At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the IFS application to optimise business operations and drive continuous improvement.
- Company: Join James Fisher, a global leader in engineering services across Energy, Defence, and Maritime Transport.
- Benefits: Enjoy competitive benefits, career growth opportunities, and a supportive, inclusive culture.
- Other info: Remote work with occasional travel; be part of a diverse and talented team.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in a role that shapes the future of global maritime transport.
- Qualifications: Experience with IFS applications and strong analytical skills are essential.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 75000 € per year.
Remote working with visits to business locations as required. Permanent position.
The Role: The IFS Application Lead ensures that the IFS application effectively supports business operations by providing functional leadership for a defined area of the Group Information Technology function. The role shapes and influences local strategy for how the application is used and developed, leads or guides professional support roles, and delivers senior level expertise on complex, high impact work to keep the application aligned to organisational needs, along with being reliable, and being continuously improved.
Key Duties and Responsibilities:
- Ensure the effective performance, stability, and optimisation of the IFS application so that it reliably supports business operations and meets operational and compliance expectations.
- Lead functional solution design and drive continuous improvement by shaping system solutions that meet business needs and deliver measurable value.
- Oversee implementation, upgrades, and lifecycle management of IFS capabilities, ensuring changes are delivered effectively with minimal disruption and strong user adoption.
- Provide leadership and direction to professional support roles, ensuring consistent standards, effective prioritisation, and high quality support across the IFS landscape.
- Strengthen user capability and promote best practice use of IFS through clear communication, training, documentation, and ongoing engagement.
- Safeguard governance, compliance, and change control by ensuring all IFS related activities adhere to internal controls, audit requirements, and data governance standards.
- Influence local functional strategy and cross functional alignment by advising leaders on system capabilities, risks, and opportunities that support operational goals and business growth.
What we’re looking for:
The role requires a blend of business process understanding and application expertise, which is not common across all IT roles and may require specialised familiarity with ERP environments. The position benefits from experience working with complex, integrated business systems, particularly IFS, due to the depth of functional and configuration knowledge involved. The role will face ongoing challenges associated with the organisation’s transition toward cloud-based ERP capabilities, requiring adaptability, continuous learning, and the ability to support evolving business needs. Analytical and problem-solving strengths, with the ability to manage complexity and prioritise effectively. Ability to lead, coach, or influence professional support roles, fostering continuous improvement and high-quality service delivery.
Key skills, knowledge and experience:
- Strong understanding of IFS functionality, configuration, and process design across key modules such as Finance, Supply Chain, Manufacturing, Service Management, or Projects.
- Ability to analyse business processes, identify improvement opportunities, and shape system solutions aligned with operational and strategic goals.
- Experience leading workshops, engaging stakeholders, and influencing decisions across functional boundaries.
- Capability to guide or oversee system implementations, enhancements, integrations, and upgrades within structured governance and change control frameworks.
- Skilled in supporting ERP operational health, including user administration, data quality, system performance, and issue resolution.
- Proficiency in IFS configuration tools such as workflows, custom fields, lobbies, events, permissions, and dashboards.
- Familiarity with IFS Cloud and reporting tools such as Crystal Reports, Business Reporter, and Lobby Reports.
- Strong communication skills, able to translate technical concepts into clear business language and support user capability development.
This is a remote role; however, travel to various sites across the business will be required as per the business need.
Why join us?
- Competitive benefits tailored to the division.
- Opportunities for career growth and visibility across the organisation.
- A supportive, inclusive culture that values your ideas and contributions.
- Work that truly makes a difference in safety, innovation, and global capability.
About Us:
James Fisher is a global engineering services company operating across Energy, Defence, and Maritime Transport. With a strong heritage in maritime operations, we now deliver innovative solutions in challenging environments. Our One James Fisher strategy is focused on building a unified, sustainable business within the Blue Economy, driving progress through technology, expertise, and collaboration.
With two centuries of maritime shipping and innovation, James Fisher is a trusted partner in the safe and efficient movement of the world’s critical resources. As a market leader in ship-to-ship transfer and coastal shipping, we help customers protect people, cargo and infrastructure while shaping the future of global maritime transport.
If this sounds like the ideal next step in your career, then click ‘apply’ now!
Due to the volume of applications, we receive for our vacancies, on occasion applications may close before the deadline, so please apply early to avoid disappointment.
James Fisher and Sons are committed to taking positive action on diversity and strongly encourage applications for candidates from all backgrounds. We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer and recognise that our success depends on our talented and diverse workforce.
IFS Application Lead in Manchester employer: James Fisher and Sons
James Fisher is an exceptional employer, offering a supportive and inclusive culture that values innovation and collaboration. With competitive benefits and ample opportunities for career growth, employees can thrive in a dynamic environment that makes a meaningful impact in the Energy, Defence, and Maritime Transport sectors. The remote working flexibility, combined with the chance to engage with various business locations, ensures a unique work-life balance while contributing to the company's mission of driving progress in the Blue Economy.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land IFS Application Lead in Manchester
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the industry, attend relevant events, and don’t be shy about asking for introductions. The more people you know, the better your chances of landing that IFS Application Lead role.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching the company and its IFS application usage. Understand their challenges and think about how your skills can help them overcome these. Tailor your responses to show you’re the perfect fit for their needs.
✨Tip Number 3
Showcase your expertise! Bring examples of past projects where you’ve optimised IFS applications or led successful implementations. This will demonstrate your hands-on experience and problem-solving skills, making you stand out.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen. Plus, it shows you’re genuinely interested in joining our team at James Fisher, which is always a bonus!
We think you need these skills to ace IFS Application Lead in Manchester
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application:Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter to highlight your experience with IFS and how it aligns with the role. We want to see how your skills can directly support our business operations!
Showcase Your Problem-Solving Skills:In your application, share examples of how you've tackled complex challenges in previous roles. We love seeing analytical minds at work, especially when it comes to improving systems and processes.
Highlight Your Leadership Experience:If you've led teams or projects, make sure to mention that! We value candidates who can guide and influence others, so let us know how you've fostered continuous improvement in your past roles.
Apply Through Our Website:Don't forget to submit your application through our website! It’s the best way for us to receive your details and ensures you’re considered for this exciting opportunity.
How to prepare for a job interview at James Fisher and Sons
✨Know Your IFS Inside Out
Make sure you have a solid understanding of IFS functionality, especially in key modules like Finance and Supply Chain. Brush up on your knowledge of configuration tools and reporting systems like Crystal Reports and Power BI, as this will show your expertise and readiness to tackle the role.
✨Showcase Your Problem-Solving Skills
Prepare examples of how you've tackled complex business processes in the past. Be ready to discuss specific challenges you've faced with ERP systems and how you identified improvement opportunities. This will demonstrate your analytical strengths and ability to manage complexity.
✨Engage Stakeholders Effectively
Think about times when you've led workshops or influenced decisions across functional boundaries. Highlight your communication skills and how you've translated technical concepts into clear business language. This is crucial for the IFS Application Lead role, so come prepared with relevant anecdotes.
✨Emphasise Continuous Improvement
Discuss your approach to fostering a culture of continuous improvement within teams. Share how you've guided or coached support roles in the past, ensuring high-quality service delivery. This will align perfectly with the expectations of the role and show that you're proactive about user capability development.
