Senior ICT Transformation Manager

Role Relationships

The post holder will report directly to the Director of ICT/CIO and have general contact with:

Director of ICT/CIO

• Provide executive support for the implementation, long-term embedding and evolution of the ISS Operating Model

• Contribute to the design, management and monitoring of the performance framework for the Digital Strategy delivery

• Aligned to the Digital Strategy delivery, contribute to the design, management and delivery of the performance framework for the Operating Model implementation including measurement against the COBIT 2019 governance framework and maturity model

• Provide sustained governance, operational and compliance support including support for the preparation of annual reports, audit and risk management

ISS Senior Managers

• Coordinate maturity measurement, process improvement and performance reporting

• Support consistent implementation of governance and operational frameworks

• Assist in the development of metrics and reporting ensuring improvement actions are monitored and followed through

• Work closely with the PMO and Innovation and Enterprise Architecture teams as new pillars within the ISS functional structure

Customers

• Engage with ISS customers/stakeholders on delivery and development of IT services and products

• Coordinate the development of customer feedback mechanisms including surveys, focus groups and communication activities

• Ensure projects meet customer requirements; communicate changes to project scope/budget deliverables as per methodology

Users

• Where appropriate engage with users at all levels on matters relating to projects including requirements definition, testing and feedback on outputs

Suppliers / Partners

• Strategic management of partners engaged to deliver projects and services

• Ensure value for money regarding SLAs and engagements with 3rd parties

• Manage procurement of services/goods required to deliver/develop services

Engage with ISS/University working groups, sectoral networks and professional bodies as related to the role.

Main Purpose of Job

As assigned, and under minimal supervision, utilise the highest and most complex levels of technical and functional knowledge, skills and experience to provide:

• Support for the Director of ICT/CIO in delivering and embedding the Operating Model

• Coordinate and execute key implementation activities

• Ensure planned changes are translated into measurable and sustainable outcomes

• Contribute to the long-term evolution of ISS governance, performance, process maturity and operational excellence

• Project management of assigned projects to support the upgrading of existing services and/or provision of new services

• Business analysis of required business changes to new or existing IT services

• Actively work with customers, department heads and other senior staff, colleagues and suppliers to ensure the effective delivery of the digital strategy and embedding of the ISS Operating Model

• Proactively communicate with stakeholders about business change and services, providing expert advice, guidance & support and take responsibility for managing stakeholder expectations

Key initial focus areas:

• Digital Strategy Delivery

• Support for prioritised recruitment and onboarding for ISS Operating Model prioritised posts

• Maturity of core IT processes across the 9 ISS/COBIT domains

• Operational excellence across the IT organisation

Main Duties and Responsibilities

Key Responsibilities

Strategic & Governance Delivery Support

• Support the Director/CIO with Operating Model rollout and ongoing governance development

• Assist in creating and maturing performance frameworks aligned to COBIT 2019

• Coordinate audit, compliance, governance and reporting activities

• Support the CIO/Director of ICT in meeting reporting and compliance obligations, including audit preparation, budget reporting, annual reporting, performance reporting, and other statutory or governance submissions

• Prepare strategic documents, annual reports, dashboards and meeting materials

Programme, Recruitment & Project Implementation

• Track Year 1 Operating Model implementation and coordinate subsequent phases

• Support recruitment for priority roles essential to the new Operating Model

• Assist ISS teams with KPI development, tracking and reporting

• Coordinate cross-functional improvement initiatives and service integration efforts

COBIT-aligned Process Improvement & Maturity Support

• Assist with maturity assessments across the 9 ISS/COBIT process domains

• Coordinate process improvement backlogs and track resulting actions

• Support workshops and training to embed good governance and continuous improvement

Operational Excellence & Service Review Implementation

• Support standardisation of operational performance reporting

• Maintain the ISS service review cycle, ensuring data is collected, actions followed up and improvements embedded

• Support development and refinement of service transition processes

Stakeholder Engagement & Change Support

• Support long-term communication and engagement around the Operating Model

• Assist with gathering stakeholder input and documenting evolving needs

• Promote continuous improvement and organisational learning

General

• Develop or contribute to the development of IT policies

• Ensure adherence to relevant policies by staff, users and suppliers

• Engage in University-wide planning and project activity

• Provide technical expertise in the delivery and on-going support for ICT systems and assist in the resolution of escalated technical issues

• Perform other duties as may be assigned by the Director of ICT/CIO

Requirements for the role:

The successful candidate will demonstrate the eligibility requirements below in terms of qualification, skills and experience:

Essential

• HETAC Level 8 qualification (or equivalent) in IT, business, engineering, organisational change or related area

• Minimum five years’ experience in a complex organisation, including at least three years in IT service delivery, governance support, business analysis, or project implementation

• Experience supporting both early-stage and long-term implementation of IT operating models or governance frameworks (e.g., COBIT, ITIL)

• Experience coordinating multi-stakeholder initiatives in structured environments

• Strong analytical and reporting skills, with ability to develop performance dashboards and insights

• Demonstrated experience supporting recruitment, workforce planning or capability development

• Excellent communication, coordination and organisational skills

Technical/Professional Competencies (Essential)

• Strong understanding of IT service management processes and digital transformation practices

• Awareness of COBIT 2019 or similar frameworks

• Ability to maintain process documentation, SOPs, and governance artefacts

• Ability to analyse and interpret performance and operational data

• Experience supporting service review or continuous improvement processes

Desirable

• Training or certification in ITIL, COBIT, PRINCE2, Agile/Scrum, Lean, or similar

• Experience with structured process maturity assessment

• Knowledge of University of Galway systems and IT environment

• Technical knowledge in cloud services, cybersecurity, enterprise systems or data governance

• Strong communication and influencing skills

• Strong problem-solving skills

• Strong presentation skills

• Excellent organisational, relationship building and written/verbal communication skills

• Ability to understand the University’s business context and relate services to this

Attributes

• Commitment to customer service excellence

• Ability to operate independently and effectively in terms of planning and decision-making

• Analytical skills and technical aptitude

• Self-motivation, initiative, and a flexible approach to change and to variable work demands

• Strong long-term delivery mindset with commitment to sustained follow-through

• Flexible, proactive and comfortable managing evolving priorities

• Practical, solutions-focused, and capable of supporting both short-term pressures and long-term organisational development

The above criteria will be utilised to shortlist and select candidates for interview.

Salary: €85,235 - €108,728 per annum pro rata for part-time/short-term roles (applicable to new entrants effective from January 2011) and in accordance with the terms and conditions of the QA321 University’s Remuneration & Payroll Policy.

This appointment will be made on the Grade AO payscale in line with current Government pay policy.