Chief Information Officer

Chief Information Officer (Interim) Here, at schuh we are embarking on some exciting changes with our IT systems. We are looking for experienced IT leaders to help us – taking the best of what we have, and transforming our IT landscape to make us fit for the future. THE PERSON:

• Experienced IT leader: delivering business service whilst transforming IT capabilities and technologies

• Able to operate effectively at strategic level, playing and active role within corporate operating board

• Proven experience of inspiring and leading an established team through significant change

• Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills with technical and non-technical audiences

• Proven experience of building and maturing IT capabilities across the enterprise

• Experience of building and managing effective teams

• Experience of transformation of people, process and technology

• Able to partner across multiple teams, whilst still delivering required change

• Experience of operating within similar scale business within retail industry

MAIN DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES: IT Leadership & Management

• Set mission and vision of IT organisation to foster business-oriented culture and mind-set

• Leads development of IT strategy and roadmap, ensuring integration with wider business plans

• Provide leadership, coaching and direction to the IT leadership team and staff

• Maintain currency of new technologies and provides direction to IT function and wider business

• Define and implement IT department organisation to provide support, development and management capabilities that are appropriate for company needs, now and throughout the transformation

• Instruct, guide, inspire and engage the IT team so as to achieve a heightened sense of motivation and cohesiveness among colleagues, in order to successfully deliver the company’s plans and ambitions

• Act as a trusted advisor, building and maintaining relationships with key stakeholders across the management team and in other business functions to develop a clear understanding of business needs

• Ensure IT department effectively represented within wider business and that IT plans are aligned to business function plans

• Provide strategic direction and oversight for the design, development, operation and support of IT systems

• Develop and control annual operating and capital expenditure budget for IT to ensure it is consistent with overall strategic objectives of the enterprise and is within plan

• Make sound decisions on the use of expenditure. Supports effective financial governance processes. Monitor spend and ensure department delivers value:

o Ensuring cost-effective delivery of IT services to meet those needs o Sourcing strategy in place and executed against o Strategic relationships operating to deliver value

• Enhance the capability of IT function by leveraging multitude of resource, both internally and externally

• Works collaboratively with suppliers, reviewing all interactions against agreed SLA’s ensuring standards are maintained and greater levels of efficiency and competitive advantage realised

• Ensure that IT service is delivered in line with business needs

• Ensure that processes operate, and play active role in them, for identification and management of IT risks (including cyber security)

• Facilitate working across IT leadership team to establish and operate capabilities and appropriate processes for IT function

• Plan resource needs to deliver the agreed operational IT service and IT change portfolio

• Source and recruit required IT and change resources

• Direct IT Procurement (including supplier management & governance)

• Lead IT function communication and ensure external channels are operating effectively

Transformation

• Form and develop IT leadership team to improve capability maturity and drive transformation

• Engage and inspire own team and wider IT function throughout the transformation

• Design, implement and operate and effective organisation structure with clear responsibilities and appropriate capabilities to support business and technical needs in current state and throughout the transformation

• Champion innovation initiatives in line with company goals and financial constraints as well as industry marketplace

• Develop and implement practices, processes and capabilities across the IT function to effectively manage changes across the IT landscape as it undergoes transformation

• Define, implement and operate IT processes for support and change with appropriate engagement, governance and control across the IT function and with non-technical stakeholders from business units

• Ensure collaborative working across the IT leadership team to ensure processes and governance are aligned

• Support recruitment of longer-term successor in role

OUR PURPOSE: We love footwear more than most, but we know that some things are more important. Sure, we’re all about shoes and sneakers but we’re also all about the people wearing them; our teams, our customers and our wider community. Our Purpose Pillars are the cornerstones of what we do. We want to continually educate ourselves, fuel change, lend our inclusive platform to diverse voices and actively make a stand against discrimination. Sustainability. LGBT+. Racial Equality. Mental Wellness. Disability Equality. Fostering Diverse Talent. We are flexible on location/hybrid working, however do require the successful candidate to predominantly be based from our Livingston office in the first instance to form strong relationships; with visits to offices and sites as required.

About the location

Neilson Square is the home of our original warehouse and distribution centre, as well as many head office functions. Situated in Livingston, our site is in-between Edinburgh and Glasgow and very easily reached by car and public transport.