Head of IT Applications

OCS UK & Ireland is a leading facilities management company with 50,000+ colleagues and a turnover in excess of £2bn. We deliver innovative, award-winning services within facilities management, hard services, cleaning, security and catering.

Our mission is to make people and places the best they can be for our colleagues, customers and the communities we serve. Our commitment to doing business the right way is rooted in our TRUE values - Trust, Respect, Unity, and Empowerment.

The Head of IT Applications (UK&I) is responsible for the strategy, delivery, and continuous improvement of the UK application landscape, ensuring platforms support operational excellence, workforce productivity, and commercial growth.

This role leads the development, configuration, and support of key enterprise IT applications used across the UK business.

The successful candidate will sit on our UK&I IT senior leadership team and will be based in our Ipswich head office, on a hybrid basis.

Key Responsibilities:

• Own and deliver a clear, future‑focused applications strategy aligned to business priorities and Group architecture standards
• Lead the end‑to‑end lifecycle of enterprise applications, including CAFM, HRIS, ERP and productivity platforms
• Ensure the applications estate delivers measurable business value, driving efficiency, performance and an excellent user experience
• Drive the modernisation of legacy systems, championing scalable, cloud‑based and low‑code solutions
• Lead and develop application development, configuration and support teams to ensure high‑quality, reliable delivery
• Ensure seamless integration across applications, enabling high‑quality, secure and consistent data flows
• Partner closely with Data & Analytics teams to enable insight, reporting and decision‑making capabilities
• Manage strategic relationships with vendors and third‑party providers, ensuring strong performance and value for money
• Support new contract mobilisation by ensuring application readiness and smooth transition into live operation
• Embed a culture of continuous improvement and innovation across the applications landscape

Key Success Measures:

• Application reliability and performance
• Delivery of new functionality and improvements
• Business adoption of digital tools
• Reduction of manual processes through automation

In order to be successful within the role, you will ideally have:

• Proven experience leading enterprise applications in a complex, multi-site organisation
• Strong knowledge of CAFM, HRIS, ERP and productivity platforms
• Experience delivering application transformation and modernisation
• Strong vendor and stakeholder management experience
• Understanding of data, integration, and reporting requirements

Competencies:

• Strong leadership and team development capability
• Commercial awareness and focus on business value
• Ability to balance strategic thinking with hands-on delivery
• Strong stakeholder engagement and influencing skills
• Continuous improvement mindset

If you are interested in joining a business that encourages professional development, career progression and the chance to work with inspirational people then please click apply and register your interest! You can also sign up to our job alerts when registering which will notify you when other suitable vacancies are available.

We are an equal opportunities employer and rely on a diverse workforce with a broad range of knowledge, skills, and backgrounds to deliver our goals. We offer an inclusive and welcoming environment and actively encourage applications from all individuals regardless of race, gender, nationality, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or age.