Head of Application Integration Services

About EIT:

The Ellison Institute of Technology (EIT) Oxford’s purpose is to have a global impact by fundamentally reimagining the way science and technology translate into end-to-end solutions and delivering these solutions in programmes and platforms that respond to humanity’s most challenging problems.

EIT Oxford will ensure scientific discoveries and pioneering science are turned into products for the benefit of society that can have high-impact worldwide and, over time, be commercialised to ensure long-term sustainability.

Led by a faculty of world experts, EIT Oxford seeks to solve the world’s most challenging problems across four high-risk, high-reward, high-impact humane endeavours: health and medical science; food security and sustainable agriculture; climate change and clean energy; and government innovation in an era of artificial intelligence.

EIT Oxford is investing significant resources in a new world-class research and development facility in the Oxford Science Park. Set for completion in 2027, the state-of-the-art campus includes 300,000 sq ft of research laboratories, an oncology and preventative care clinic, and educational and meeting spaces. Together, they create the perfect environment for EIT Oxford experts to take ground-breaking ideas from research to broad implementation. The new facility will further EIT’s current partnership with the University of Oxford and become the new home for Ellison Scholars.

EIT Oxford is committed to cultivating a community where excellence is achieved through collaboration, trust, innovation and tenacity. We foster an environment where everyone’s experience and expertise are valued. We are curious and resilient in our efforts to drive long-term, sustainable innovation to meet humanity’s most enduring challenges.

As a key member of the Information Technology team, the Head of Application Integration Services (AIS) will drive the strategy, prioritisation, design, and implementation of institute-wide application solutions. This role is responsible for ensuring the secure, seamless functionality and interoperability of business-critical applications and their associated data platforms, supporting both operational and innovation-driven initiatives.

As the institute prepares for significant growth—expected to reach enterprise scale within the next three years—the AIS function will play a pivotal role in building the internal capabilities necessary to sustain this expansion. Until now, the institute has leveraged industry-leading system integrators to implement best-practice solutions. Moving forward, it aims to establish an in-house team to continue this progress.

This role marks the first hire within this function, and the successful candidate will be responsible for building and leading the AIS team to support the institute’s evolving needs.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership & Governance:

• Define and execute the systems integration strategy and roadmap.
• Facilitate the gathering of institute requirements to build, and own, various product backlogs and development cycles.
• Establish best practices, policies, and frameworks for application development and integration, ensuring security, scalability, and performance.
• Develop and enforce governance structures for API management, data access and exchange, and integration platforms.

Technical Architecture & Implementation:

• Oversee the design and implementation of Application architectures within a cloud native environment focusing on best-of-breed solutions.
• Ensure robust and efficient interoperability between Application platforms with a focus on ERP, CRM, PLM, and enterprise data platforms alongside industry and role specific (niche) application deployments.

Operational Excellence & Risk Management:

• Define a team structure and recruit the roles necessary to support the team’s objectives.
• Lead said team of developers, product owners, and business analysts, providing mentorship, training, and development.
• Ensure high availability, reliability, and security of integration services, minimizing downtime and data inconsistencies.
• Identify and mitigate integration risks, including data integrity, system latency, and compliance challenges.

Collaboration & Stakeholder Engagement:

• Work closely with research teams, IT leadership, and business units to understand integration needs and deliver effective solutions.
• Work with business leadership to evaluate, select, and implement Application and integration tools, ensuring technology solutions meet the unique demands of the Institute.
• Collaborate with external technology partners, vendors, and industry bodies to stay informed of upcoming system features and functionality that can benefit the Institute.

Essential Skills, Qualifications & Experience:

• Proven experience in leading application integration initiatives within a SME / Enterprise organization for 5+ years.
• Expertise in managing product and system backlogs spanning multiple business functions, and the associated development roadmaps.
• Proven experience in managing the requirements gathering and prioritization process, and subsequent communication of said process outcomes to senior business leadership.
• Proven success in building a multidisciplined team delivering AIS services at an SME or Enterprise level.
• Familiarity with industry leading cloud native applications and their integrations (e.g. Oracle Cloud, Atlassian, Salesforce, etc.).
• Experience in Agile, DevOps, and CI/CD methodologies for integration deployment and management.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills.

Desirable Skills, Qualifications & Experience:

• Experience with Oracle cloud-based solutions (Fusion, Analytics Warehouse, Oracle Integration Cloud, etc.).
• Experience within research and innovation environments.
• Scaleup experience – building teams that take organisations to the next level.
• An understanding of data governance, security protocols, and regulatory compliance within a scientific environment.
• Role specific qualifications (e.g. TOGAF, PMP, ITIL, etc.).

We offer the following salary and benefits:

• Salary: £100,000 – £110,000 per annum + bonus + travel allowance
• Enhanced holiday pay
• Pension
• Life Assurance
• Income Protection
• Private Medical Insurance
• Hospital Cash Plan
• Therapy Services
• Perk Box
• Electric Car Scheme

Why work for EIT:

At the Ellison Institute, we believe a collaborative, inclusive team is key to our success. We are building a supportive environment where creative risks are encouraged, and everyone feels heard. Valuing emotional intelligence, empathy, respect, and resilience, we encourage people to be curious and to have a shared commitment to excellence. Join us and make an impact!

Terms of Appointment:

You must have the right to work permanently in the UK with a willingness to travel as necessary.

You will live in, or within easy commuting distance of, Oxford.

You must be able to work from our Oxford office 3 days per week as a minimum as part of our hybrid working model.

During peak periods, some longer hours may be required and some working across multiple time zones due to the global nature of the programme.

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