Head of IT

St Thomas Catholic Academies Trust Job Description Purpose of the role The Head of IT leads the Trust’s IT service and is responsible for the technology that supports teaching, learning and operations across the Trust. Reporting to the Chief Operations Officer and working closely with the Executive team, the postholder provides the strategic direction and operational leadership of the IT function, ensuring that systems are secure, reliable and used well, and that the service continues to develop to meet the needs of pupils, staff and the Trust. The Head of IT leads the central IT team and works in partnership with school leaders to provide a consistent service across the Trust. The role brings together responsibility for day-to-day service delivery with leadership of the Trust’s longer-term technology development. Main responsibilities Leadership and strategy With the COO and Executive team, provide input into and deliver the Trust’s IT strategy and roadmap, aligned to the Trust’s priorities, curriculum needs and operational requirements. Provide professional leadership of the IT function across all schools and central teams, acting as the Trust’s senior adviser on technology. Contribute to wider Trust planning and provide advice and assurance to leaders and trustees on IT matters. Maintain clear architecture and standards for the Trust’s systems and infrastructure, supporting consistency and value across schools. Service delivery and user support Develop a secure, effective and consistent IT service for staff and pupils across all schools. Maintain a clear route into the service, with effective logging, prioritisation and resolution of incidents and requests. Oversee on-site and remote support, balancing responsiveness with planned and preventative work. Define and maintain the scope of the IT service and the standards of service that schools can expect. Infrastructure, networks and platforms Oversee the reliability, security and management of the Trust’s networks, servers, cloud platforms and end-user devices as a single trust-wide estate. Ensure infrastructure and platforms meet relevant standards, including the DfE Digital and Technology Standards. Lead the planning and delivery of strategic technology projects, including the consolidation, standardisation and modernisation of systems and platforms. Hold responsibility for the technical platforms, identity and hosting that underpin the Trust’s management information and data systems. Oversee support for the digital aspects of operational technologies, such as access control and CCTV. Information security and resilience Maintain appropriate technical security controls, filtering and monitoring across the Trust, meeting the DfE Cyber Security Standards and the Trust’s risk and insurance requirements. Maintain effective backup, disaster recovery and incident response arrangements, linked to the Trust’s business continuity planning. Provide assurance to the COO and the Trust’s governance functions on the security and resilience of the IT estate. Service management and improvement Develop and maintain effective service management practices, including change management, asset and configuration management, knowledge management and service reporting. Use performance information to monitor the service, identify trends and support continual improvement. Manage the integration of schools joining the Trust into the IT service. Team leadership and development Lead, structure and develop the IT team, setting objectives and managing performance. Build capability across the team, including specialist skills and early-careers and apprenticeship pathways. Support the continuity and resilience of the service through staff development, knowledge sharing and succession planning. Resource and financial management Manage the IT budget with the COO and CFO, securing value for money across staffing, contracts and licensing. Procure and manage external suppliers and partners, including specialist and escalation support, against agreed standards. Maintain effective procurement and contract management across the IT function. Relationships and communication Build effective working relationships between the IT service, school leaders and central teams. Communicate clearly about services and changes and maintain routes for schools to inform technology decisions. Work with the Trust’s data and governance functions to support effective information management and compliance. Scope and boundaries Information governance and Data Protection Officer responsibilities sit within the Trust’s governance function, independently of the IT service. The postholder is responsible for the technical security and data-protection measures that support compliance. Functional ownership of management information, data and statutory returns sits within the Trust’s data function. The postholder is responsible for the technical platforms on which these depend. General Uphold and promote the Catholic ethos, mission and values of the Trust. Comply with all relevant safeguarding, health and safety, data protection and financial regulations and policies. Promote equality of opportunity and inclusive practice. Carry out other reasonable duties appropriate to the grade and purpose of the post. This job description will be reviewed periodically and may be amended following consultation to reflect the changing needs of the Trust.