At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead a dynamic team to enhance and manage core business systems.
- Company: Join a forward-thinking organisation focused on innovation and efficiency.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, flexible working options, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Why this job: Make a real impact by driving system improvements and enhancing user experience.
- Qualifications: Experience in managing application support teams and strong communication skills.
- Other info: Exciting chance to work with cutting-edge technologies and industry trends.
The predicted salary is between 55000 - 65000 £ per year.
Why we need this role
The Systems Manager – Applications will lead a small, high‑performing internal team and multiple external partners responsible for ensuring our core business systems are reliable, efficient, and continuously evolving to meet organisational goals. This role balances day‑to‑day service management with driving a roadmap of improvement and value creation from our business system investments and offers the opportunity to drive meaningful system improvements that enhance efficiency and user experience.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead and develop the Business Systems Support team, providing direction, coaching, and prioritisation across L2/L3 support and change activities.
- Ensure business systems within the team’s domain remain fit‑for‑purpose, stable, and aligned with evolving business needs.
- Manage third‑party providers who perform much of the hands‑on build and support work, ensuring quality and alignment to standards.
- Define and deliver an incremental roadmap for business system enhancements, optimisations, and integrations to maximise business value.
- Own and report on BAU service performance, including incident management, problem resolution, and service metrics.
- Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) and feedback loops to measure and report on the success (health, adoption, performance) of business systems within the domain.
- Partner with business stakeholders across functions to understand priorities, evolving processes and regulatory requirements and translate these into clear technical deliverables and solution designs.
- Evaluate new features, releases, and technologies within the business systems landscape.
- Stay abreast of industry trends and emerging technologies and drive innovation within the organisation making use of approaches such as proof of concept to demonstrate value.
- Champion best practices in system governance, documentation, release management, and user adoption.
- Contribute to enterprise‑wide initiatives to strengthen systems alignment, interoperability, and process consistency.
- Champion automation and standardisation across processes and system usage.
Skills and Experience
- Proven experience managing business or enterprise application support teams.
- Hands‑on familiarity with business systems such as Microsoft Dynamics 365 F&O, Workday, and SugarCRM.
- Demonstrable experience with D365 F&O is advantageous.
- Skilled at managing third‑party service providers and ensuring quality, value, and compliance.
- Strong track record managing vendor relationships and delivery through mixed internal/external resources.
- Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence and engage stakeholders at all levels.
- Ability to translate complex system functionality into understandable business context and outcomes whilst also translating complex business requirements into unambiguous technical design.
- Experience balancing operational delivery with roadmap planning and continuous improvement.
- Strong project management capability, ideally with exposure to Agile and ITIL ways of working.
- Strong analytical and reporting capabilities to track service performance and outcomes.
- Experience with business process mapping and optimisation methodologies.
- Background managing integrations between ERP and data/BI platforms is useful.
- Experience within the construction industry can be advantageous.
- Strong project management skills and experience managing cross‑functional teams.
- Vendor Management, particularly Managed Service Providers.
- Experience balancing BAU operations with project and change delivery.
Systems Manager - Application Management employer: Colt Technology Services
Contact Detail:
Colt Technology Services Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Systems Manager - Application Management
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the industry, attend relevant events, and engage with professionals on platforms like LinkedIn. We can’t stress enough how personal connections can lead to job opportunities that aren’t even advertised.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching the company and its systems. Understand their business goals and think about how you can contribute to their success. We recommend practising common interview questions and having examples ready that showcase your experience with business systems management.
✨Tip Number 3
Showcase your skills through real-life scenarios. When discussing your experience, focus on specific projects where you led teams or improved systems. We love seeing candidates who can demonstrate their impact on efficiency and user experience!
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets noticed. Plus, we’re always looking for passionate individuals who can help us drive meaningful improvements in our systems.
We think you need these skills to ace Systems Manager - Application Management
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV speaks directly to the Systems Manager role. Highlight your experience with business systems like Microsoft Dynamics 365 and any relevant project management skills. We want to see how your background aligns with our needs!
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to explain why you're passionate about this role and how you can lead our Business Systems Support team. Be sure to mention any experience with vendor management and stakeholder engagement.
Showcase Your Achievements: When detailing your experience, focus on specific achievements that demonstrate your ability to improve system performance and user experience. We love numbers, so if you can quantify your successes, even better!
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you’re considered for the role. Plus, it shows you’re keen on joining our team at StudySmarter!
How to prepare for a job interview at Colt Technology Services
✨Know Your Systems Inside Out
Make sure you’re well-versed in the business systems mentioned in the job description, like Microsoft Dynamics 365 F&O and Workday. Brush up on their functionalities and how they can be optimised to meet organisational goals. This will show your potential employer that you’re not just familiar with the tools, but you understand how to leverage them for maximum impact.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
As a Systems Manager, you'll be leading a team, so be prepared to discuss your leadership style and experiences. Think of specific examples where you've coached or developed a team, managed third-party providers, or driven improvements. Highlighting these experiences will demonstrate your capability to lead and inspire others.
✨Prepare for Scenario-Based Questions
Expect questions that ask how you would handle specific situations, such as managing vendor relationships or resolving service performance issues. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your answers, showcasing your problem-solving skills and ability to balance operational delivery with strategic planning.
✨Understand the Bigger Picture
Familiarise yourself with industry trends and emerging technologies relevant to the role. Be ready to discuss how you can drive innovation within the organisation and contribute to enterprise-wide initiatives. Showing that you’re proactive about staying updated will impress interviewers and demonstrate your commitment to continuous improvement.