Head of Connectivity Platforms

About the role

Reporting into the Director of EMEA Applications & Platforms, we have a very exciting opportunity for a Head of Connectivity Platforms within our Applications & Platforms I&T team.

As the Head of Connectivity Platforms, you will be responsible for the strategy, roadmap, architecture, development and deployment of DS Smith Connectivity solutions and the supplier management accordingly. In scope are all Connectivity systems in use and development enterprise wide in different divisions and group functions.  

The Head of Connectivity Platforms provides application specific advisory and analysis expertise, leading and managing distributed teams of application specialists and / or third party application providers. 

Key responsibilities for the Head of Connectivity Platforms are:

• Own Application Portfolio Management for the applications in scope, maintaining an up to application catalogue and defining the strategy for each application.   

• Develop and maintain the Application and Data architecture 

• Provide input into the design of new and the redesign or decommissioning of existing applications.  

• Oversee service design & acceptance ensuring effective handover to support from project/delivery teams.  

• Develop and leverage collaborative working relationships with all partners within DS Smith I&T and the wider business to deliver the end-to-end service.   

• Act as a technical expert and work closely with the business to help them fully realise the business potential of their current applications to improve business performance. 

• Assists the Division in initiating ideas, developing business cases and successfully deploying I&T projects.   

• Meet I&T Business Partners and key business representatives regularly to monitor progress against developments. 

• Ensure your team are clear on their responsibilities, receive regular feedback on performance and utilise the range of career development options available.   

• Inspire your team to continually improve ways of working. 

• Create an environment which rewards team success and job satisfaction

• Drive service continuity and key user groups, providing front foot monitoring, identifying issues before they impact performance and overseeing the introduction of change to new and existing systems.  

• Responsible for the life cycle management, working with relevant I&T teams and vendors so that the required projects are planned and delivered to ensure continuous business operation. 

• Work collaboratively with suppliers and the business to identify and implement improvement recommendations to minimise costs and maximise value. 

• Manage the resolution of major incidents, keeping business and I&T stakeholders informed at all time. 

• Ensure problems are investigated and resolved 

• Own relationships and contracts with partners and suppliers to meet key performance indicators and agreed targets, overseeing issue resolution where required.   

• Contribute to, or be responsible for, negotiation of major contracts.   

About you

• Highly experienced in IT leadership, preferably in a multi-site, multi-country manufacturing environment with knowledge of a broad range of business functions and technology platforms. 

• Demonstrable knowledge of application management experience with demonstrated experience driving business engagement and value creation as well as 3rd party performance. 

• Knowledge of and experience of use of the Boomi Platform, together with knowledge of other Connectivity tools and solutions covering EDI, API, and ETL 

• Able to work in a matrix organisation with cross-functional teams. 

• Prince2 practitioner qualification and experience in major implementation projects. Familiar with both waterfall and agile approach. 

• ITIL qualification and/or experience working in an ITIL environment 

• Good working knowledge of incident, problem management and change management tools 

• Possess deep understanding of I&T application management. 

• Display a strong business driven background with value awareness, understanding the business needs and excellent business judgement. 

• Innovative attitude, leading the division into Digital opportunities 

• Be able to manage relationships across the organisation at multiple levels. 

• Strong leadership to inspire and motivate and strong ability to develop self and others through continuous learning, sharing best practices, knowledge and expertise. 

• Bachelor or Master’s Degree in computer science, information systems, business administration or related field, or equivalent work experience. 

About us

We are DS Smith, together with International Paper, we are a global leader in sustainable packaging solutions and other fibre-based products. We believe a better, more sustainable tomorrow is possible with the right people, who challenge and support one another to enact positive change. We employ more than 60,000 colleagues in North America and Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), who are experts in innovation, manufacturing, design, sales, sustainability, supply chain, and much more. Together with our customers, we make the world safer and more productive, one sustainable packaging solution at a time. Become part of a world-leading organisation and do your best work with us!

“To fulfil our purpose of redefining packaging for a changing world, we aim to build a diverse, motivated, and engaged workforce. Our goal is to create a culture of inclusion where everyone is treated fairly, differences are valued, and everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed.

Our people come from diverse backgrounds, bring different perspectives, ideas and experiences to generate unique solutions focused on present and future sustainability challenges. We welcome all candidates to apply, even those not meeting all criteria.”

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