ICT Technical Services Manager

Job Title: ICT Technical Services Manager

Contract: Permanent

Working Hours: 37 hours per week

Salary: £55,201 - £62,288

Location: Services Headquarters, Kelvedon Park

Closing Date: 26th February 2025

We are open to discuss working arrangements including flexibility about hours.

The Role

The Information Communications and Technology (ICT) team at Essex County Fire and Rescue deliver services that support operational staff saving and improving lives 24 hours a day.

Our next ICT Technical Services Manager will lead our team of technical analysts delivering and managing the critical ICT solutions and platforms that our Service relies on.

What You Will Be Working On

As an experienced leader of third line ICT service teams, you will enable and develop our range of specialists across key technical disciplines, such as applications, networks, cloud infrastructure, and cyber security. The dynamic environment we manage includes all desktop and infrastructure services, computer-aided dispatch, and integrated communication control systems in our Fire Control room, mobilising equipment on stations and in fire appliances, along with corporate and back office systems that keep our Service running effectively.

Our digital transformation has taken us from on-premises solutions to cloud data centre and SaaS/PaaS. Alongside delivering modern ICT, we facilitate integrations and data transfer across our critical environments via cloud data lakes.

You will own ITIL practices such as change enablement and problem management, as well as being a key participant in many other vital practices including major incident management. Your experience, alongside your capability to absorb knowledge quickly, will enable you to be an effective member of our management escalation schedule for both business and out-of-hours technical support.

What Are We Looking For?

We are looking for a forward-thinking technical leader who will prioritise and oversee the activities of the technical service team in an environment where demand ranges from innovation, implementation, and stability. Your proven leadership capability means you know the importance of developing your people and managing the culture.

As the leader of third line ICT support, you will be expected to use your skillset and the skills of your team to efficiently diagnose and rectify complex issues and problems as well as proactively monitor all aspects of the ICT estate.

Your expertise and experience shows you are equipped to take a proactive role in delivering and documenting new concepts and changes, working collaboratively across project teams, ICT delivery teams, corporate support services, and frontline colleagues.

The ideal applicant will be responsive and able to act quickly to an ever-changing landscape in technology, thriving on innovation, with a desire to drive change whilst embracing creative ideas. You should also be a strong communicator who can collaborate effectively with a wide range of audiences, including Fire Control, Operational Crews, corporate teams, and third-party suppliers.

If you are an internal candidate, you must have discussed your application with your line manager and confirmed with them there are no outstanding issues of conduct or performance. This will be verified prior to shortlisting.

How to Apply

You will be required to submit a supporting statement of no more than 750 words that demonstrates how you meet the essential criteria of the Person Specification. You may submit this either as a word document, pdf, or an mp3 (voice note) or mp4 (video), however the word count must not exceed 750 words no matter which format you choose to present your application.

You may attach separate documents (such as qualifications or a CV) should you wish. Your additional documents will be referred to in shortlisting to confirm eligibility (e.g., your current role and any existing qualifications).

Assessment and Selection:

The assessment and selection approach will be:

Stage 1

Application & shortlisting (assessment of your supporting statement will be made against the essential criteria)

Stage 2

Role specific panel interview

Should you wish to have an informal discussion with regards to the role, please contact Stuart Antcliff on .

Our Culture and Benefits

Here at Essex County Fire and Rescue Service we are committed to prioritising and promoting the wellbeing of our employees.

You can find out more about our benefits at .

Disability Confident

We are an equal opportunities, Disability Confident employer who welcomes applications from everyone and values diversity in our workplace. A commitment to promoting diversity and developing a work environment where all staff are treated with dignity and respect is central to our recruitment process and all applications will be considered solely on merit.

As part of our offer to support all our candidates to perform to the best of their abilities during our recruitment and selection processes, we would like to let you know about a couple of support options you can access, should you wish to, including our employee forums, who are keen and willing to support all of our potential colleagues.

Our employee forums and partners include:

Asian Fire Services Association (AFSA), BEING (our LGBTQ+ employee support network), Christian Fellowship, Ethnic Minority Forum, Men's Forum, and our Women's Forum. In addition, we also have a female firefighters operational group.

Further to the above, the Service has a Digital Accessibility Inclusion Group (DAIG) that supports all colleagues to improve their digital skills and provides additional support and guidance to colleagues with neurodivergent strengths and struggles as a result of dyslexia, ADHD, Autism, dyspraxia etc. We want everyone to thrive at work, and so we encourage and enable people to access digital tools to help them perform at your best. The DAIG is a group of colleagues from across the Service that unite to support others as a result of their lived experience and desire to make a difference. They support people with a range of visible and invisible disabilities to identify and access digital workplace adjustments and solutions and may be able to assist with your application too.

Should you wish to discuss support, or access further information, from one of these groups, please contact .

You are also able to raise any queries or requests for support, including any adjustments you may require, at any stage of the process by email to .

You can find out more about Essex County Fire & Rescue Service via and about our vacancies and application processes via .

Safeguarding

Essex Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Fire and Rescue Authority is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.

It is our policy to require all applicants for employment to disclose if you are currently being investigated by any regulatory body or have any decisions or sanctions pending or in progress in respect of your suitability to work for the Service. You agree to inform the Service within 24 hours if you are subsequently investigated by any agency or organisation in relation to concerns about your behaviour towards children, young people or vulnerable adults.

The information you provide will be treated as strictly confidential and will be considered only in relation to the appointment for which you are applying.

This role will be subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.