Corporate Services IT Director - Doxford, SR3 3XP
Arriva is a leading European passenger transport partner, operating in 11 countries across the UK and Europe. The company employs around 35,000 people, delivering more than 1.5 billion passenger journeys connecting people and communities safely, reliably and sustainably.
We have strong roots dating back to 1938, an ambitious growth and sustainability agenda, and a continuously developing relationship with I Squared Capital – a global infrastructure investment fund manager - who acquired Arriva in 2024.
As Corp orate IT Se rv ic e s Dire c to r at Arriv a, y ou w ill re p ort d i re ctly to th e Chi e f In f ormat ion Off ic e r an d b e an in tegral p ar t of th e n ew ly e s tab lish e d G r ou p IT Lead e rsh ip Te a m. In th is p iv ota l p os itio n, y ou w ill p rov i d e grou p -w id e s tra teg ic le ad e rsh ip an d v is ion f or th e Se rv ice Man agem e n t, Plat f orms & Op e rations, an d Pro du ct teams, e nsu rin g th e d e liv e ry of re liab le, s e cu r e, an d eff i cie n t I T s e rv ice s th at s upp ort Arriv a’ s bus in es s ob jec tiv e s. Y ou wil l b e re sp ons ib le f or t h e e n tire Produ ct cap ab ility w ith in Arriv a grou p IT, e nsu rin g th e d e liv e ry of inn ov at iv e, re liab le, s e cu re, an d eff ici e n t IT s e rv ice s th at su p p ort Arriv a’ s b u s in es s ob jec tiv e s. T h e Dire cto r w ill b e e xp e cted to s e rv e as a ro le m od e l f or accoun tab ility an d
ow n e rsh ip, cu ltiv at in g th e s e be h av iou rs with in th e I T o rgan is at ion an d a cros s a ll te ams .
Direct responsibilities:
• Finan cial an d Re s ou rce Man a ge m e n t: Ac coun tab le f or ~ £2 0m I T sp e nd, w h ich is e xp e cted to grow s igni f ican tl y as m ore s tra tegi c grou p IT s e rv ice s are d e v e lop e d come und e r grou p le ad e rsh ip, an d a ge ograph ically d isp e rs e d team of 85 FT E. T ak e f u ll r e sp ons ib ilit y f or th e p e rf orman c e, bud ge tin g, an d re s ou rce allo cat ion o f th e teams, w ith a con tin u al f ocu s on cos t op timis at ion an d eff icie n cy im p rov e m e n t. T h is ro le re q u ire s s tra tegi c ov e rs ight of f i n an cial an d re s ou rce m an agem e n t acros s m u ltip le d e p artme n ts, e nsu rin g alignm e n t w ith Arriv a’ s lon g - term bus in e s s go als .
• Com p re h e ns iv e Produ ct Man agem e n t: Build an d e s tab lis h a n ew, h igh - pe rf or m in g p rodu ct team, cre at in g a cap ab ili ty th at m ax im is e s bus ines s v alu e f ro m Arriv a’ s inv e s tme n t in IT an d d e liv e r s th e re qu ire d b u s in e s s o u tc ome s. Cha m p ion th e e n tire p rodu ct lif e cy cle, f ro m id e at ion to re tir e m e n t, ensu rin g th at p ro d u ct s supp ort bus in es s growth an d cus to me r s at is f act ion. De s ign an d im p le m e n t p rodu ct d e liv e ry p ro ce ss e s, e nsu rin g th at p rodu cts are d e liv e re d ef f icie n tly, d e liv e r th e re qu ire d bus in e s s o u tco me s, m ax im is e bu s in e s s v al u e, an d are ef f e ctiv e ly ad op ted an d co mm un icated w ith in th e org an is at ion, d riv in g u s e r e n gage me n t an d s at is f act ion. T h is ro le in clud e s f u ll r e sp ons ib ility f or th e e n tire Produ ct cap ab ility w ith in Arr iv a, d riv in g inn ov at ion a n d e xce ll e n ce in p rodu c t d e v e lop me n t an d man age m en t.
• Adv an ce d Se rv ice Man age m e n t: Lead an d insp ire th e Se rv ice Man age me n t, Plat f orms & Op e rations, an d Produ ct teams, d riv in g h igh - qu alit y IT p rodu cts, p lat f orm s, s e rv ice s, an d s olu t ion s align e d w ith th e organ is at ion ’s n ee ds. E n su re all IT s e rv ic e s an d p ro jec ts align w ith Arriv a’ s s tra tegi c d ire ction, indus try s tand ard s, an d re gu lat ory re qu ireme n ts. Imple me n t, m on ito r, an d con tin u ous l y im p rov e robus t s e rv ice d e liv e ry m od e ls an d b e s t p ractice s, e nsu rin g cons i s tency an d h igh s tand ard s. T h is ro le r e qu ire s adv an ce d e xp e rtis e in s e rv ice m an age me n t, w ith a focu s o n s tra tegi c a lign me n t an d con tinu ou s improv e me n t.
• E xe cu tiv e Lead e rsh ip an d Collab oration : Wo rk collab orativ e ly w ith in th e G rou p IT Lead e rsh ip Te am to sh ap e an d im p le m e n t IT s tra tegy in d ire ct p artn e rsh ip w ith th e CIO. Mod e l an d d riv e a c u ltu re of inn ov at ion, collab or at ion, an d con tin u ou s im p rov e m e n t, p ro m otin g ac c oun tab ility an d ow n e rsh ip at e v e ry l e v e l. Prov id e e xp e rt adv ice an d ins ight t o s e n ior s ta keh old e rs on IT s tra tegy, techn olog y inv e s tme n ts, an d in d us try tr e nds. T h is ro le re qu ire s e xe c u tiv e - le v e l le ad e rsh ip an d collab oration, w ith a f ocu s on s tra te gic d e cis ion -m a kin g an d s ta keh old e r e n gage me n t.
• Stra tegi c Co m m e rcial Per f o rman ce : Driv e s tron g com me rcia l p e rf orman c e, s ee kin g on goin g opp ortu n ities to re du ce th e cos t of IT s e rv ice s w h ile d e liv e rin g e nh an ce d v alu e an d qu ality. De liv e r e ff e ctiv e I T s e rv ic e s th rou gh a b ro ad e cosys tem of p artn e rs, m an a gin g re lat ionsh ip s to e nsu re s e rv ice e xce l le n c e an d re s ilie n ce. De v e lop an d tra ck KPIs an d p e rf orman c e me tri cs to me as u re s e rv ic e ou tco me s an d team e f fe cti v e n e ss. Cult iv at e s tron g re lat ionsh ip s w ith b ot h in tern al bus in e s s p artn e rs an d e xte rn al v e nd ors to sup p ort collab orativ e, bus in e s s -f ocus e d IT d e liv e ry. T h is ro le re qu ire s s tra tegi c ov e rs ight of com me rc ial p e rf orman c e, with a focu s o n v alu e creat ion an d p artn e rsh i p man agem e n t.
Knowledge, skills and experience:
• E xte ns iv e e xp e rie n c e in a se n ior IT le ad e rsh ip ro le w ith i n Arriv a’ s s e cto r or a re lat e d indus try, w ith a p rov e n u nd e rs tand in g of indus tr y - sp e cif ic ch allen ge s an d opp ortun ities. T h is role re qu ire s a s tra tegi c l e ad e r w ith a b ro ad s cop e o f in f lu e n ce an d a cco un tab ility .
• Adv an ce d e xp e rtis e in I T in f ras tru ctu re, s e rv ice m an ag e m e n t, an d p rodu ct life cy cl e m an agem e n t, w ith a tra ck re cord of e s tab lish i n g an d le ad in g h igh - p e rf or m in g teams. T h is ro le in clud e s full resp ons ib ility for th e grou p P rodu ct cap ab ility with in Arr iv a.
• De m ons tra ted com me rc ial acu me n, w ith e xp e ri e n ce op timi s in g cos ts an d d e liv e rin g in cre as e d v alu e th rou gh IT se rv ice s an d supp lie r p artn e rsh i ps. T h is ro le re qu ire s s tra tegi c ov e rs ight o f co m m e rcial p e r f o rman ce an d p artn e rsh ip man agem e n t.
• Stron g p artn e r m an age m e n t s kills, w ith a h is to r y of d e liv e rin g ef f e ctiv e s e rv ic e s th rou gh d iv e rs e in tern al an d e xte rn al p artn e rs. T h is ro le re qu ire s s tra tegi c ov e rs ight of p artn e r m an agem e n t an d co llab oration .
• Stra tegi c T h in kin g: T h e ab ili t y to s e e th e b ig p ictu re, p lan f or lon g - term i m p act, an d alig n e v e ry p rodu ct d e cis ion to b us in e s s goa ls. T h is ro le re qu ire s s tra tegi c ov e rs ight of p rodu ct m an agem e n t an d d e v e lop m en t.
• Lead e rsh ip an d Peop le Ma n ageme n t: T h e cap ab ili ty to insp ire an d gu id e grou p -w id e p rodu ct teams. T h is role re qu ire s exe cu tiv e - le ve l lead e rsh ip an d co llab oration .
• AI an d Dat a Literacy : U nd e r s tand in g h ow AI to ols w ork, w h at d at a i s n ee d e d, an d h o w algo rith m s aff e ct th e us e r e xp e rie n c e. T h is ro le r e qu ire s adv an ce d e xp e rtis e in AI an d d at a literacy .
• Cus to me r E m p athy : Main ta i n in g a s tron g conn e ction w ith th e us e r an d u nd e rs tand in g
th e ir n ee ds. T h is role re qu ire s adv an ce d exp e rtis e in cus tome r e m p ath y an d en gageme n t.
• E xce ll e n t Com m un ication : Th e ab ili ty to articu lat e v is ion an d s tra tegy cle arly acros s th e organ is at ion. T h is ro le re qu ire s e xe cu tiv e - le v e l co m m un icatio n an d s ta keh old e r e n gage me n t.
• E xce ll e n t le ad e rsh ip an d comm un icatio n ab ili ties, w ith a p rov e n re cord of f os terin g cu ltu re s of accoun tab ility, ow n e rsh ip, an d con tinu ou s im p rov eme n t. T h is ro l e re qu ire s e xe cu tiv e - le ve l lead e rsh ip an d co llab oration .
• Stra tegi c th in ker w ith e xp e ri e n ce align in g I T s e rv ic e s an d p rodu cts to b u s in e s s goa ls a n d
ou tco me s. T h is role re qu ire s s tra tegi c ov e rs ight o f I T s e rv ic e s an d p ro du ct m an ageme n t.
• De e p kn ow le d g e of cu rre n t an d eme rg in g techn ologi e s, indus try re gu lat ions, an d IT b e s t
p ractice s. T h is ro le re qu ire s adv an ce d e xp e rtis e in techn o logy an d i ndus tr y re gu lat ion s .
• Sig n if ican t e xp e ri e n ce in a se n ior IT le ad e rsh ip ro le w ith in Arriv a’ s s e cto r or a re lat e d indus try, with a p rov e n u n d e rs tand in g o f ind u s try - sp e cif ic c h allen ge s an d opp ortun ities .
• Bach e lor’ s d e gre e in In f or m at ion Te chn ology, Com pu t e r Scie n c e, or a re lat e d f ie l d
(Mas ter’s d e gre e p re fe rr e d ).
• Re l e v an t ce rtifi cat ion s in Produ ct Lead e rsh ip, Pro j e ct Man agem e n t, IT Se rv i ce
Man agem e n t (e .g., I T IL ), or re lat e d d is ciplin e s a re h ighly d e s irab le .
T h is p os itio n re p orts to th e G rou p Chief In f ormat ion Of f ic e r (C IO) an d is p art of th e w id e r IT lead e rsh ip t e am und e r th e d ire ction o f th e CIO.
This jo b d e s crip tio n s e t s ou t th e m ain du ties an d re sp o ns i b ilities of th e jo b - h old e r. It d oe s n ot cons tit u te an e xh au s tiv e or compre h e ns iv e d e s crip tio n of du ties an d th e jo b h old e r w ill b e re qu ire d to carry ou t an y a dd ition al ta s ks a s a n d w h e n re qu e s t e d to d o s o b y th e ir m an ager. Re sp ons ib ilities an d du ties m ay als o ch an ge in ligh t of f u tu re bus in e s s n ee d s an d pe rs on al d e v e lop me n t.
The closing date for this vacancy is Wednesday 17th September 2025. Arriva Group reserves the right to close this vacancy early.