Job Description

This role will have overall responsibility to a team of infrastructure, business systems and service desk professionals. You'll provide direction, but also empower and support your teams to show autonomy and innovation in their own individual roles, trust is an important part of Coastal's culture and it's what ensures everyone feels part of the journey. While there is already a fantastic team in place, there will also be a need to recruit and expand in order to support the ambitions of the organisation.

The successful Head of Technology & Innovation will be responsible for:

• Reviewing , developing and delivering Coastal's IT strategy, suggesting areas for improvement where appropriate, as well as documenting and reporting on progress on a continuous basis
• Ensuring IT strategy is always linked to the overall corporate ambitions and objectives, working closely with senior stakeholders as a leader within the organisation
• Ensuring Coastal's technology capability is fit-for-purpose, scalable and resilient
• Developing infrastructure so new products and services can be easily deployed
• Understanding the external technology landscape, suggesting areas of innovation within IT which Coastal can harness and utilize to increase efficiency and customer experience
• Managing external suppliers effectively, taking a lead on procurement and commercial processes from an IT perspective where appropriate
• Full ownership of the IT budget and spend, striving to realize demonstrable return on investment
• Managing a range of IT projects with full budget control, governance, documentation and reporting frameworks
• Leading on GDPR activities within Coastal, ensuring that statutory and regulatory requirements are met, in compliance with the Data Protection Act 2018
• Act as Data Protection Officer for the group, advising on data protection matters and ensuring adequate data protection and security protocols are in place
• Forging and maintaining strong relationships at all levels across the organisation to ensure buy-in on IT initiatives and welcoming thoughts, feedback and suggestions from the wider organisation on how IT can be improved

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

A track record in senior IT leadership roles within complex organizations, with a passion for technology, an entrepreneurial mind and the desire to introduce, champion and implement new solutions which can benefit the organisation and its users. Commercial mind with experience of managing procurement processes, 3rd party providers and commercial contracts. Demonstrable experience of scoping and delivering a range of IT projects, utilizing a range of delivery resources both internal and external, and reporting on the ROI achieved. Exposure to a range of modern technologies including cloud, digital, office 365, virtualization etc. Understanding of the Data Protection Act 2018 and GDPR requirements, ability to act as the DPO and mitigate any organizational issues around data security. Fantastic communication skills, both written and verbal, along with the ability to create and nurture strong working relationships with a range of stakeholders both inside and outside Coastal. Resilience and flexibility in the face of adversity with an analytical mind and desire to solve problems. Commitment to attending events (sometimes outside of core working hours) as required, with occasional overnight stays, relating to both IT and the wider community/corporate activities which Coastal is part of.