Head of Digital Development

The Digital department are currently recruiting for a permanent Head of Digital Development to join their senior leadership team. This pivotal role will shape the future of digital technology at the university, driving cutting-edge innovations and implementing robust engineering practices to support our ambitious 2030 Digital Strategy. In order to find the very best talent for this role The University of Exeter has engaged the services of Global Resourcing to assist with the appointment process for this role. All applications must be made through Global resourcing. Click here to be taken to their website. What you'll be doing…

• Lead, develop and grow the engineering function, including Developers, Technical Analysts, DevOps Engineers, and Testers.
• Implement digital technology capabilities to support the 2030 Digital Strategy.
• Develop and execute a sector-leading technology strategy and technical roadmaps.
• Foster a high-performance, collaborative culture within the team.
• Drive the adoption of Agile and Devops methodologies and innovative engineering practices.
• Engage with key stakeholders to align digital initiatives with university goals.
• Work with cloud computing, machine learning, AI, DevOps, and other emerging technologies to drive digital transformation and enhance the university's digital capabilities.
• Work closely with our IT department to ensure Digital and IT initiatives are implemented strongly and ensure a symbiotic relationship between these teams
Our Engineering Chapter
• Creates immersive high quality solutions by applying new and innovative methods and technology. Following an agile development approach with DevOps at the core.
• Follows DevOps practices automating as many tasks as possible to deliver solutions.
• Delivers new, and maintains existing platforms to enable delivery
  
  Leadership and Team Management skills: Proven ability to develop, lead, and motivate high-performing engineering teams, fostering a culture of collaboration and innovation.
• Strategic Thinking: Expertise in developing and implementing technology strategies that align with the overall organisational goals and future trends.
• Technical Acumen: Deep technical knowledge across various software engineering domains, with hands-on experience in digital technology and engineering.
• An expert in Cloud and Emerging Technologies: Expertise in leveraging cloud computing, machine learning, AI, DevOps, and other emerging technologies to drive digital transformation and enhance the university's digital capabilities.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Excellent relationship management skills, with the ability to communicate effectively with stakeholders at all levels and gain buy-in for digital initiatives.
• Innovation and Problem-Solving: Ability to initiate change, think creatively, and solve complex issues through innovative solutions and collaborative approaches.
• Experience in a complex organisation: Someone with experience of finding and implementing innovative workforce solutions utilising internal teams and external partnerships.
• Communication expert: We need an individual who can translate technical language into real talk to help our stakeholders understand our technical needs and help transform product roadmap items into fully fledged technical plans.
  
  At the University of Exeter, we're embarking on an exciting journey of digital transformation that will reshape the way we educate, research, and collaborate. Our commitment to embracing cutting-edge digital technologies and fostering digital skills development is at the heart of our mission. We are dedicated to working with partners who share our values to enhance our education, research, and partnerships while meeting the evolving needs of our students and colleagues across our campuses.
We work in an agile way and have organised the team into chapters (groups of people with the same skill sets) and squads (made up of people from the chapters who can work autonomously and to their own goals). We want to test and champion new working models in our squads that push the boundaries of inclusivity, location, and flexibility. Our users will be at the heart of everything we do and we'll develop new ways to deliver value, make things easier and generate new income along the way. Our new team of visionaries is tasked with supporting the University of Exeter 2030 strategy, focusing on:
• Simplifying and enhancing the end-to-end digital experience, augmented with physical elements.
• Identifying and testing new opportunities through rich data and insights.
• Developing innovative digital products, services, and platforms.
• Cultivating digital capability, encompassing skills, structure, working methods, technology, data, leadership, and culture.
• Check out our Digital Strategy for more info!
The University of Exeter We are a member of the prestigious Russell Group of research-intensive universities and in the top 200 universities in the world (Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2024 and QS World University Ranking 2024). We combine world-class teaching with world-class research, achieving a Gold rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework Award 2023, underpinned by Gold ratings for Student Experience and Student Outcomes. Our world-leading research impact has grown more than any other Russell Group university in recent years, and we are home to some of the world's most influential researchers, seeking to answer some of the most fundamental issues facing humankind today. More than 99 percent of our research is of international quality and 47 percent is world-leading (2021 Research Excellence Framework). We encourage proactive engagement with industry, business and community partners to enhance the impact of research and education and improve the employability of our students. Read about our world leading research - Green Futures and how we are transforming education for a changing world. We are located in a beautiful part of the country and Exeter (a fast growing tech hub) is one of only a few UK cities to have been designated as a UNESCO Creative City Our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Commitment We are committed to ensuring reasonable adjustments are available for interviews and workplaces. Whilst all applicants will be judged on merit alone, we particularly welcome applications from groups currently underrepresented within our working community. With over 30,000 students and 7,000 staff from 150 different countries we offer a diverse and engaging environment where our diversity is celebrated and valued as a major strength. We are committed to creating an inclusive culture where all members of our community are supported to thrive; where diverse voices are heard through our engagement with evidence-based charter frameworks for gender (Athena SWAN and Project Juno for Physics), race equality (Race Equality Charter Mark), LGBTQ+ inclusion (Stonewall Diversity Champion) and as a Disability Confident employer. We are proud signatories of the Armed Forces Covenant and welcome applications from service people.

This is a Grade H position with a starting salary from £63,335 to £79,795 depending on skills and experience. Contractual hours 36.5 Region West Package Generous holiday allowances, flexible working, pension scheme and relocation package (if applicable), Just some of the benefits that come with this role include:
• Substantial annual leave package of 41 days!
• Incredible Full USS pension scheme with significant employer contributions.
• Flexible Work Arrangements: Craft your work schedule with our flexible working policy. Achieve the balance you've been looking for.
• Sector leading policies around maternity, adoption and shared parental leave(up to 26 weeks full pay), paternity leave (up to six weeks full pay) and a new Fertility Treatment Policy
• Benefit from fantastic discounts at local and national shops through numerous discount schemes including TOTUM cards
• We'll take your personal and professional development very seriously and we'll empower you to keep developing your expert skills and give you access to the latest technologies and platforms