Disaster Recovery, Test and Maintenance Manager in Westminster

This role sits within the Service Delivery and Operations Team in NRW's Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) department and carries overall accountability for Disaster Recovery, Testing and Maintenance across all DDaT services. You will ensure that robust disaster recovery capability is in place, regularly exercised and aligned with organisational business continuity requirements. You will also oversee the development and delivery of a fit-for-purpose testing approach, using risk assessments to determine appropriate levels of assurance, and you will lead the planning and management of maintenance activities to ensure live services remain stable, secure and compliant with DDaT policy and process.

As an organisation we support flexible working. You will be contracted to the nearest NRW office to your home and a suitable hybrid working pattern will be agreed on appointment. There will be a requirement for you to attend our offices, but any required face to face meetings or training will be planned in advance. You will work a flexible shift pattern to cover service hours of 8am to 6pm, with occasional weekend working to meet business needs. You will also participate in a time-specific rota to provide an Out of Hours ICT Service to an agreed level.

What you will do:

• Provide overall accountability for disaster recovery across DDaT services, ensuring recovery capability is in place, exercised regularly and aligned to organisational business continuity requirements.
• Ensure that service recovery requirements are clearly defined, agreed and maintained across the estate, including RTO, RPO, recovery priority, key dependencies, and documented recovery arrangements aligned to business criticality.
• Align DR, testing and maintenance services with the DDaT strategy.
• Deliver DR, testing and maintenance services to DDaT customers to the levels agreed and within budget, delivering value to the business.
• Maintain effective business relationships using service management functions at strategic, tactical and operational levels.
• Work with Project Managers, Product Team Managers and Service Managers (including Release Manager) to ensure the supportability, maintainability and DR capability of new services.
• Provide operational, tactical and strategic management of the DR, testing and maintenance team.
• Ensure DR, testing and maintenance team members deliver appropriately and support the teams in delivery of their responsibilities.
• Deputise for The Service Delivery Manager operationally as appropriate.
• Work as part of the DDaT Management Team.
• Contribute to the operational, tactical and strategic delivery of ICT services as part of the DDaT Management Team.
• Undertake health and safety duties and responsibilities appropriate to the post.
• Be committed to Natural Resources Wales Equal Opportunities and Diversity Policy.
• Be committed to your own development and that of your staff through the effective use of your personal development plan (known as Sgwrs).
• Required to take part in incident response activities.
• Any other reasonable duties requested commensurate with the grade of this role.

Your qualifications, experience, knowledge and skills:

• Degree level qualification in ICT related subject or Industry Standard qualification (or equivalent experience).
• Extensive experience of running ICT teams in a complex environment.
• Commercially aware and able to understand complex budgets.
• Driven and focussed. Willingness to excel and strive for success.
• Personable and articulate. Good under pressure and ability to delegate.
• Strong communication skills, both oral and written, and proven experience at presenting/leading meetings with a positive, proactive and pragmatic approach.
• Ability to take responsibility but understand when escalation is necessary, flexible, detail-orientated and a 'completer-finisher'.
• ISTQB Advanced Test Manager Qualification (or equivalent) with proven experience of implementing strategic vision for testing.
• Certified Business Continuity Management Professional (CBCMP) or equivalent with proven understanding of the importance of DR and failover for live services.
• Understanding of ITIL best practice.
• Proven experience of working with operational teams delivering upgrade, update and maintenance activities.
• Proven experience in designing and embedding pragmatic IT process and procedure.

Welsh Language level requirements:

• Essential: Level A1 - Entry level.

Additional Information:

• Successful applicants will be subject to a satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service Check (DBS) check.
• Appointments are normally made within 4 to 8 weeks of the closing date.
• This role meets the criteria for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker visa route.
• Natural Resources Wales welcomes applications from non-UK citizens who are eligible to apply under this route, subject to confirmation by the Home Office.
• Please note that while we may be able to support the Certificate of Sponsorship required for a visa application, the organisation does not cover the cost of the visa itself, including any associated fees for dependants.

The applicant must still meet the UK Skilled Worker Visa Eligibility and Requirement.

We’re passionate about creating a diverse workforce and positively encourage applications from under-represented communities. We embrace equality of opportunity irrespective of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation.

We are committed to equal opportunities, and we guarantee interviews for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

We want to attract and retain talented and highly skilled staff, so we make sure that our pay scales remain competitive. We advertise the full pay scale on our job descriptions. Appointed candidates start at the first point of the pay scale and annual increments are paid each year.

We want our staff to grow professionally and personally. From leadership development to access to further and higher education courses, our staff have opportunities to expand their knowledge on a variety of topics, stay current in their field and continue to learn as their career progresses.

We are a Bilingual organisation which complies with the Welsh Language Standards. Welsh language skills are considered an asset to NRW, and we encourage and support staff to learn, develop and use their Welsh language skills.