Dartington House, Oxford Senior Planning and Operations Manager, IT Services Central Oxford £55,636 - £64,228 per annum Full Time, Permanent About Us Spanning the historic streets of the “city of dreaming spires,” the University of Oxford has been ranked the world’s leading university for nine consecutive years. A place where centuries of tradition meet world-changing innovation, we offer you the chance to shape the future while working in an inspiring environment that promotes excellence. Within IT Services, our Infrastructure Services group delivers and supports the University’s core digital platforms, ensuring resilience, efficiency, and innovation across a complex IT landscape. We work collaboratively with colleagues across the institution, enabling world-class teaching, learning, and research through robust and continually improving IT services. What We Offer Working at the University of Oxford offers several exclusive benefits, such as:
1. 38 days of annual leave (inclusive of public holidays) to support your wellbeing, with the option to purchase up to 10 extra days and additional leave after long service.
2. One of the most generous family leave schemes in UK higher education, offering up to 26 weeks of full-pay maternity and adoption leave, plus 12 weeks of full-pay paternity/partner leave.
3. A commitment to hybrid and flexible working to suit your lifestyle.
4. An excellent contributory pension scheme.
5. Affordable and sustainable commuting options, including a cycle loan scheme, discounted bus travel, and season ticket loans.
6. Access to a vibrant community through our social, cultural, and sports clubs.
About the Role
7. As Senior Planning and Operations Manager, you will play a pivotal role in shaping the strategic direction of the University’s IT infrastructure services. Reporting to the Director of Infrastructure Services, you will contribute to the planning, governance, and operations that underpin the delivery of digital services across the University.
8. You will act as Executive Secretary to the Technology Portfolio Committee, managing its agenda, papers, minutes, and risk register, and ensuring effective communication of decisions. You will also lead on financial planning and reporting within Infrastructure Services, including developing budgeting, forecasting, and costing models to support sustainable service delivery.
9. Working closely with service stream owners, programme managers, and senior stakeholders, you will drive continual service improvement, support supplier engagement, and contribute to IT governance and policy. This role offers a unique opportunity to influence decision-making at a strategic level, ensure the effective use of resources, and help deliver digital services that directly support the University’s world-class teaching and research.
About You You will be an organised, proactive professional with:
10. Experience of committee management and providing senior administrative or planning support.
11. Strong expertise in financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, and costing models.
12. Proven ability in planning, risk management, and issue management.
13. Experience of building and maintaining supplier and stakeholder relationships in a complex environment.
14. Excellent communication, negotiation, and influencing skills, with the ability to engage effectively across diverse teams and senior stakeholders.
Application Process
15. A covering letter/supporting statement
16. Your CV
17. The details of two referees