We’re 1st Central, a market-leading insurance company utilising smart data and technology at pace. Rapid growth has been based on giving our 1.4 million customers exactly what they want: great value insurance with an excellent service. And that’s the same for our colleagues too; we won Insurance Employer of the Year at the British Insurance Awards 2024 and our Glassdoor score is pretty mega too!
We’re seeking an Interim IT Director to join us as 1 st Central undergo es a significant technical transformation over an 18-month period. This transformation will see an overhaul of development t ooling, p rocesses and an uplift of >1m lines of code to become a clou d-first orga nisation. During this time, significant changes are also required to infrastructure, change management and service delivery processes.
As the organisation goes through this transformation, it is imperative that business as usual technology continues to support the Group’s ambitious plans and the Interim IT Director will play a crucial role in providing support both to the Technology & Data senior leadership team, and to senior leaders across the business to ensure transformational activity does not compromise business performance and strategic imperatives.
Whilst there are no direct line management responsibilities, you’ll be expected to form strong relationships across the organisation, providing a focal point for all IT-related issues or improvements with other senior leaders across the business. This is an 18 month Fixed Term role
We value flexible working arrangements, so you can choose to work remotely or maybe you live within a commutable distance from one of our offices in Salford Quays, Manchester, Haywards Heath, West Sussex, or Guernsey, and want to work in the office occasionally.
Core skills were looking for to succeed in the role:
* Ability to work in a fast-paced, dynamic environment and prioritise multiple initiatives simultaneously
* Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written - ability to articulate an argument and persuade senior stakeholders with robust and comprehensive communication
* Excellent time management and organisation skills
* Strategic and benefits leadership – ensuring the focus is on delivery of the strategy, desired business outcomes and benefits
* Senior stakeholder management – ability to constructively challenge, win the respect of and negotiate effectively with senior management including ExCo and Board Level
* Leadership – the ability to look ahead and understand/mitigate risks, and the ability to see the few key issues in a situation, problem or delivery and – working with others – cut through to the solution
* Role model and leader of people – ability to guide, steer and coach team members to enable them to deliver effectively and develop professionally
* Financial management – the ability to estimate and budget effectively, allowing for suitable contingency, and the ability to put together a robust and achievable business case in conjunction with Finance and business leaders
* Ability to work effectively with others collaboratively for optimal results
What’s involved:
* You’ll e nsure Technology & Data deliver a robust and reliable service throughout the transformation
* You’ll p rovide an excellent user and customer experience across the Group’s entire IT estate
* You’ll p rovide continuity of reporting Technology SLA’s, monthly to OCIO and quarterly to the intercompany steering committees
* You’ll p rovide expertise and advice at the most senior level on policy and strategy
* You’ll m aintain knowledge of current best-practise, implementing temporary solutions as appropriate and where appropriate feeding learnings into transformational activity
* You’ll p rovide technical and operational support to business departments when required, becoming a focal point for all Technology and Data related communications throughout the transformational period.
* You’ll s upport the Technology & Data Leadership team by removing blocking issues and BAU distractions
* You’ll e nable strong cross-functional collaboration across Technology and business units to maintain alignment and support cohesive delivery throughout the transition.
* You’ll p rovide oversight of key supplier relationships to safeguard service continuity, resolve escalations, and ensure delivery remains aligned with transitional objectives .
* You’ll u phold effective IT governance across the Technology function, ensuring continued adherence to internal controls, regulatory requirements, and compliance frameworks.
* You’ll s tep in with targeted operational support during high-priority situations, ensuring swift resolution and minimal disruption to critical services.
Experience & knowledge
* Proven track record of leading a broad Technology function including networking, large databases, infrastructure and service management.
* Exceptional leadership skills with evidence of managing teams across a range of disciplines and locations
* Significant understanding of IT systems and how successful IT change is affected including experience of all stages of project delivery and software development lifecycle
* Ability to construct a realistic and achievable business case in conjunction with business leaders and Finance
* Demonstrable track record of managing large scale IT budgets
* Considerable experience of engaging and managing third parties
* Experience of working within an FCA regulated industry, ideally within Financial Services or Insurance .
* Knowledge of FCA requirements (including individual responsibilities in relation to Consumer Duty)
* Stay updated on industry best practices and emerging trends in change management, applying relevant insights to enhance change initiatives
Skills
* Ability to work in a fast-paced, dynamic environment and prioritise multiple initiatives simultaneously
* Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written - ability to articulate an argument and persuade senior stakeholders with robust and comprehensive communication
* Excellent time management and organisation skills
* Strategic and benefits leadership – ensuring the focus is on delivery of the strategy, desired business outcomes and benefits
* Senior stakeholder management – ability to constructively challenge, win the respect of and negotiate effectively with senior management including ExCo and Board Level
* Leadership – the ability to look ahead and understand/mitigate risks, and the ability to see the few key issues in a situation, problem or delivery and – working with others – cut through to the solution
* Role model and leader of people – ability to guide, steer and coach team members to enable them to deliver effectively and develop professionally
* Financial management – the ability to estimate and budget effectively, allowing for suitable contingency, and the ability to put together a robust and achievable business case in conjunction with Finance and business leaders
* Ability to work effectively with others collaboratively for optimal results
Qualifications
* Degree level desirable however demonstrable experience preferred
Behaviours
* Self-motivated and enthusiastic
* An organised and proactive approach
* Ability to work on own initiative and as part of a team
* A flexible approach and positive attitude
* Strives to drive business improvements to contribute to the success of the business
What can we do for you?
People first. Always. We’re passionate about our colleagues and know the best people deserve an extraordinary working environment. We owe it to them so that’s what we offer. Our workplaces are energetic, inspirational, supportive. To get a taste of the advantages you’ll enjoy, take a look at all our perks in full here .
Intrigued? Our Talent team can tell you everything you need to know about what we want and what we’re offering, so feel free to get in touch.
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