At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead IT disaster recovery and continuity efforts to keep our university thriving.
- Company: Join UEA, a forward-thinking university committed to digital excellence.
- Benefits: Enjoy 44 days of annual leave, flexible working options, and competitive salary.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on our digital infrastructure and enhance resilience across the campus.
- Qualifications: Proven experience in IT disaster recovery and strong leadership skills required.
- Other info: Flexible working patterns available; we value work-life balance.
The predicted salary is between 48822 - 56535 £ per year.
Starting salary from £48,822 per annum, dependent on skills and experience, with an annual increment up to £56,535 per annum.
Make UEA more resilient, lead the recovery capability that keeps learning, teaching and research running. We’re hiring a Head of IT Disaster Recovery & Continuity to build and lead our university‑wide ITDR capability: policy and governance, assured recovery plans, end‑to‑end testing, SaaS assurance, and the dashboards that give leaders confidence in our resilience. You’ll work across ITCS and the wider university, shaping roadmaps that align with business RTO/RPOs and our Digital Strategy.
The impact you’ll have:
- Establish and chair the ITDR governance group, set policy & lifecycle, define roles, and maintain recovery dashboards/heatmaps and risk registers.
- Align IT recovery to business BIAs, validate RTO/RPOs, communicate capabilities/constraints, and drive risk acceptance or remediation where gaps exist.
- Define and socialise failure modes (incl. cyber and data‑centre scenarios), scope what we will/won’t recover from, and embed this into testing and plans.
- Orchestrate an ITDR testing programme and build recoverability into change, incident and risk processes.
- Oversee SaaS recovery assurance and cloud concentration risk, integrating supplier evidence into continuity reporting.
What you’ll bring:
- Significant enterprise‑scale experience across ITDR/BCM and broad technologies (applications, data, networks, infra, security, service management).
- Proven leadership: governance, stakeholder engagement, vendor management, ITIL best practice; ability to translate complex risk and recovery topics for non‑technical leaders.
- Strength in analysis, change and business case development; confident setting RTO/RPO with the business and evidencing them through testing.
- (Nice to have) ISO 22301, CBCP, CISSP, TOGAF/SABSA; HE sector familiarity.
Why UEA, why now:
UEA’s Digital Strategy aims to optimise organisational development through digital enhancement (Aim 4) and strengthen our digital infrastructure & capabilities (Aim 5). This role is pivotal to secure‑by‑design operations and service excellence across a digitally connected campus. This full-time post is available on an indefinite basis. UEA offers a variety of flexible working options and although this role is advertised on a full-time basis, we encourage applications from individuals who would prefer a flexible working pattern including annualised hours, compressed working hours, part time, job share, term-time only and/or hybrid working. Details of preferred hours should be stated in the personal statement and will be discussed further at interview.
Further information on our great benefits package, including 44 days annual leave inclusive of Bank Holidays and additional University Customary days, can be found on our benefits page.
Closing date: 16 February 2026
The University holds an Athena Swan Silver Institutional Award in recognition of our advancement towards gender equality.
Head of IT Disaster Recovery & Continuity in Norwich employer: University of East Anglia
Contact Detail:
University of East Anglia Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of IT Disaster Recovery & Continuity in Norwich
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to folks in your industry on LinkedIn or at events. We all know that sometimes it’s not just what you know, but who you know that can help you land that dream job.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by practising common questions and scenarios related to IT disaster recovery. We suggest doing mock interviews with friends or using online platforms to get comfortable with your responses.
✨Tip Number 3
Showcase your expertise! Create a portfolio or presentation that highlights your past projects and successes in ITDR. This will give potential employers a clear picture of what you bring to the table.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen. Plus, we love seeing candidates who take the initiative to engage directly with us.
We think you need these skills to ace Head of IT Disaster Recovery & Continuity in Norwich
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter to highlight your experience in IT disaster recovery and continuity. We want to see how your skills align with the specific requirements mentioned in the job description.
Showcase Your Leadership Skills: Since this role involves significant leadership, don’t forget to include examples of how you've successfully led teams or projects in the past. We love seeing candidates who can translate complex topics for non-technical audiences!
Be Clear About Your Availability: If you have a preference for flexible working hours, make sure to mention it in your personal statement. We’re open to discussing various working patterns, so let us know what works best for you!
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to submit your application through our website. It’s the easiest way for us to keep track of your application and ensures you don’t miss out on any important updates from us!
How to prepare for a job interview at University of East Anglia
✨Know Your ITDR Inside Out
Make sure you’re well-versed in IT Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity Management. Brush up on the latest trends, technologies, and best practices in the field. Being able to discuss specific scenarios and how you would handle them will show your expertise and confidence.
✨Prepare for Governance Discussions
Since this role involves establishing and chairing the ITDR governance group, be ready to talk about your experience with policy setting and lifecycle management. Think of examples where you've successfully engaged stakeholders and led governance initiatives, as this will demonstrate your leadership skills.
✨Align with UEA’s Digital Strategy
Familiarise yourself with UEA’s Digital Strategy and how it relates to IT resilience. Be prepared to discuss how you can contribute to optimising organisational development through digital enhancement and strengthening digital infrastructure. This shows that you’re not just focused on ITDR but also on the bigger picture.
✨Showcase Your Testing Programme Experience
Highlight your experience in orchestrating ITDR testing programmes. Be ready to explain how you’ve built recoverability into change, incident, and risk processes. Providing concrete examples of past successes will help illustrate your capability in this area.