Job Vacancy IT & Digital Manager

Students' Union UCL is an organisation that exists to make more happen. We are the representative body for University College London's (UCL) students, one of the most diverse student communities in the world. We are one of the largest student-led organisations in the UK and a charity with over 48,000 members. We provide opportunities for 300 staff and have an annual turnover of more than £12m.We are a registered charity employing over 100 career staff and 300 student staff, with an annual turnover of more than £12m, delivering a wide range of services and representative functions for UCL students. We have the widest portfolio of services of any student organisation in the country, managing UCL's extracurricular programmes for sport, music, drama, dance, media, volunteering, academic societies and intercultural engagement; providing a wide range of fantastic social spaces; leading on student democracy and representation across UCL; and offering excellent student support services.

It's an exciting time to join our growing organisation as we lead the delivery of UCL's groundbreaking Student Life Strategy. This is enabling us to build more programmes to improve students' mental and physical wellbeing, promote genuine equity for all, build students' skills and confidence, develop their international connections and intercultural skills, and make a real contribution to our local community.

We support hybrid working. Excellent benefits including defined benefit pension scheme and generous holiday entitlement. We are proud of high levels of staff engagement and pride ourselves on being a great place to work.

About the IT & Digital team

The IT & Digital team plays a pivotal role at Students' Union UCL in fulfilling the organisation's technology and digital needs. Comprised of IT support staff and web developers, the team delivers key services across general IT support, the development and operation of the Union's website/membership management system, and maintaining robust cyber security and data protection practices. Our mission is to ensure that the Union can make more happen for our members and staff by delivering useful tools, efficient processes, and a great user experience.

The role in context

The Union is growing rapidly to support UCL's Student Life Strategy, both in terms of the breadth of its activities and the volume of its work. The IT & Digital team is key to supporting this growth, and are now halfway through our three year IT & Digital Strategy to ensure the Union is equipped and supported to fulfil its ambitious goals. This is a new role that will help lead the team to do more at a higher level of quality and user satisfaction.

Purpose of the job

The IT & Digital Manager is responsible for ensuring the effective operational delivery and continuous improvement of IT and digital services at Students' Union UCL. The role holder will take a hands-on approach in leading daily operations and solving technical challenges, while taking strategic leadership over key services and their continuous improvement. The role is responsible for the management of the IT & Digital team, supervising and supporting their day to-day work and professional development. Reporting to the Head of IT & Digital, the role will work with them and stakeholders across the organisation to collaboratively design, plan and implement innovative solutions that enhance operational efficiency and elevate user experience. They will ensure high levels of quality and customer satisfaction, enabling the Union to deliver more for our members through secure, stable and effective IT and digital tools.

Notes for applicants

Even if you don't have an exact match to the skills and experience listed, we encourage you to apply if you believe your unique experience and skills could add value to the role.

Duties and Responsibilities

Operational IT management

• Line manage, lead and develop the IT & Digital team, including support staff and web developers, to deliver high-quality IT support and digital solutions.
• Lead and improve our culture of excellent customer service, ensuring timely resolution of technical issues and clear communication.
• Oversee and administrate the procurement, maintenance and operation of IT infrastructure, including hardware, audio visual equipment, and software.
• Take ownership of IT management tools such as our asset and software/service registers, ensuring our tools and technologies are fit for purpose and used effectively.
• Lead our relationship with UCL's Information Services Department to effectively collaborate on our shared IT infrastructure and support processes.

Product and process ownership

• Manage the development and operation of core systems, including the website/membership management system (Drupal), intranet (SharePoint), and CRM (Dynamics 365).
• Become a subject matter expert in our services to support staff and the IT & Digital team in resolving queries and identifying opportunities for improvement.
• Oversee critical processes such as data protection, business continuity and disaster recovery, and cybersecurity, ensuring robust practices are in place to reduce and mitigate risk, and we are compliant with key regulations and standards.
• Communicate IT updates and system changes clearly, helping users understand issues and work around any disruptions.

Project delivery

• Lead the delivery of key IT and web projects, ensuring they meet time, budget, and quality expectations.
• Work with our stakeholders to undertake business analysis and requirements gathering to design workable solutions and deliverable projects.
• Lead our team and external resources to deliver quality outcomes, validated and tested against our users' needs.
• Oversee and refine our project management methodologies, including agile for our website feature management and tailored approaches for different IT projects.
• Act as a key point of contact for project-related queries, working with the Head of IT & Digital for overall planning and escalation.

Continuous improvement

• Drive innovation by proactively identifying and implementing improvements in IT and digital processes across the Union and within the IT & Digital team.
• Lead the quality assurance of our team's work to support that continuous improvement and minimise risk.
• Manage and improve our documentation, training materials, and user guidance to support staff and stakeholders.
• Foster a culture of continuous learning and skills development within the team and wider Union staff.

Strategic leadership

• Act as deputy for the Head of IT & Digital as required, representing the team in meetings and decision-making.
• Support strategic planning for IT and digital services, including budgeting and resource management, maintaining our roadmap and ensuring alignment with organisational goals.
• Provide expert advice on technology trends and proactively identify opportunities for digital transformation.

Note: This job description reflects the present requirements of the post. As duties and responsibilities change and develop the job description will be reviewed and be subject to amendment in consultation with the post holder.

Applicants should note that CVs will not be accepted and that the statement of support for application should address the selection criteria in the person specification and outline your reasons for applying.

Interviews will take place between the 2nd to 4th of April, 2025.

Please note, unfortunately Students' Union UCL are not in the position to sponsor any work visas at this time.