Applications Team Lead

Sword is a leading provider of business technology solutions within the Energy, Public and Finance Sectors, driving real transformation change within our clients.  We use proven technology, specialist teams and domain expertise to build solid technical foundations across platforms, data and business applications.  We have a passion for using technology to solve business problems, working in partnership with our clients to help in achieving their goals.

The main duty of the Application Team Lead is to provide leadership, guidance, and oversight to the Application team and its services, with the goal of consistently fulfilling business needs. A crucial aspect of this position involves collaborating with the Product Lead to adopt enhanced operational methods, evidenced by outcomes such as the reliability of application services.

Facilitates Application-related BAU Services through either direct staff management or through managed service providers.

Constructs and oversees internal teams, while also taking on people management responsibilities, including task distribution, coaching, mentoring, training, and performance evaluation.

Partners with the Product Lead to execute the strategic objectives for the function, ensuring that there are initiatives in place to support departmental goals.

Here’s what the role looks like:

• Delivers Application related BAU Services through either direct staff or managed service provision.
• Supports the Product Lead to develop workforce plans that ensure IS operations can supply skilled resources to meet current and future demand across the enterprise
• Supports the on-going security, performance, stability, maintenance and monitoring of the application portfolio
• Builds successful peer relationships with other IS and business functions through a clear understanding of business needs, and ensuring delivery of IT services to meet those needs
• Follows the formal governance mechanism to establish and monitor effective controls for the processes and functions performed by IS operations teams
• Drives the adoption of, and further development and enhancement of, re-usable, repeatable, standardised, and measurable processes.

Here are the key skills and experience relevant to this role:

• Experience in managing an IT support team, preferably applications but not essential, working with business users, and third‐party vendors.
• Self-motivated with a willingness to go the extra mile to achieve important goals.
• Responsible for ensuring IS operational capabilities achieve regulatory or statutory compliance requirements.
• Strong third-party management skills, working closely with multi sourcing and vendor managers.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to explain technical concepts and technologies to the IS workforce.
• Experience of application support and maintenance preferred but not essential.
• Strong industry and domain specific knowledge of the enterprise and its business units.
• Experience of developing and implementing process improvements.
• Experience and knowledge of cloud application services
• ITIL qualification (foundation at a minimum or similar demonstrated experience).

At Sword, our core values and culture are based on caring about our people, investing in training and career development and building inclusive teams where we are all encouraged to contribute to achieve success.

We offer comprehensive benefits designed to support your professional development and enhance your overall quality of life.  In addition to a Competitive Salary, here's what you can expect as part of our benefits package:

Personalised Career Development: We create a development plan customised to your goals and aspirations, with a range of learning and development opportunities within a culture that encourages growth.

Flexible working: Flexible work arrangements to support your work-life balance.  We can’t promise to always be able to meet every request, however are keen to discuss your individual preferences to make it work where we can.

A Fantastic Benefits Package: This includes generous annual leave allowance, enhanced family friendly benefits, pension scheme, access to private health, well-being, and insurance schemes, an employee assistance programme, discounted cash plan and more…..

At Sword we are dedicated to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace and are proud to be an equal opportunities employer, ensuring that all applicants receive fair and equal consideration for employment, regardless of whether they meet every requirement.  If you don’t tick all the boxes but feel you have some of the relevant skills and experience we’re looking for, please do consider applying and highlight your transferable skills and experience.  We embrace diversity in all its forms, valuing individuals regardless of age, disability, gender identity or reassignment, marital or civil partner status, pregnancy or maternity status, race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation. Your perspective and potential are important to us.

If we can do anything to help make the hiring process more accessible, please let our talent acquisition team know when you apply so we can support any adjustments.