Head of Network Systems and Automation

Salary: Circa £70,000 per annum (negotiable based on experience) + comprehensive benefits package

Discover the amazing benefits we provide! Here's what you can look forward to:

• Flexible work pattern, which can adapt to suit your schedules and personal commitments
• 31 days annual leave (plus bank holidays) that includes three closure days over Christmas
• Buy up to an additional 5 days leave during the flexible benefits window
• Generous flexible pension schemes
• A range of wellbeing lifestyle benefits including company paid health care cash plan, mental health first aiders and support
• A company culture of continuous learning with access to thousands of LinkedIn Learning courses, and lots of resources and opportunities to support your development
• Allocated allowance of up to £250 to equip your home office
• Financial well-being support including access to preferential loan and savings plans, mortgage advice, will writing tools and support and resources to help you make the most of your money
• A wide range of discounts and cashback from retailers and big-name high-street stores
• Family friendly policies including enhanced parental, maternity and paternity and co-parental leave as well as opportunity for career breaks
• Support your volunteering with up to 3 days volunteer leave

Jisc has an active sponsor licence to recruit on a Skilled worker visa basis. Candidates wishing to apply who require sponsorship should determine the likelihood of obtaining a Certificate of Sponsorship for the role by assessing their circumstances against the relevant Home Office criteria. Jisc does not offer any financial re-imbursement towards the applicant costs, such as re-location, skilled worker visa and dependant costs or the immigration health charge.

As the Head of Network systems and automation you will be responsible for establishing and leading a new technology capability that designs, develops, operates and continuously improves the systems, platforms and automation services that underpin network operations and service delivery. This includes the network monitoring systems used by the Service Desk, and customer-facing web portal that displays usage of customer's Janet connection(s).

In this pivotal role you will be accountable for defining the function's strategy, operating model, roadmap and target architecture, selecting and implementing a blend of commercial and open-source technologies, and building a high-performing engineering capability that delivers scalable, resilient and cost-effective solutions. There is expected line management of up to 5 engineers, though this may flex up and down to reflect workload, especially in the early days of developing the systems.

Working closely with operational, architecture, engineering and service management teams, you will transform manual and fragmented processes into integrated, automated services that improve operational efficiency, reliability and customer outcomes.

• Build and mature the Network Systems function.
• Define team structure, roles, responsibilities and operating model.
• Establish engineering standards for network systems and automation practice, governance frameworks and development methodologies.
• Design support models, service ownership arrangements and lifecycle management processes.
• Create repeatable delivery and operational frameworks that can scale with future business growth.
• Assist the Technology Strategy Office, which will define the target architecture for network management, orchestration, automation, observability and operational support systems.
• Evaluate, select and implement a strategic mix of commercial and open-source technologies.
• Develop build-versus-buy strategies that balance cost, flexibility, supportability and business risk.
• Ensure platforms integrate effectively across operational, service management and business systems.
• Lead the redesign and automation of operational processes across network provisioning, assurance, monitoring, inventory, configuration management and incident response.
• Identify opportunities to eliminate manual effort and reduce operational risk.
• Introduce engineering practices that improve consistency, quality and service performance.
• Ensure processes are measurable, auditable and aligned to organisational governance requirements.
• Create and maintain a multi-year technology roadmap.
• Operate the function as an internal technology product team.
• Define product vision and outcomes for each core platform.
• Maintain backlog prioritisation and roadmap governance.
• Engage stakeholders to understand business requirements and translate them into delivery priorities.
• Measure success through adoption, operational efficiency, reliability and customer outcomes.

Job Type: Permanent

Hours: 35 hours per week

Working style: Hybrid - A blend of working from home and your nominated hub office. We have hubs located in London, Bristol, Manchester and Oxford.

Travel is expected on a regular basis to our Manchester and London offices for team meetings.

Specific patterns for working in the office are not mandated, and the frequency of time worked in the office is agreed with your manager. Meeting in person is something we value, so you may need to travel on occasion to any of our hub offices.

Jisc grade: TNE4

• Ability to analyse complex operational processes and identify opportunities to improve efficiency, customer experience, scalability and service performance.
• Strong leadership skills with the ability to build, inspire and develop high-performing engineering teams.
• Strategic thinking with the ability to translate business objectives into technology roadmaps and delivery plans.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills, including the ability to influence senior leaders and challenge constructively.
• Strong communication and presentation skills, capable of engaging both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Commercial awareness with the ability to balance cost, risk, customer outcomes and
• operational priorities.
• Strong problem-solving and decision-making capability in complex operational environments.
• Ability to lead organisational change and drive adoption of new technologies, processes and ways of working.
• Results-oriented mindset focused on measurable business and customer outcomes.
• Resilience, accountability and a continuous improvement mentality.

No agencies please.