Senior Technical Operations Manager (Estates)

Senior Technical Operations Manager (Estates) £59,228 to £79,517 per annum + excellent benefits

University of the Arts London (UAL) is a world-leading creative University for teaching and research in art, design, fashion, communication and performing arts. UAL is made up of six renowned colleges and hosts several centres and institutes that further the University's mission and social purpose, through the students and ideas we send out into the world and the partnerships we build to achieve social, environmental, and economic progress.

University of the Arts London is recruiting for a Senior Technical Operations Manager (Estates) permanent role to join the University & Corporate Services directorate within the Digital & Technology division. It's an exciting time to join University of the Arts London (UAL) as this is a brand new role where you will be coming in to start-up and lead the Estates Digital Services team in the People, Finance, Estates group.

Working as part of an accomplished and supportive management team, UAL is seeking a Senior Technical Operations Manager with an evolved people and team management practice, deep and wide experience of Estates systems (CAFM, BMS, Energy, Space, Access etc.), strong orientation towards collaborative working (cross-cutting Product squads) and with a strong track record of developing operational discipline.

You will have experience of managing, growing and improving complex platforms and integrations in a Product approach that orients digital services to meeting business outcomes. You will also be able to demonstrate significant experience in recruiting, forming and orienting a new team of system administrators aligned to existing ways of working in an organisation, while implementing your own local standards.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

• Leadership & Management: Lead and manage the Estates Digital Services team, fostering a culture of high performance and accountability. Provide direction and support for operational activities, ensuring the team meets performance objectives.
• Application & Infrastructure Delivery: Oversee the development, implementation, and support of applications and platforms critical to the University's Estates operations. Ensure all systems are aligned with architectural standards and contribute to the immediate service and to the broader Digital & Technology roadmaps.
• Operational Excellence: Drive operational excellence by managing service transitions, automating processes, and ensuring systems are maintained and upgraded as needed. Align with existing Product Management standards and implement DevOps practices to improve efficiency and reliability across Estates-related systems.
• Collaboration & Stakeholder Engagement: Build effective relationships with key stakeholders across Estates, the Digital & Technology division, and external suppliers. Ensure effective communication and collaboration across teams to deliver projects and resolve operational challenges.
• Risk & Compliance: Ensure all Estates-related applications and systems comply with internal standards, GDPR, and other regulatory requirements. Oversee risk management and system security across platforms.
• Innovation & Continuous Improvement: Lead the implementation of innovative solutions that drive service improvements and efficiency. Identify opportunities for enhancing operational processes and technologies across Estates-related platforms.
• Supplier & Vendor Management: Manage vendor relationships, including performance reviews and negotiations, ensuring services are delivered in line with agreed-upon benchmarks.
• Metrics, Reporting, and Skill Development: Defines KPIs to assess service efficiency and effectiveness. Provide regular performance reports and encourage continuous learning and skill development within the team.

Experience, knowledge and qualifications

• Forming, training and managing effective/high-performing technical and operational teams. Being able to manage operational issues in a highly complex environment - major incidents; problem solving; keeping calm in stressful situations and managing these situations to conclusion.
• Developing and maintaining technical standards, specifications and related documentation.
• Managing, maintaining, and improving Estates applications including but not limited to: CAFM, BMS, energy management, space management, access control, desk-booking systems.
• Managing the security, performance, accessibility, and reliability of systems.
• Application configuration, delivery and support, with expertise in defining and managing service levels (OLA and SLA).
• Managing cloud-based infrastructure, application roadmaps, and digital platforms related to Estates operations.
• Working in an ITIL governed environment (ie with CAB and TDA)
• Implementing Product/DevOps practices and managing CI/CD pipelines for service efficiency (desirable)
• Experience in higher education or facilities management (desirable).

Communication skills

• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to lead teams and engage effectively with senior stakeholders. Communicates effectively orally and in writing adapting the message for a diverse audience in an inclusive and accessible way.

Leadership and management

• Motivates and leads a team effectively, setting clear objectives to manage performance.

Teamwork

• Builds effective teams, networks or communities of practice and fosters constructive cross team collaboration by promoting the values of equality, diversity and inclusion.

If you are seeking a new challenge and feel you could be a great fit for this role, please click the link to apply today. Close date to apply is midnight Thursday 13th February. Interviews will take place week commencing Monday 24th February 2025.