Director Digital & Platform Engineering

Requisition ID 35089 Office Country United Kingdom Office City London Division Information Technology   Contract Type Fixed Term  Contract Length 4 years  Posting End Date 23/10/2024 

 

 

 

 

Purpose of Job 

 

The Director, Core Platforms & Engineering is a key leadership role. It is accountable for the technology implementation, operation and support within their defined business supporting capabilities including oversight of any outsourced provision and cyber security. The Director, Core Platforms & Engineering is responsible for the effective and efficient functioning of their capability areas, ensuring adherence to the principles of autonomy, self-management, a product-led mindset, iterative delivery, adequate resourcing, and high technical standards and always operating within the practices and procedures of the department. This individual will have outstanding hands-on technology leadership and communication skills, a desire to help others learn and develop a calm and pragmatic manner, excellent vendor management skills, plus a superior, user-oriented approach to processes and operations.

 

The role is also responsible for both implementation and operational processes to ensure quality, efficiency and agility goals are achieved. As a member of the Technology leadership team, this role contributes to the development and execution of the enterprise-wide IT strategy and ensures its alignment with the enterprise's business strategy and objectives.

 

Accountabilities & Responsibilities

 

        Responsibility         

          Description

Technology Function

This role is expected to be highly specialized in following Technology areas at

1. Platform Engineering
2. Site Reliability Engineering
3. Cloud (Azure and AWS preferred)
4. Traditional datacenter and infrastructure
5. Dev Sec Ops implementation
6. Treasury, Risk and Guarantees functional systems
7. Digital Workplace
8. Agile Ways of Working

CLG Relationship

Develop and improve relationships with CLG (Corporate Leadership Group) members, identifying priorities, issues and strategic challenges and preparing them for discussion. Work is focused on a technology function that has scale and global reach, or a Hub. Acts as a trusted advisor and builds and maintains relationships with other IT leaders and CLG level executives to develop a clear understanding of business needs and relevant capability development and leads teams to be able to respond with agility to changing business priorities.

Budgeting & Cost Management

Take overall responsibility for setting and approving budgets that achieve organizational strategy within a technology function or a Hub in accordance with the delegated powers of authority. Develops and controls the annual operating and capital & Operating expenditure budget for the respective Capabilities to ensure it is consistent with overall strategic objectives of IT and the enterprise and is properly resourced within plan while strictly being on budget.

Business Roadmap Planning

Lead the development of annual and longer-term business plans for a Technology function or a Hub ensuring alignment with strategy; quantify business outcomes (i.e. Objective and key results or other key performance indicators) and resource budgets (financial and headcount); and ensure integration of key activities or projects across the organization.

Corporate Representation

Represent the organization in external relations with the Board, and the vendors on behalf of a Technology function or a local Hub.

Technology Strategy and Corporate Alignment

Co-lead in the development of technology strategy, providing functional leadership and challenge to test the viability of the strategy and contributing creative ideas and insights to support the strategy formation process. Leads the development of the IT blueprint reporting to the MD IT and ensures its integration with the overall IT and enterprise strategic plans. Ensures that their Capability areas align with the organization and department’s vision and strategy. Uses communication, measurement, evidence, and feedback to ensure that the IT organization fosters a business-oriented culture and mindset driven by a desire to learn and improve across the Head Office and the ROs.

Transformation

Define and set the digital strategy, working with both internal and external stakeholders to build and communicate the strategic importance of digital transformation and support to drive organizational transformation in the technology functions scope. 

Technology Oversight

Leverages influencing and negotiation skills across IT and the enterprise to enable cost-effective and innovative shared technology solutions in the achievement of business goals aligned with the Target Architecture while minimizing deviations. Maintains currency on new technologies and platforms and provides advice and direction on what emerging technologies should be assimilated, integrated, and introduced within their Capabilities. Provides strategic direction and oversight for the design, development, operation, and support of IT systems that fulfil the needs of the business, including the full life cycle of technical architecture, infrastructure engineering, infrastructure operations and IT service support.

Execution Excellence

Lead execution of transformation map, establishing and managing business processes, programs, and projects, resource allocation, KPIs, and governance activities effectively, efficiently and in line with organizational roadmap. Works with the IT senior leadership team, Chief Architect, CIO Office, Transformation Office, and Product Owners to prioritize resources for different activities.

Leading Change

Take responsibility for developing and delivering change management plans and achieving outcomes that support the organization's overall strategy.

Enterprise Infrastructure

Modernization

Contribute significantly to strategic direction for enterprise architecture, championing an enterprise architecture that is scalable, adaptable, and synchronized with ever-changing business needs and the complexity of digital transformation. Drive alignment and governance across the various domains to align to the target architecture and enable oversight of solution architecture with direct accountability of solution-level designs within the scope of the function.

Infrastructure and Network

Development and

Maintenance

Set the global strategic direction for infrastructure and network resources, ensuring it meets long-term business needs and implementation in line with the Target Architecture under the scope of the Technology Function. 

Stakeholder Relationship

Management

Lead the development of partnering relationships with stakeholders throughout the global organization, building high levels of professional credibility and mutual trust, and ensuring that internal clients have access to high-quality advice and guidance to support in delivering business strategy and plans.

Leadership and Direction

Communicate the organization's mission, vision and values, and its strategy and broad action plan for delivering these within a Technology function; inspire a diverse global workforce to commit to these and to doing extraordinary things to achieve the organization's business goals.

Operational Compliance

Lead the implementation of the organization's policies and procedures within a Technology function to minimize business risk and protect the organization's reputation. Create a business culture that places value on the principles that underlie the creation of voluntary codes of practice, and on adherence to these to mitigate the Technology and Cyber risk.

Workforce Strategy and Execution

Define the macro structure of the technology function including the responsibilities of the most senior roles within the function and the principles that guide the detailed design of the organization, to enable the achievement of the organization's mission and business objectives. Directs the development of sourcing strategy and provides executive oversight for relevant strategic vendor and partner relationship management in addition to the internal roles. 

Performance Management

Lead the development of policies, procedures, and related guidelines for a Technology function, ensuring coherence across national boundaries and integration with the broader international corporate policy framework.

Cyber Security

Understands the principles of cyber security. Has a comprehensive level of experience in the application of cyber security policies (technical standards and procedures) to the organization. Knows when to seek advice from the organization’s cyber security experts. Maintains a focus on the security, integrity and quality of their Capabilities and ensures that delivery and implementation are balanced with the risks we face and the risk appetite of the Bank.  This will involve the application and maintenance of suitable controls and the support of relevant audit activities.

IT Implementation and

integration

Leads the implementation, configuration and optimization of IT systems and services, while ensuring smooth integration with IT/cloud infrastructure.

Coaching and Talent

Development

Motivating all employees to learn, grow and develop so that they can obtain the knowledge and experience they need to help the organization reach its goals. Provides leadership, coaching and direction to the Capability teams and IT staff, maintaining high levels of engagement and morale amongst their teams reflected through engagement scores in line with targets. Forecasts future skill needs to acquire and develop a workforce/vendor mix with the appropriate level of business knowledge, technical skills and competencies that balance between growing the agility required to achieve digital business objectives and ensuring the core IT functions are reliable, stable and efficient.

Culture Development

Making sure the organization develops and maintains the culture, values and design it needs to reach its objectives while managing structural change.

Policy Development and Implementation

Uses expertise to act as an organisational authority in developing and implementing policies. 

 

Knowledge, Skills, Experience & Qualifications

 

Education

•          Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering or equivalent 

 

Experience

• Extensive experience in IT leadership in a relevant organization.
• Experience working at a senior level with multiple stakeholders across the organization both at governance and Knowledge of IT governance and operations.
• Demonstrable knowledge and experience leading the development of major cloud-based platforms, legacy systems, agile implementation, microservices approach and CI / CD practices.
• Comprehensive knowledge of hardware, software, application, infrastructure, and systems engineering
• Proven leadership responsibilities including leading blended staff, contractor and vendor teams.
• Demonstrated experience in large, cross-functional teams influencing senior-level management and key stakeholders effectively across the organization and within complex contexts.
• Demonstrated experience in strategic planning, organization design and development.
• Proven experience in leading IT transformation, insourcing and outsourcing initiatives in complex and dynamic environments.
• Excellent communication, leadership, and stakeholder management skills. - Ability to think strategically, solve complex problems, and drive organizational change.
• Banking domain experience preferred.

 

Knowledge/Skills

• Exceptional leadership and coaching skills with the ability to develop cross-functional teams and communicate a vision that inspires and motivates staff and aligns them to the IT and business strategy.
• Ability to instill confidence in the business and demonstrate the business value of technology.
• Internal and external stakeholder management skills
• Strong vendor management and partner relation skills to identify and leverage resources internal and external to the enterprise to enhance capabilities that support business objectives
• Negotiation skills: Capable of negotiating with high expertise to help the organization by obtaining consensus between two or more internal or external parties who may have different interests in an environment where resources may or may not be in direct control of this role.
• Technical & Professional Expertise - ability to make effective and appropriate use of technical skills and knowledge with an ability to translate and develop ideas between business users and IT technicians and developers.
• Shows all-around competence in the domain-specific areas of architecture and is seen as a thought leader in the industry, not just the organization, maintaining close links with external organizations and industry leaders.
• Technical & Professional Expertise: ability to make effective and appropriate use of technical skills and knowledge with an ability to translate and develop ideas between business users and IT technicians and developers.
• Action Planning: Applies expertise to act as the organizational authority in developing appropriate plans or performing necessary actions based on recommendations and requirements.
• Commercial Acumen: Acts as the organization's authority within the scope of the technology function and established expert to develop solutions based on an understanding of the business environment and objectives with expertise in the function's scope. Acts as the organizational authority and established expert on analyzing data trends while decision-making on this.
• Data Preparation and Exploration: Combines data from obvious and non-obvious sources to solve complex problems. Builds frameworks to check data quality that can be reused by others.
• Can identify more than one solution to many problems. Often brings a new perspective to a problem or identifies items others have overlooked.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to explain complex technical concepts and plans in simple and easily understood ways and to promote the mission and values of the IT organization in an engaging and collaborative way.
• Excellent leadership skills to contribute and support an ambitious change program in a challenging environment.
• Understands the business objectives and supporting systems and processes across the key business areas. Uses business language in discussions with business.
• Excellent analytical, strategic conceptual thinking, strategic planning, and execution skills.
• Expertise in budget planning and financial management preferably with show-back and/or chargeback models.
• Deep understanding of current and emerging technologies and how other enterprises are employing them.
• Success in evolving traditional practices into contemporary approaches such as DevSecOps so that operations can be delivered with security, quality, agility and flexibility using Agile ways of working.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and execute a strategic resourcing plan that ensures that the right staff, contractors, and partner resources are deployed in the capability and that employees are developed highly engaged and satisfied.
• Ability to drive organizational change and build Capabilities that effectively balance the need to optimize operational delivery with the need to deliver challenging tech change projects in innovative and agile ways.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to explain technical concepts and technologies to business leaders, and business concepts to the tech workforce in simple and effective way.
• Capable of leading highly political meetings and is frequently asked to chair or facilitate senior meetings due to the independence and impartiality they bring to the debate.  Is respected as a key contributor, both within and outside the team, acting as a trusted independent thinker, leading to collaborative acceptance of the way forward.

 

 

 

What is it like to work at the EBRD?

 

Our agile and innovative approach is what makes life at the EBRD a unique experience! You will be part of a pioneering and diverse international organisation, and use your talents to make a real difference to people's lives and help shape the future of the regions we invest in. 

 

The EBRD environment provides you with:

• Varied, stimulating and engaging work that gives you an opportunity to interact with a wide range of experts in the financial, political, public and private sectors across the regions we invest in;
• A working culture that embraces inclusion and celebrates diversity;
• An environment that places sustainability, equality and digital  transformation at the heart of what we do.

 

Diversity is one of the Bank’s core values which are at the heart of everything it does.  A diverse workforce with the right knowledge and skills enables connection with our clients, brings pioneering ideas, energy and innovation. The EBRD staff is characterised by its rich diversity of nationalities, cultures and opinions and we aim to sustain and build on this strength. As such, the EBRD seeks to ensure that everyone is treated with respect and given equal opportunities and works in an inclusive environment. The EBRD encourages all qualified candidates who are nationals of the EBRD member countries to apply regardless of their racial, ethnic, religious and cultural background, gender, sexual orientation or disabilities.  As an inclusive employer, we promote flexible working and expecting our employee to attend the office 50% of their working time.

 

Please note, that due to the high volume of applications received, we regret to inform you that we are unable to provide detailed feedback to candidates who have not been shortlisted (for further consideration).