Chief Information Officer (CIO)

We are looking for an experienced CIO (Chief Information Officer), to oversee Information and Communications Technology services across the Harris Federation.

About Us

The Harris Federation is a leading education charity with 50 Harris primary and secondary academies across London and Essex. The founder, Chairman and sponsor of the Harris Federation, Lord Harris of Peckham, opened our first school in 1990. We now educate some 38,000 young people and closing the gap between children from disadvantaged backgrounds and their peers has always been a core mission.

The Harris Federation has a track record of accomplishment in achieving success through rapid school improvement, and has built an unrivalled reputation for running outstanding academies in London.

What we are looking for

We are looking to appoint a Chief Information Officer (CIO) as part of the Head Office Central Team to support the CEO and wider senior management team on all ICT matters, and to design and implement an innovative and robust digital strategy. The successful post holder will oversee the delivery of ICT services to all Harris academies and Head Office departments, with ownership for ensuring high qualify, reliable and safe access to ICT services for all 38,000 students and 6,000 staff. 

This is an exciting opportunity for an ambitious leader to develop and drive a new long term digital strategy for the Federation. We are looking for an individual who can communicate and promote the adoption of technology within academies, and nurture a culture of best practice to drive efficiencies and cost savings.  The successful candidate must be a collaborative leader with a proven track record in Information and Communications Technology, executive leadership and, ideally, experience within the Education market or otherwise from the wider public sector and/or not-for-profit organisations.

Job Purpose

The Chief Information Officer (CIO) will oversee the strategic development, operational delivery, and adoption of Information and Communications Technology across the Federation. Reporting to the CEO, the role will act as a key advisor on information technology and digital strategy, and related high-risk technology matters. The role will oversee a large central IT team and therefore a clear vision for outstanding services and strong, resilient, leadership style is necessary.  

 Responsibilities

As CIO you will:

• Set Federation objectives and strategies for IT and to be the primary point of contact for IT services
• Work closely with other Directors and departments to embed best Information Security processes and ensure compliance with legal requirements
• Oversee Threat Analysis, Risk Assessments, Business Continuity, Crisis Management and Disaster Recovery Plans for ICT within the Federation
• Establish and promote the vision for ICT technology and design a tech-forward business strategy to support transformation and innovation within our central team and academies
• Plan the implementation of new systems and provide guidance to IT professionals and other staff within the Federation
• Lead on ICT strategic sourcing and procurement and approve purchases of technological equipment and software and establish partnerships with IT providers 
• Oversee the technological infrastructure (networks and computer systems) in the Federation to ensure optimal performance 
• Direct and lead any Federation IT-related projects 
• Monitor changes or advancements in technology to consider new or alternative approaches for the use of ICT within academies and the wider Federation 
• Review the costs, value and risks of information technology in order to advise the CEO

Please visit our website to request a full job description and person specification.

This is an excellent opportunity for a talented individual wanting to join an innovative educational charity which is transforming lives in London and setting new standards in Education.

If you are an established technologist with significant experience operating at C-suite/executive management level, then we would like to hear from you.

Next Steps

Closing Date: Tuesday 29th June 2021 (Midday)

Salary: £90,000 - £100,000 – negotiable based on experience and expertise. We offer a benefits package including a performance bonus, private medical insurance and Local Government Pension.

Discussions: If you would like to arrange a confidential and informal conversation with our Chief Executive, Sir Dan Moynihan, or if you have questions regarding the job pack, please click apply to review the job advert on our careers website and contact Harry Bond, Head of Talent, via e-mail.

Important - when contacting us to arrange a call, please ensure you apply and complete the first step of creating an account and uploading a full CV including your educational and professional qualifications, full employment history, latest remuneration, details of relevant achievements and contact details.

Safeguarding Notice

The Harris Federation and all our academies are committed to ensuring the highest levels of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, and we expect all our staff and volunteers to share in this commitment. All offers of employment are subject to an Enhanced DBS check, references, and where applicable, a prohibition from teaching check will be completed for all applicants.