.
The Group’s five business divisions operate independently or combine to deliver a complete solution including: façade access and fall arrest equipment, lightning protection and electrical compliance, high-level services, fire solutions and water treatment.
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Job Purpose: The Head of Data & Analytics ensures PTSG has the platform on which to deliver on its ambition to be a data led business, providing cost effective, efficient and scalable capability anticipating and delivering for future need in the context of the overall IT strategy.
From a delivery perspective, the role will initially focus on transforming our existing data warehouse into a data and analytics platform based on GCP, identifying need and opportunity for better use and structure of data / dashboards and delivering that through the platform. The role will also be responsible for integrating to system and client API’s and preparing the ground for future AI / ML need in the business. There will also be an element of data evangelism needed in the role holder to ensure data is more valued by PTSG.
The key differentiator we are looking for is someone who understands data and can lead the team from a business perspective – being visible with business leaders, evangelising the benefits of data and bringing demand for data services into the data team.
Reporting directly to the CIO, the role will deliver all aspects of change in scope of data and analytics from demand planning through to handover into operational IT, retaining a responsibility to support IT operations in occasional exceptional / complex problems (3rd / 4th line). The role holder will align with agreed governance processes in terms of technology decision making (TDA), project change governance standards and service transition including CAB to ensure changes are aligned to the strategic roadmap and handed over efficiently for operational support.
The key success targets for the role relate to maintaining and delivering a rolling technology roadmap for data, analytics and increasingly AI / ML that supports business need and budget targets, reduces manual processing by delivering a pipeline of API integrations and preparing the ground then delivering on AI / ML opportunity. The role holder will be responsible for maintaining and enhancing core dashboards presented to CEO, Directors and other decision makers. The role holder will need to build good business and IT stakeholders relationships, identifying opportunities then delivering value from existing and future technology investment.
Key Accountabilities (major end results the job is expected to achieve):
* Strategy & Planning
o Develop, evangelise and maintain a data platform roadmap demonstrating clear links to business strategic goals and the IT strategic roadmap
o Support business planning in both adhoc sessions and also regular planning cycles eg budget planning
o Develop and enhance the main corporate dashboard(s) used in management meetings and key governance meetings up to and including Board level
o Collaborate with the appropriate departments to develop and maintain a technology plan that supports business needs
o Develop and communicate business/technology alignment plans to key stakeholders, employees and external partners
* System Acquisition
o Develop business case justifications and cost/benefit analyses for data platform related spending and initiatives to support business sponsors
o Manage delivery of data platform change using the most appropriate delivery model for the size / risk of change that aligns to corporate standards
o Ensure achievement of agreed budget, schedule and scope or manage using an appropriate anticipatory delivery management model to minimise unexpected surprises
* Future Scanning
o Stay up to date with data platform, API, AI and ML market changes, opportunities for PTSG
o Introduce innovations where appropriate
* Financial Management
o Good financial acumen – technology proposals and delivery will have to be cost optimised
o Contribute to IT budget planning including to strategic / budget / M&A planning activity
o Ensure assigned budgets are managed and adhered to contributing to cost optimisation and forward planning as appropriate and supporting the IT Business Manager on managing down addressable spend in technology areas
* IT Controls
o Help ensure overall IT controls are appropriate to support achieving technology and financial goals
o Own IT processes and controls relating to: Data & AI Strategy, Data Governance, Data Analytics, Data Management, as well as Project Management, Change Management, Requirements Gathering, Systems Selection, Delivery and Implementation in the scope of Data, Analytics and increasingly AI / ML
o Operate within the overall IT control framework ensuring we act as one team
o Ensuring any audit activity and actions are delivered to schedule
* People
o Recruit and manage appropriately skilled team available to achieve targets and roadmap whether internally or through partners
* Senior Leader
o Team player, focussed on the success of the wider business and not just IT
o Senior member of both IT and the wider leadership team of PTSG understanding, and living by the values and behaviours expected in such a role
o Able to develop and implement strategies and roadmaps to envision and achieve long term improvements
o Able to present effectively to an Exec level audience and manage very senior stakeholder relationships
Job Context / Key Challenges:
PTSG is a fast growing Private Equity backed organisation. It is highly acquisitive and the demand for IT service and support is high.
Although structured in 5 Divisions there are over 25 operating businesses making the business landscape complex and challenging.
IT is a critical part of the current and future success of PTSG and this is a key role in the success of IT. Reporting to the CIO and with visibility at all levels of the organisation including CEO and Exec team, this role will be at the centre of activity to deliver our technology transformation journey.
At present, IT is several distinct environments supported by multiple teams that has developed as the company has acquired but often not technically integrated companies over recent years. This will be brought together as one organisation / budget at start 2025 and then a process of integrating IT infrastructure and systems will take place building a standard platform for future growth. Not everything will be integrated depending on the ROI. A key part of this role will be to help plan and oversee the delivery of, and migration to, a modern operational platform to help underpin future business growth. This platform will need to (over time) move from disparate, largely unconnected systems to a joined up platform sharing processes and data models integrated to minimise manual handoffs and spreadsheet type activity. Some decisions have been made eg Google Cloud Platform for hosting, data / analytics and API’s; Microsoft for office productivity and CRM; Sage in short term for Finance, with plans to gradually coalesce on a handful of operational / engineering systems including Dynamics integrated into the standard back office platform. The role holder will own the future roadmap to deliver data platform related change within the context of the agreed IT strategy.
Role Dimensions:
* Ability to work independently and as part of a team depending on need
* Excellent communicator
* Comfortable in a key role that will support over 2,700 employees across the Group (now a £300m turnover business) today and with high levels of growth expected
* Responsible for own workload, however this role will work closely with the CIO and fellow members of the IT Leadership Team to ensure the smooth running of the department within the company
* The role holder must be prepared to own delivery of complex problems as well as keep numerous smaller items progressing
* The role holder will need to bring stakeholders and the IT team “on the journey” but with a clear focus on results and outcomes
* The role is hybrid so much of the work can be performed remotely with expectation of occasional visits to UK sites (2-3 days per week in general) but essentially the role will be measured on delivery rather than office presence
Person Profile (Qualifications, Knowledge, Skill and Experience):
* Substantial experience of working across a medium sized (c3,000 employee) organisation
* Experience in technology planning and transformational delivery
* Experience in all key areas of data platforms, analytics, integration and API’s and bringing those threads together into a joined up and efficient Data, ML and AI strategy that supports business goals
* Able to play a leadership role in achieving our corporate target of becoming data led across our business
* Successful experience of and desire to maximise value from Google data, analytics and API platform
* Real world experience of data platform transformation with evidencable business benefits
* Experience of IT leadership within an office based and hybrid environment essential
* Budget management experience over several years
* Ability to react to a changing landscape and adapt to get the job done
* Good level of IT skills with modern tools eg Office 365
* Excellent communicator able to engage and influence
* Takes an active interest in how data and analytics can benefit PTSG
* Experience working within private equity welcome
* The role will require regular contact with the Exec team and so high levels of trust and confidentiality are essential
* Successful candidates expected to have high levels of emotional intelligence