Business Applications Support Manager

With a stunning campus just a stone’s throw from the Snowdonia National Park, you’ll find Bangor University – and an outstanding role. As our Business Applications Support Manager, you’ll be a key part of the Digital Services Directorate at a university with an international reputation for the quality of its teaching and research. If you want to support a vibrant, long-established university with your skills, this is your chance.

Principally based on campus (with opportunity for remote working) you’ll lead a team of six to deliver 2nd line support for our core business systems. It’s a vital task where you’ll be managing specialists and liaising with software vendors to provide a consistently excellent service. In addition, you’ll be assisting the Head of Corporate Systems with a variety of projects. Having secured £multi-million investment in corporate systems, it’s a particularly exciting time to be here.

To join us at this level, you must have a relevant postgraduate degree (or near completion) or substantial equivalent expertise in business application systems. What’s important is a broad set of skills gained by providing real-world software system support. With this background, you’ll be comfortable dealing with major systems in a large, complex organisation.

A fast learner and natural problem solver, you’ll bring adaptability and clarity of thought. You’ll also be a capable leader who is well organised, articulate and great with people, from stakeholders to 1st line staff.

The ability to communicate through the medium of Welsh is desirable for this role.

In return, we can offer a range of benefits. Join us at the heart of beautiful North Wales – and take your next career step.

Candidate Enquiries to Graham Worley g.worley@bangor.ac.ukApplications will only be accepted via our on-line recruitment website, jobs.bangor.ac.uk. However, in cases of access issues due to disability, paper application forms are available by telephoning 01248 383865.

Closing date for applications: 31st January, 2024.

Committed To Equal Opportunities.

Overview

Digital Services is responsible for providing, developing and maintaining IT facilities and services across the University, supporting staff and students to use those facilities and services. Digital Services has a good reputation within the University, providing reliable and resilient infrastructure, services, applications and facilities. We pride ourselves on being helpful, friendly, and responsive to user needs. Digital Services comprises circa 100 staff with its IT responsibilities set in three main areas: Corporate Systems, Infrastructure and Client Services. The post of Business Applications Support Manager will manage one of the two divisions of the Corporate Systems team. The Corporate Applications team which this role will manage delivers 2nd line support of line of business systems and works closely with the DevOps team who deliver 3rd line support and provide in-house software development and hosting expertise. Support cases will be escalated to the 2nd line from the Business Support Team’s 1st line helpdesk that forms part of the Client Services section of Digital Services.

Purpose of the Job

The Corporate Applications team comprises 6 staff (including this post) and is responsible as part of Digital Services directorate in providing and supporting business systems for the University. The role holder will manage the team of specialists to ensure a high and consistent service to the university as well as engaging with software vendors.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

Team Management

Managing a team of technical experts support business systems .
Manage relationship with key systems vendors.
Manage and maintain the wellbeing of the team.
Conduct team annual performance reviews Operational Responsibilities.
Provide 2nd line support functions for business systems.
Ensure all business systems are maintained and monitored against agreed service standards.
Ensure knowledge of systems supporting critical business functions are spread across multiple members of the team.
Minimise 2nd line support case volume by analysing support cases to determine whether a requirement exists for further end-user training or additional knowledge transfer to the 1st line support team.
Working with the Head of Corporate Systems source and manage appropriate third parties for the delivery of managed services.

Technology & Projects

Assist the Head of Corporate Systems in planning, delivering and supporting digital transformational projects.
Manage updated reference documentation such as schematics, technical guidelines, operational standards and details of IT system assets.
Ensure security and maintenance standards are maintained including patching standards across all business systems.
Seek opportunities to streamline the business processes implemented within business systems to ease ongoing support.
Manage the technical implementation of projects within corporate systems as agreed with the Head of Corporate Applications.
The working hours of the post are between 36.25 and 48 hours per week, working between 8am and 6pm five days a week. The post requires a willingness to work occasionally outside these hours to undertake work that cannot be undertaken during office hours (e.g. application upgrades) and on occasion undertake emergency work to solve a critical issue.

Other Duties and Responsibilities

The post holder will be expected to participate in performance review and developmental activities.

The post holder will be expected to comply with the University equal opportunities policies, Dignity at Work and Study Policy and the University’s Welsh Language Policy and the Welsh Language Standards.

The post holder has a general and legal duty of care in relation to health, safety and wellbeing and must take all reasonable steps to ensure a safe and healthy working environment for him/her self and for other members of staff, students and visitors affected by his/her actions or inactions. The post holder is also required to comply with all applicable health and safety policies, procedures and risk assessments.

The post holder must comply with relevant legal and financial policies and procedures and be aware of their responsibilities in terms of the legal requirements of their posts.

Person Specification

Qualifications/Training
Essential

Postgraduate degree (or near completion) or substantial equivalent expertise in business application systems.
Professional accreditation.

Desirable

Evidence of continuing professional development Experience.

Knowledge and Experience

Essential

Highly developed and up to date knowledge IT services within an organisation.
Experience of working effectively within a team and collaborating with others to achieve a goal.

Desirable

HE Sector experience.
Knowledge of any of the following systems Drupal, Ellucian BANNER, Unit 4 Business World, Planon or PowerBI.
Knowledge of managing teams that deliver key business systems applications.
Knowledge of managing vendors and third-party suppliers.
Knowledge and experience of managing projects and ‘business-as-usual’ activities.

Skills/Abilities

Essential

Excellent interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to communicate with internal colleagues, senior managers and external vendors.
Excellent organisational skills with the ability to multi-task.
Ability to manage own time effectively and to be prompt and punctual.
Drive, self-motivation and ability to work under own initiative.
Ability to manage competing end-user demands and time-critical schedules, prioritising simultaneous issues and rapidly evaluating alternate action plans.
Excellent skills in communicating with staff, helping to clarify goals and activities and the links between these and university priorities.
Excellent analytical skills and ability to develop clear technical statements of work.
Able to analyse customers’ system, process and data requirements.
Ability to troubleshoot complex multi-factorial application/systems problems, working with a range of colleagues, external colleagues/experts, and suppliers.

Desirable

Demonstrates strong customer service skills and a proven track record of maintaining an exceptional standard of customer service across a department / service.

The ability to communicate through the medium of Welsh is desirable for this role. If applicants are not able to speak/write in Welsh at present, there are many opportunities to learn if the successful candidate wishes to do so.

General

The University is committed to supporting and promoting equality and diversity and to creating an inclusive working environment. We believe this can be achieved through attracting, developing, and retaining a diverse range of staff from many different backgrounds. We strive to develop a workforce from all sections of the community regardless of sex, gender identity, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, trans identity, relationship status, religion or belief, caring responsibilities, or age. We promote and facilitate the use of the Welsh language through our progressive Welsh Language Policy. We comply with the Welsh Language Standards and are committed to equality of opportunity. You are welcome to apply for any job in English or Welsh and all applications submitted will be treated equally.

We are a member of Advance HE's Athena SWAN Gender Equality charter and hold a Bronze award in recognition of our commitment to and progress towards gender equality within the University's policies, practices, and culture. We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer.

All members of staff have a duty to ensure their actions are in line with the overall environmental aims of the University and minimise their environmental impact.

All offers are made subject to proof of eligibility to work in the UK and receipt of satisfactory references.

All candidates must meet the requirements of UK ‘right to work’ requirements *** If you require Home Office permission to work in the UK, or need to switch your visa status in order to take this job we recommend you use the following link to information about the routes into employment and to check eligibility requirements: https://www.gov.uk/browse/visas-immigration/work-visas

Please note that we are unable to employ anyone who does not have the right to live and work in the UK legally. When applying for this post you will be required to explain the basis upon which you believe you will be able to live and work in the UK legally on the commencement date of the role should your application be successful.

Please note that, in the event of applications being received from candidates on the University's Redeployment Register with a reasonable skills match to the post specification, these applicants will be given prior consideration.