Deputy Chief Technology Officer in Sheffield

Overview

In this role you will lead the engineering functions within IT Services, with particular accountability for the student records system and its associated platforms along with infrastructure teams. Reporting to the CTO, you will be accountable for the technical quality, reliability and modernisation of systems. The portfolio includes the University's core student records system, enterprise systems (primarily SAP), integration services, web platforms, DevOps, Networks and Platforms. You will work closely with Architecture and Product colleagues to translate product roadmaps into technically sound, well‑engineered solutions, ensuring the development teams deliver to agreed standards and timelines.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

• Define and communicate the Technology Vision for the development, integration and operational technology estate, working closely with the CTO, Architecture and Product teams. Own and deliver the technical roadmap that underpins product delivery across the University's digital services.
• Lead, manage and mentor the Heads of Enterprise Systems, Development, Networks and Platforms. Set the technical direction for these teams and ensure they have clarity of priorities, expected outcomes and access to resources to achieve their goals.
• Drive the modernisation of the University's technology estate, including strategies for legacy system modernisation, adoption of cloud‑native patterns as well as on‑premise solutions where applicable and embedding modern software engineering practices across all teams.
• Work with Architecture to define and maintain technical standards, reference architectures and technology governance. Ensure all development activity meets agreed standards for code quality, security, testing and operational readiness.
• Work with Product to ensure technical feasibility and effort are well understood during roadmap planning and prioritisation. Provide credible technical input to product decisions and ensure delivery teams can execute against agreed plans.
• Establish and mature engineering practices across the development teams, improving deployment frequency, reliability and time to value. Own the operational health of systems under the teams’ responsibility, including working with Service and Infosec for incident response and service continuity.
• With Architecture, manage the integration landscape, ensuring reliable and well‑governed data flows between student‑facing systems, enterprise platforms and third‑party services. Define integration patterns and standards that support both current operations and future flexibility.
• Establish technology governance processes that balance delivery pace with university governance requirements, ensuring the CTO and relevant governance boards have appropriate visibility of technical debt, platform risks and modernisation progress.
• Own the technical workforce strategy, including skills development, recruitment and succession planning. Build a culture of continuous improvement, knowledge sharing and engineering excellence across the teams.
• Be a member of the IT Services Extended Leadership Team that works collectively to achieve strategic aims. Support Executive leaders in the delivery of strategy whilst working in partnership and collaboratively with colleagues to achieve those defined outcomes.
• As a member of staff, you will be encouraged to make ethical decisions in your role, embedding the University sustainability strategy into your working activities wherever possible.
• Carry out other duties, commensurate with the grade and remit of the post.

Person Specification

Our diverse community of staff and students recognises the unique abilities, backgrounds and beliefs of all. We foster a culture where everyone feels they belong and are respected. Even if your past experience does not match perfectly with this role's criteria, your contribution is valuable, and we encourage you to apply. Please ensure that you reference the application criteria in the application statement when you apply.

Essential Criteria

• Significant experience leading engineering teams with a proven track record of delivering and operating complex, business‑critical systems across full software lifecycles.
• Strong understanding of cloud‑native architectures (AWS preferred), CI/CD pipelines, infrastructure‑as‑code and modern DevOps practices. Hands‑on experience desirable; credible technical judgement essential.
• Experience with enterprise technology stacks such as Java, Oracle, Salesforce, Python and SAP. Ability to make sound architectural and platform decisions across a diverse estate.
• Strong communication skills; ability to distil and communicate complex technical concepts, proposals, risks and trade‑offs to colleagues and stakeholders at all levels, including non‑technical audiences.
• Experience managing multi‑year technology programmes, including making the case for investment in modernisation and demonstrating value to governance boards.
• Proven ability to establish credibility with senior stakeholders where you lack direct authority, particularly in federated or matrix organisations. Experience working effectively alongside Architecture and Product functions.
• Ability to think strategically and translate product and business goals into actionable technical plans. Proven expertise in managing technical debt, platform risk and modernisation alongside feature delivery.
• Experience leading integration programmes across complex system landscapes, including API design, event‑driven architectures and data governance across organisational boundaries.

Line Manager

CTO

Direct Reports

Head of Enterprise Systems, Head of Development, Head of Networks, Head of Platforms

Benefits

• A minimum of 41 days annual leave including bank holiday and closure days (pro rata) with the ability to purchase more.
• Flexible working opportunities, including hybrid working for some roles.
• Generous pension scheme.
• A wide range of discounts and rewards on shopping, eating out and travel.
• A variety of staff networks providing opportunities for social interaction, peer support and personal development (for example, Race Equality, LGBT+, Women’s and Parent’s networks).
• Recognition Awards to reward staff who go above and beyond in their role.
• A commitment to your development access to learning and mentoring schemes.
• A range of generous family‑friendly policies
  • paid time off for parenting and caring emergencies
  • support for those going through the menopause
  • paid time off and support for fertility treatment
  • and more

Equal Opportunity Statement

We are a Disability Confident Employer. If you have a disability and meet the essential criteria for this job you will be invited to take part in the next stage of the selection process.