Job Description
Responsibilities:
Strategic Leadership & IT Governance
1. Develop and deliver a forward-looking IT strategy that aligns with the charity's conservation and operational objectives, ensuring systems are efficient and secure.
2. As the senior IT advisor to the Senior Leadership Team, provide strategic guidance on digital innovation, emerging technologies, and sector-relevant trends.
3. Develop and maintain IT policies and operational standards aligned with charity sector best practice, fostering accountability, sustainability, and a strong culture of cyber risk awareness.
4. Ensure robust, inclusive infrastructure that enables access, capacity, and resilience across the charity's global teams, including those in remote or low-connectivity settings.
5. Lead the selection and management of key external service providers, including the University of Cambridge, ensuring high-quality partnerships and service delivery.
IT Operations and Service Delivery
6. Provide oversight of IT services across the charity's global locations.
7. Ensure staff have the IT equipment that is fit for purpose, maintained appropriately, cost-effective, and integrated in organisational systems.
8. Oversee IT asset lifecycle management, ensuring procurement and disposal are undertaken ethically, sustainably, and in compliance with UK and international regulations.
External Provider Management
9. Lead procurement, selection, and ongoing relationships with outsourced IT and telecommunication providers, ensuring accountability, value for money, contract compliance, and high service performance.
Information Systems & Digital Development
10. Oversee the development, integration and continuous improvement of internal systems to support knowledge sharing, collaboration, and efficient IT system deployment across the global organisation.
11. Collaborate across departments to identify IT needs and deliver solutions that are user-informed and operationally aligned.
12. Play a key role in shaping and executing our global AI strategy.
13. Support and enable digital transformation initiatives that improve conservation impact, organisational efficiency, and staff engagement, and lead on change management to support adoption and ensure continuous improvement.
Cybersecurity, Data Protection & Regulatory Compliance
14. Lead on cybersecurity strategy, ensuring robust frameworks are in place to protect sensitive data and organisational assets, business continuity planning and disaster recovery, ensuring organisational resilience in the event of disruption.
15. Ensure compliance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), charity-specific data requirements, and other relevant information governance standards.
16. Maintain effective systems for data access control, management of cyber risks, and regular data security training across all offices.
Leadership and Team Development
17. Lead and support the IT team, fostering a culture of service excellence, continuous learning, and innovation.
18. Provide effective line management through objective setting, continuous performance review, training provision and personal development planning.
19. Oversee the day-to-day functioning of the IT department, including troubleshooting and resolution of technical issues, as well as contributing to the team's project delivery.
Budgeting and Financial Stewardship
20. Lead the IT budgeting and financial planning process, providing insight to support long-term IT and systems investment planning.
21. Monitor IT expenditure and contracts, to ensure value for money and service delivery
Digital Communications & Collaboration
22. Ensure the charity communication systems, including voice, video, mobile, and digital collaboration platforms, are secure, scalable, and fit for a globally distributed, hybrid-working organisation.
23. Continuously evaluate and enhance tools to support seamless internal collaboration, external engagement, and agile working across time zones and geographies.
Policy Implementation and Training
24. Lead on the communication and implementation of IT policies and procedures.