The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) was established as Ireland’s national energy authority under the Sustainable Energy Act 2002. SEAI’s mission is to play a leading role in transforming Ireland into a society based on sustainable energy structures, technologies and practices.
Reporting to the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications. SEAI is responsible for an annual budget of circa €440m. The Government is investing €8 billion of Exchequer funds to 2030, and SEAI is responsible for administrating schemes in support of Government’s objectives.
To fulfil this mission SEAI aims to provide well-timed and informed advice to Government, and deliver a range of programmes efficiently and effectively, while engaging and motivating a wide range of stakeholders and showing continuing flexibility and innovation in all activities. SEAI’s actions will help advance Ireland to the vanguard of the global green technology movement, so that Ireland is recognised as a pioneer in the move to decarbonised energy systems.
The Role
SEAI have a current vacancy for the role of Chief Information Officer (CIO). The role of CIO is dynamic and always evolving to meet the demands of technology advances, digital ecosystems, business model innovation and user expectations. With an ever-increasing focus on the development of the overall business strategy, this role requires bringing a current knowledge and future vision of leveraging and leading information and technology in programme design, business processes, and services development and deployment.
This position will be responsible for the overall ownership of IT service & support delivery through definition and management of customer and department SLAs and operational KPIs. The CIO will also report and communicate with senior management and the wider business on IT service delivery. This is an outstanding opportunity for a visionary technology leader to create a technology strategy and associated roadmap to drive the organization’s mandate.
Key responsibilities
The responsibilities of the CIO outlined in this job description should not be regarded as comprehensive in scope, these may be added to or altered from time to time appropriate to the position and the needs of the organisation.
Leadership & Strategic Direction
- Head the IT Function to provide direction and oversight to drive IT strategic, operational and project activity. The CIO will direct the Team to provide a centralised, structured, and consistent approach to deliver measurable and sustainable IT service delivery as part of SEAI organisation goals.
- Be an innovator and foster a culture of innovation while also promoting both effectiveness and efficiency in our constantly changing environment.
- Develop and drive the implementation of a long-term IT strategy framework and priorities to underpin and enable the successful realisation of the IT Strategy and related long-term Strategic Plans and Policies in all areas.
- Leading the development, coordination and maintenance of a highly available, reliable, and secure integrated information technology system; and guiding IT modernization in support of SEAI missions, goals and objectives. Appling innovative IT concepts in the development and design of an optimal IT organizational structure.
- Direct the internal team (IT Project and Business System Programme, IT Infrastructure and Operations Programme and Data Governance Programme) as well as managed service providers in the successful delivery of IT projects and service.
- Setting the overall standards and aims for the teams, managing performance and professional development, identifying and arranging appropriate training, developing the teams’ skills and experience thus equipping the team for both current requirements and emerging technologies.
IT Dept & Infrastructure Management
- The IT Team is heavily built on 3rd party vendors and outsourced providers and it is vital that the role holder has significant experience leading this type of team structure.
- Develop and maintain business plans to ensure the IT Infrastructure and Operations adequately supports the business needs going forward.
- Accountability for budget expenditure related to the IT function.
- Continuous review of cost efficiencies while maintaining high levels of customer satisfaction and service.
- Lead in the procurement of IT services and products as well as vendor and contract management.
- Function as a strategic business advisor to the executive/senior management of each business unit regarding key organisational and management issues.
- Oversee the successful delivery of all projects, services and functions management by team members within the IT department, ensuring and championing a commitment to continuous improvement and high standards in all activities.
- Work with colleagues to ensure that information systems projects are appropriately resourced and deliver the scope, schedule, budget and quality expectations of the business.
- Ensure appropriate organizational and technical controls are in place to meet the cyber security needs of the business and regulatory compliance.
- Play an important role in our risk mitigation strategy and implement solutions as needed for the sustainability of the business (assessing key risks and recommending solutions, business continuity, information security management).
- Network on behalf of SEAI with external partners, which are related to the operational activity linked with IT, developing appropriate links in order to foster collaborations.
- Oversee the procurement process linked with IT related tenders.
Digitalisation & Innovation
- Development of the IT landscape has a vital role in enabling delivery of the expanding mandate of SEAI, which is likely to see approximately 15 new programmes introduced in the coming years, requiring transformation and innovation in how we work, supported by IT systems.
- Playing a key part in the SEAI transformational programmes enabling scalability to deliver the rapid growth in the scope of the delivery of the SEAI against the Climate Change Action Plan.
The Person
The candidate appointed will have demonstrated expertise and experience in managing complex technology projects, including schedules, cost and quality, from inception to completion. They will need strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to communicate, influence and negotiate with senior stakeholders, significant numbers of vendors and third-party contractors. The candidate will need to demonstrate their ability to provide and communicate vision, leadership and direction in the execution of the role. In addition, they will need experience of communicating complex information to non-technical audiences.
Application and Further Information
For further information and to apply for this role visit www.mazars.ie/executiverecruitment .
Applications should be submitted online and must include:
- A cover letter outlining why you wish to be considered for the role and why you believe your skills and experience meet the requirements of the role and;
- A comprehensive CV clearly showing your relevant achievements and experience in your career to date.
Only applications fully submitted online will be accepted into the campaign.
All enquiries relating to this role should be directed to the Executive Recruitment Team by email to execrecruit@mazars.ie or by telephone on +353 (1) 449 4400.
Mazars will be managing all aspects of this recruitment project on behalf of SEAI
No enquiries or canvassing should be made directly to SEAI
Deadline for applications: Monday, 30th January 2023 at 12noon.
SEAI is an equal opportunities employer with a strong commitment to diversity, inclusion and equality at all levels of the organisation.
Essential Requirements
The successful candidate must be able to demonstrate evidence of:
- Evidence of a third level qualification in an IT, technical or business discipline OR A qualification at Level 8 on the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) major award), in a relevant Information Technology, computing or computational discipline.
- Evidence of a minimum 10 years work experience with 5 years’ experience in leading a team providing high quality operational support and maintenance, system development and project management.
- Extensive knowledge of IT infrastructure, application architecture, system development methodologies.
- Detailed knowledge of IT controls and governance procedures including risk management strategies.
Desirable Requirements
The successful candidate may demonstrate evidence of:
- Experience in an IT role within the Irish Public Service and working knowledge of Civil and Public Service IT Guidelines and Policies.
- Knowledge of standards and best practices relating to IT and Information systems development (e.g. ITIL, ISO 9001, ISO20000, ISO27001, NIST, ENSIA, CoBIT, etc).
- Project management experience / Lean / Agile work methodology.
- Experience in creating and managing opex and capex budgets.