IT Delivery Manager

Role Purpose

Primary focus is taking accountability for the successful end-to-end (initiation to go-live) delivery of the IT components of an enhancement or strategic initiatives – this includes managing stakeholders, expectations, scope, estimates/budget/costs, schedules, team members, and the quality of all deliverables.

In doing so, the IT Delivery Manager must:

• demonstrate leadership and take into account stakeholder perspectives

• demonstrate impeccable customer servicing skills and team working

• negotiate with elegance and know when to escalate

• work closely and coordinate with business stakeholders, business PM, EPMO, Data, Infrastructure and Service Management teams

• act as an internal management consultant to frame a business concern – using inhouse and supplier team members

• interpret business needs and how to apply technology to enable them

• conduct appropriate due diligence to ensure that the solution meets the need

• assess the right balance between delivery, affordability, execution risk, strategic objectives and alignment to architecture principles and policies

• Get the best out of our ADM suppliers

• mentor and support junior staff – demonstrate our values and professionalism

• will be required to manage Aspen staff, contractors, suppliers or consultants

• have a good working knowledge of the business function and their requirements

As required, the Delivery Manager may be asked to stand in for the IT BP and it is expected that the succession to IT BP will come from the IT Delivery Managers or Business Systems Analysts. An alternative path is also available to EMPO Business Project Manager or Data Scrum Master.

Policy, Process and Procedures

• Oversee and prioritize the planning, organization, direction and tracking of all major portfolio components including cost, schedules, resources, analysis, deliverables, etc.

• Lead the team charged with delivering the overall technology project portfolio with the ability to balance between the strategic and day-to-day tactical needs.

• Managing Business Analysts and Project Managers allocated to managing relevant technology projects monitoring the quality output to ensure business objectives are met.

• Champions continuous improvement through the creation and management of a Continuous Service Improvement plan to increase cost effectiveness, process flexibility and enhanced levels of service.

• Regularly monitors and reviews the technology project portfolio with an enterprise view of risks, actions, issues, and decisions tracking lens, in order to ensure timely, cost effective, and quality outcomes.

• Managing the portfolio communications, resourcing, budgeting, broad risk/issue escalations, financials, and reporting to ensure success of all projects to enable stakeholders, sponsors and management to make appropriate decisions.

• Working with partners within IT and the business, ensuring the IT portfolio serves as a roadmap for future development of products, processes and systems.

• Ensures that the IT risk dashboard is actively managed, and that risks and issues are logged and appropriate actions put in place to mitigate any risks.

• Manages both compliance and outsourced register returns ensuring all relevant information is provided.

• Assists and responds to all internal and external auditor requests ensuring full compliance in line with internal standards and regulatory requirements.

• Compliance with best practice, regulatory/legal requirements and Aspen processes and policies.

• Compliance with IT project methodology/security & data privacy protocols and procedures.

• Can demonstrate that uncovering and resolving potential conflicts or disagreements about project priorities.

• Satisfactory internal audit.

• Demonstrable continuous business improvement

• Progress closely monitored and reviewed.

• Consistently applied processes and procedures.

• Back-up plans in place for business applications

• Technical recovery plans are tested on a timely basis

• Software licenses in place and maintained.

• Hardware assets are accounted for and adequate controls/records in place.

• IT risk dashboard fully reflects all identified risks.

• Quality of information on compliance/outsourced registers.

• Compliance returns submitted within deadlines.

• Audit MAP closed on a timely basis.

• Adherence to technical standards/SLAs

• Risks identified in good time and action plans in place to deal with potential issues.

• Positive stakeholder feedback.

• Effective cost management.

Environmental Awareness/Customer Focus

• Develops positive, open and constructive relationships with key stakeholders, working in partnership to ensure the service provided meets current and future needs, managing expectations as necessary.

• Defines and leads team who own relationship management with each service line to ensure close alignment of technology products & initiatives with strategic business priorities during the project in-take and governance process.

• Manage relationships with appropriate 3rd parties to ensure delivery of a quality and cost effective service.

• In partnership with the business, sets and meets performance targets for speed, efficiency and quality of service.

• Maintains an awareness of relevant technical and legislative changes as well as industry best practice in order to ensure dynamic and compliant service provision.

• Consistently positive feedback from key stakeholders/business.

• Customer expectations met/exceeded.

• Evidence of active networking/positive working relationships with internal/external contacts.

• Performance metrics meet agreed SLAs.

• Cost effective contracts.

• Quality and timeliness of communication during security breaches/incidents etc.

• Legal compliance.

• Regular meetings/contact and/or communication process in place.

• Strong understanding of current market conditions.

Demonstrates understanding of new developments/trends etc.

Technical Performance

• Acts as the IT portfolio expert to support projects and identify opportunities within area of expertise, including formulating inter-connected projects, holistic dependencies and downstream impacts.

• Produces standard documentation and guidelines in order to enforce Aspen’s IT project methodology.

• Provides technical consultancy to the business, ensuring users have sufficient understanding to make informed decisions.

• Promotes and supports the creation of effective knowledge management processes to ensure delivery of continuous improvement.

• Develops accurate recording and reporting/management information mechanisms to enable effective decision making and action.

• Acknowledged as technical/subject matter expert

• Personal credibility

• Sought after resource.

• Quality of documentation/MI produced (clarity, accuracy, timeliness etc.)

• Activities conducted in line with best practice/Aspen’s Project Methodology.

• Technical and security standards clearly articulated and adhered to.

• Regularly participates in activities (meetings/presentations etc.) to share information and knowledge.

• Positive stakeholder feedback

• Accuracy of MI provided (e.g. portfolio budget, resource, trends, risks, issues, decision tracking).

• Evidence of continuous professional development.

• Legal and regulatory compliance.

• Proactive identification of risks/potential issues.

Knowledge, Skills & Experience

• Excellent knowledge of IT Portfolio & Project Methodologies (enterprise/scale Waterfall, Agile, etc.) (preferably with formal certification)

• Technical knowledge around relevant tools and techniques.

• Third party supplier agreements.

• Excellent communication skills – both written and oral.

• Problem solving and decision making.

• Ability to work creatively and analytically in a problem-solving environment, demonstrating teamwork, innovation, and excellence.

• Understanding of interdependencies between technology, operations, and business needs

• Ability to define pragmatic and innovative solutions.

• Able to manage conflicting priorities to achieve deadlines.

• Able to plan effectively and efficiently.

• Strong customer orientation skills and ability to proactively manage customer expectations.

• Ability to collaborate effectively within a team environment.

• Demonstrable supplier management skills.

• Strong negotiating skills.

• Strong attention to detail

• People management – ability to engage and lead a team.

• Able to work independently.

• Project management.

• Change management.

• Resource and budget management.

• Specific professional qualifications at the level of degree or equivalent.

• Qualified within own personal discipline, with extensive post-qualification work experience to include:

• Working as part of a senior team within an complex organisation (preferably within financial services industry)