Head of Digital Infrastructure and Services

Are you an experienced digital and infrastructure leader ready to make a real impact in a forward thinking college? Darlington College is seeking an ambitious, innovative and highly capable Head of Digital Infrastructure and Services to lead the delivery of secure, resilient and high performing digital infrastructure and support services across the College. This is a key leadership role reporting to the Assistant Principal Resources, with responsibility for the College's digital infrastructure, IT support services, cyber security operations, digital resilience, service improvement and the delivery of key technical and operational workstreams within our Digital Transformation Strategy. This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced leader who can combine strong technical credibility with excellent people leadership, service improvement and strategic delivery. About the role: You will lead and develop the College's digital infrastructure and technology services, ensuring our systems, platforms and support services are secure, reliable, responsive and fit for the future. You will have responsibility for:

• digital infrastructure, networks, servers and cloud services
• IT support and service desk delivery
• cyber security operations and digital resilience
• business continuity and disaster recovery for digital systems
• classroom and learning space technologies
• telephony, end user computing and associated digital services
• supplier, contract, licensing and asset management
• delivery of key digital transformation projects and service improvements
Working closely with the Assistant Principal Resources and wider senior leaders, you will play a central role in ensuring our digital environment supports outstanding teaching, learning and business operations, while leading key elements of the College's Digital Transformation Strategy.

We are looking for a confident and credible leader with:
• significant experience leading digital infrastructure and IT services in a complex organisation
• strong technical knowledge across infrastructure, cloud services, end user computing and cyber security
• a track record of improving services, leading change and delivering technology projects
• experience of managing teams, budgets, suppliers and contracts
• the ability to translate technical issues into clear, practical solutions
• a strong customer focused approach and commitment to high quality service delivery
• the leadership skills to inspire teams and build strong relationships across the organisation
Experience in the FE sector would be an advantage, but we are equally interested in candidates from other sectors who can bring strong leadership, technical expertise and a passion for delivering excellent digital services.

At Darlington College, we are committed to providing an outstanding environment for our students, staff and wider community. Digital services are central to that ambition, and this role offers the opportunity to shape and lead a service that is critical to the future success of the College. This is more than an infrastructure role. It is an opportunity to:
• lead a high profile service at the heart of the College
• drive innovation and service improvement
• influence and deliver meaningful digital transformation
• work closely with senior leaders on strategic priorities
• make a direct difference to the student and staff experience
If you are ready to lead with energy, credibility and purpose, we would love to hear from you.