Head of Business Applications & Services in London

Role Accountabilities (What is this role responsible for delivering?)

• Own the delivery of the application support & services, ensure alignment with business outcomes, especially during economic shifts or digital transformation efforts.
• Ownership of successful application support & services for the following business critical applications; Business Unit ERPs (Solverminds and Cargowise), Financial ERP (SAP or D365), CRMs, Service Desk/Ticketing.
• Translate business needs into technology solutions: Act as a bridge between business stakeholders and technical teams.
• Drive innovation and transformation: Lead initiatives that modernize legacy systems and introduce new digital capabilities in partnership with IT leadership team.
• Oversee application lifecycle: From selection and implementation to optimization and retirement.
• Ensure application fitness: Evaluate performance, scalability, and alignment with business goals.
• Foster tech fluency across the organization: Promote understanding and adoption of digital tools and platforms.
• Build strong stakeholder relationships: Ensure business units are engaged in strategy and decision-making.
• Leverage data for decision-making: Use analytics to drive business value and optimize operations.
• Support data governance and management: Collaborate with data officers to unlock insights and ensure compliance.
• Ensure compliance and security: Work with cybersecurity and risk teams to safeguard applications and data.
• Support governance frameworks: Define roles, responsibilities, and accountability across application domains.
• Measure business value: Track KPIs and ROI to justify investments and guide future strategy.
• Lead the adoption of ITSM processes in alignment with industry standards such as ITIL or COBIT.
• Conduct regular reviews and audits of IT services, ensuring compliance with internal policies and external regulations.
• Monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) and service metrics, ensuring overall commitments are met to our internal customers.
• Act as a point of escalation for complex incidents, problems, and changes, providing expert guidance and resolution strategies for the Service Management Lead and Application Support Teams.
• Participate in the selection, implementation, and management of ITSM tools and platforms.

Key Qualifications & Skills (What knowledge will ensure success in the role?)

• University degree or post‑secondary education (engineering or computer science) – MBA is an asset, 10+ years of experience.
• 7+ years’ experience in leadership role management enterprise business applications and solutions.
• Extensive experience with ERP, CRM, Data and other business‑critical applications. (Liner solutions a plus)
• Vendor/supplier management experience.
• Must be able to interact effectively across multiple levels of the organization.
• In‑depth knowledge of ITSM frameworks, particularly ITIL, and experience applying best practices in a real‑world environment.
• Strong problem‑solving abilities, with a data‑driven and analytical approach to process improvement.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, facilitating collaboration between technical and non‑technical stakeholders.
• Demonstrated experience in managing or supporting ITSM toolsets (e.g., ServiceNow, BMC Remedy, Jira Service Management).
• Project management capabilities, with the ability to lead initiatives from conception to completion.
• Commitment to customer service excellence and continual self‑improvement.

People Management

• Lead employees to meet the organisation's expectations for productivity, quality, and goal accomplishment.
• Lead employees to successfully execute the delivery of business applications and support services to our end-users and business stakeholders, as well as led by example through cross group partnership and collaboration with key technology members like solution delivery, infrastructure, security and PMO.
• Provide oversight and direction to the employees in the team in accordance with the organisation's policies and procedures.
• Plan staffing levels and work with Human Resources to recruit, interview, select, hire, and employ the right people within budgetary guidelines.
• Coach, mentor and develop staff, including overseeing new employee onboarding and providing career development planning and opportunities.
• Consciously create an engaging workplace culture that emphasizes the identified mission, vision, guiding principles, and values of the organisation.
• Lead employees using a performance management and development process including goal setting, feedback, and performance development planning.
• Empower employees to take responsibility for their jobs and goals. Delegate responsibility, drive accountability and provide regular feedback for continuous improvement.
• Manage and maintain effective employee work schedules including assignments, job rotation, training, vacations and paid time off, cover for absenteeism, and overtime scheduling.
• Maintain two-way transparent communication. Appropriately communicate organization information through department meetings, one-on-one meetings, and appropriate email, IM, and regular interpersonal communication.
• Deliver key people related activities in conjunction with the People Division that will lead to the enhanced engagement and retention of team members.

Crisis Management

• Make every effort to be aware of and understand your role in the event of a crisis.
• Make every effort to attend any relevant training, simulations and or meetings relating to Crisis Management.
• Perform your role as best as possible in a calm and collaborative manner in line with the relevant policy and procedures in the event of a Crisis.
• Provide input and feedback towards the ongoing improvement of the Crisis Management framework and procedure.

Technical Skills

• In‑depth knowledge of enterprise application platforms, cloud computing and immersion technologies. Ability to use strategic planning to translate business goals into technology solutions.
• Deep understanding of ERP, CRM, HRIS, and other business‑critical platforms.
• Ability to evaluate, implement, and optimize enterprise applications.
• Proficiency in tools like Power BI, Tableau, or Qlik.
• Ability to interpret data to drive decisions and measure business impact.
• Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines, infrastructure as code, and automation tools.
• Understanding of security frameworks and compliance requirements.
• Experience with cloud platforms (Azure, AWS, GCP).
• Knowledge of APIs, microservices, and integration middleware.
• Ability to set technical standards and guide solution architecture.
• Deep understanding of ITIL v4 (or v3) practices: Incident, Problem, Change, Release, and Configuration Management.
• Understanding of CMDB structure, data modeling, and relationship mapping.
• Knowledge of ISO 20000, ISO 27001, GDPR, or other relevant standards.

Professional Skills

• Clear, concise communication with technical and non‑technical audiences to foster alignment and reduce friction.
• Ability to translate technical issues into business language.
• Creating inclusive, high‑performing teams that work cohesively across functions.
• Making timely, evidence‑based decisions that align with strategic priorities.
• Engaging with internal and external stakeholders.
• Building trust through transparency, fairness, and responsible data handling.
• Encouraging innovation and exploring new technologies or methodologies.

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Swire Shipping is committed to ensuring equal equitable access and participation for persons who experience disability. SSL is committed to treating persons with disability in a way that allows them to maintain their dignity and independence. Reasonable adjustments can be made upon request based on understanding of those accommodations.

Across Swire Shipping, we seek to create a supportive and inclusive environment that embraces individuality and recognises the benefits that these differences make. We do this by ensuring that all individuals are treated with respect and understanding and actively promote Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and do not tolerate discrimination, harassment, bullying, retaliation or intimidation of any kind. We are committed to driving the strategy, policies and accountability to build and sustain a diverse global workforce, through equitable processes and systems where everyone can contribute their very best.