Head of Operations and Support
The Head of Operations and Support drives the vision and strategy for the IT Operations and Support functions. He/She sets the direction for systems and database administration, day-to-day IT support and operations, data centre operations and system and quality assurance through the delivery of services as per business requirements; controls costs and manages vendors. He is responsible for formulating strategies for service level agreements. He ensures compliance with organisation's quality standards, international standards and government regulations. He is a leader with the energy and commitment to drive large teams toward achieving service level excellence. He is familiar with enterprise architecture frameworks, database administration and systems, and application monitoring tools. The Head of Operations and Support has a broad sense of perspective with the ability to influence key internal and external stakeholders. He is strategic in his approach to managing resources and developing capabilities within the team. He is effective in setting direction aligned to the strategic positioning of the business and the IT functions overall. He is able to impress upon the team the need to continuously improve service levels and increase efficiencies.
What Does a Head of Operations and Support Do?
Key Responsibilities & Tasks
Formulate strategy for service level agreements and improvements
- Establish the vision required to provide IT operations and support to the organisation
- Formulate IT service delivery roadmaps aligned with the overall IT strategy
- Define Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and performance metrics based on business requirements
- Establish the direction for implementing corrective actions to optimise performance against the SLAs
- Develop technology roadmaps and action plans in the area of ownership
- Build relationships with third-party infrastructure and tool providers
- Explore collaborations with new outsourcing partners that meet organisation's requirements
Manage and optimise IT operations and support performance
- Anticipate internal and/or external business challenges and/or regulatory issues which may impact IT operations and support functions
- Advise senior management on system concepts and functional capabilities
- Oversee the performance of the IT Operations and Support functions
- Serve as an internal change agent to drive IT operations and support process enhancements and innovation
- Evaluate future technologies and the suitability of software and hardware upgrades and technology solutions
Set IT standards and governance
- Formulate policies, procedures and technical standards for IT perations and support
- Define processes and systems for IT audits
- Enforce processes and systems to ensure compliance with regulatory compliance requirements
Manage people and organisation
- Implement succession planning initiatives for key management positions
- Review operational strategies, policies and targets across teams and projects
- Develop strategies for resource planning and utilisation
- Review the utilisation of resources
- Oversee the development of learning roadmaps for teams and functions
- Establish performance indicators to benchmark effectiveness of learning and development programmes against best practices
Do You Have the Skills for This Role?
A Head of Operations and Support needs 4 core competencies. Here's what's required and at what level.
Must-Have Skills (Advanced)
Communication
AdvancedInteracting with Others
Developing People
AdvancedInteracting with Others
Collaboration
AdvancedInteracting with Others
Decision Making
AdvancedThinking Critically
SkillsFuture Skill Levels
3 levelsBasic
Recognise and understand fundamental concepts. Apply skills in routine situations with guidance.
Intermediate
Apply skills in varied situations independently. Analyse problems and adapt approaches as needed.
Advanced
Lead and innovate in complex situations. Evaluate strategies, guide teams, and drive improvements.
Technical Skills & Competencies (TSC) Levels
6 levelsFollow
Carry out routine tasks under close supervision. Follow established procedures and guidelines.
Assist
Perform tasks with some independence. Assist in non-routine situations and apply established techniques.
Apply
Apply skills and knowledge independently in varied situations. Analyse problems and adapt approaches.
Analyse
Analyse complex situations and develop solutions. Guide and mentor junior colleagues.
Strategise
Set strategic direction and drive innovation. Evaluate trade-offs and make high-impact decisions.
Transform
Lead industry transformation. Establish standards, shape policy, and provide expert advisory.
Technical Skills & Competencies
A Head of Operations and Support requires 28 technical skills at specific proficiency levels.
Business Continuity
Level 6Business and Project Management
Define the optimal business continuity strategy and objectives for business continuity and contingency plans
Learning and Development
Level 6People Development
Mentor successors, support organisational learning and develop and engage employees to develop a strong organisational base
Project Management
Level 6Business and Project Management
Direct the management and authorise ownership of multiple large, complex programmes and projects, ensuring alignment with strategic business priorities
Stakeholder Management
Level 6Stakeholder and Contract Management
Establish the overall vision for the alignment of organisation's and stakeholders' objectives, co-creating shared goals and strategic initiatives with senior stakeholders.
Applications Development
Level 5Development and Implementation
Lead large-scale or business-critical application development projects and explore the incorporation of analytics and advanced capabilities to enhance the application
Applications Integration
Level 5Development and Implementation
Establish a business case for application integration and introduce new middleware tools and methodologies to enable both intra- and inter-enterprise application integration
Budgeting
Level 5Business Finance
Develop long-term financial plans and budget requirements
Business Needs Analysis
Level 5Business and Project Management
Lead comprehensive analysis to understand underlying drivers and present a compelling business case for proposed IT solutions
Change Management
Level 5Business and Project Management
Develop business readiness plan and direct business activities, processes and resources to facilitate changes and transitions, and plan change control procedures for IT initiatives
Contract Management
Level 5Stakeholder and Contract Management
Determine business viability of contracts and establish organisation's expectations of vendors, resolving any escalated performance or contractual issues
Cyber and Data Breach Incident Management
Level 5Operations and User Support
Formulate incident response strategies and direct teams in the remediation, resolution, communication and post-mortem of large-scale, unpredictable cyber and data incidents
Data Centre Facilities Management
Level 5Operations and User Support
Develop a data centre facilities management plan, defining infrastructure and technical requirements, and chart future plans for capacity enhancements
Data Engineering
Level 5Development and Implementation
Lead the creation of data management procedures and oversee the integration of data, ensuring optimisation of the organisation's data pipeline
Database Administration
Level 5Operations and User Support
Establish strategy and guidelines for database management and administration, directing processes, resources and IT investments to optimise database performance
Disaster Recovery Management
Level 5Business and Project Management
Design a disaster recovery plan and review recommendations for alternate solutions and recovery or back up procedures
Infrastructure Strategy
Level 5Strategy Planning and Implementation
Develop a robust infrastructure plan and model that is aligned and adaptable to internal business priorities and external trends
Manpower Planning
Level 5Business and Project Management
Formulate organisational manpower plans to bridge gaps between manpower demand and supply based on current and projected needs of the organisation
Networking
Level 5Business Development
Implementing strategies to capitalise on new business opportunities
People and Performance Management
Level 5People Development
Establish organisation-wide performance management strategies
Performance Management
Level 5Operations and User Support
Evaluate and integrate new mechanisms and technology, and leverage analytics to optimise performance data, and determine implications of performance levels reported
Problem Management
Level 5Operations and User Support
Establish problem management strategies, protocols, and mechanisms to guide the prevention, resolution and minimisation of problems and their effects
Procurement
Level 5Stakeholder and Contract Management
Establish an organisation-wide procurement process as well as policies and criteria for security due diligence review, retaining accountability for procurement decisions made
Quality Standards
Level 5Governance and Compliance
Establish and control quality expectations in line with organisation directions and selected benchmarks
Strategy Planning
Level 5Business and Project Management
Formulate the strategies and policies that are forward- looking and focuses on bottom line results
Sustainability Management
Level 5Business and Project Management
Define action plans, solutions and technologies to address energy efficiency gaps, and implement sustainability practices that encourage organisational commitment
System Integration
Level 5Development and Implementation
Design a feasible integration roadmap, monitor system integration outcomes and drive enhancements to integration plans
Test Planning
Level 5Development and Implementation
Develop a test strategy, and establish testing policies, guidelines and metrics according to internal and external standards
IT Strategy
Level 4Strategy Planning and Implementation
Generate insights to support strategic plans, systems and guidelines for IT, and evaluate the potential costs and value of new IT programmes
European Skills Framework
ESCOSkills and knowledge areas required for this occupation based on European classification.
Essential
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