Head of IT Shared Services

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Head of IT Shared Services

• Deliver a first-class IT support service to UK-wide colleagues
• Drive internal and third-party teams to identify problems, provide tailored solutions and promote improvement
• Develop a culture where providing great customer service is a given
• Forge and maintain relationships with key stakeholders across the business

About the role

At NFU Mutual we put our customers at the heart of everything we do. The way we get things done is different and we're proud to be known for the great customer service we provide. This great customer service also extends to our colleagues across the UK, and our IT Division is key in delivering high-quality services that support our business operations to deliver an efficient and effective service to our customers.

As Head of IT Shared Services at NFU Mutual, you'll drive our internal team and external third-party suppliers to deliver great customer service and embed a culture that thrives on customer satisfaction, innovation, and continuous improvement.

In this senior leadership role, you'll be the strategic partner between our IT Division, external suppliers and senior stakeholders across the organisation. Leading the delivery of our IT shared services strategy and roadmap across all NFU Mutual Divisions and the NFU Mutual Agency Network, you'll monitor daily IT issues and performance, drive excellent service provision from third-party suppliers, and make improvements based on customer feedback to meet the needs of the business.

To continually promote our customer-focused IT strategy and services, you'll build and maintain effective relationships with programme and project boards, NFU Mutual functions, and strategic partners across the business. You'll also provide expert advice, insights, and leadership to the Board and Executive Committee on IT Service Management trends, best practices, and opportunities for continuous improvement and innovation.

Reporting into the IT Director, this role is critical in ensuring our IT services meet and exceed our service level agreements, whilst maintaining a strong focus on transparency, accountability, and customer satisfaction.

About you

An experienced senior leader with a strong customer focus, you can confidently lead and drive an existing IT service strategy with precision and collaboration. Comfortable to step into a newly created role, you're a visionary leader with IT Delivery Best Practice experience and IT Service Integration Management skills. With experience of managing multiple third-party providers and a track record of success, you instinctively put customers first, even in a fast-paced environment.

To join our team, you must also be able to demonstrate the following:

• Exceptional leadership and coaching abilities, with a track record of developing high-performing IT teams
• Significant prior experience in a highly visible, customer focused, strategic partnering role, delivering results at pace
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with experience of engaging senior management and stakeholders
• Analytical and problem-solving expertise, with a proactive approach to identifying and resolving service delivery issues efficiently and against service level agreements
• Experience of utilising ongoing customer feedback to continually improve service delivery
• Experience of driving change and influencing direction within a senior leadership role.
• Management of boards and committees at an executive level
• Strategy development and implementation experience
• Proven experience in leading service delivery across multiple business units and vendor management of third-party suppliers
• In-depth understanding of Service Integration Management, Service Management, and Governance Frameworks
• Strong knowledge of IT service portfolio management, including infrastructure, systems, applications, and security
• Up to date knowledge of the latest IT service management trends and practices
• Certification in IT service management (e.g., ITIL v3, COBIT, ISO/IEC 20000).

At NFU Mutual, we support an inclusive workplace and value all the differences that make us unique. We celebrate the creativity and innovation that comes from diverse perspectives and experiences and share a common vision of doing the right thing for our customers and employees.

We recognise that some candidates may experience barriers during the recruitment process. So, we encourage candidates to discuss any adjustments or accommodations they need to be the best they can be throughout our recruitment process.

We're proud to be a Disability Confident Employer, a Race at Work and Women in Finance Charter signatory and welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, regardless of age, ethnicity, disability, neurodiversity, gender, religion, marital status, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic background.

Benefits and Rewards

When you join our team, you can expect a supportive culture and an attractive range of rewards and benefits including:

• Salary - Up to £150,000 Basic
• Annual bonus (up to 40% of salary)
• Car allowance of £9,500
• This role is based in Stratford-upon-Avon, with some homeworking and an expectation of regular travel to other sites
• Contributory pension scheme, up to 20%, including your 8% contribution
• Life Assurance cover of 4 x salary
• Employee discounts of 15% on a range of NFU Mutual insurance policies.
• 28 days annual leave + bank holidays + buy/sell/save holiday trading scheme
• Private medical insurance family cover
• Health screening
• A Family Friendly policy that helps you balance your work and family responsibilities
• Access to savings at High Street brands, travel and supermarkets
• £20 contribution to a monthly gym membership - subject to T&Cs
• Health and wellbeing plan - cashback for dentist, opticians, physio and more
• Employee Volunteering - volunteer in the community for one day each year
• Unlimited access to Refer a Friend £500 bonus scheme

Working at NFU Mutual

We're one of the UK's leading general insurance and financial services companies. For over 110 years we've put our customers at the heart of everything we do. Our people are just as important to us. We pride ourselves on being "a great place to work" and we're one of only 60 companies across the globe to receive a Gallup Exceptional Workplace 2024 award, and one of only 2 companies to receive the award for the ninth consecutive year. We were also named in the LinkedIn Top 25 Companies List 2021, the Glassdoor Best Places to Work UK List 2023 and 2024, and were recognised as a certified UK Top Employer by the Top Employers Institute in 2023 and 2024.

We offer a supportive culture where we empower and inspire our people to perform, offer them opportunities to grow, and recognise and reward their contribution. Our people are proud to work for a company that respects them and their communities, and they trust us to be financially sustainable, so we are successful now and in the future.