About this role
Head of Applications & Automation Hybrid or remote-based, with travel to Preston Salary: £80,000 - £85,000 DOE | 37 hours per week
A glance at the role:
This is a senior technology leadership opportunity to shape how LPPA uses enterprise applications, automation and systems integration to deliver better services for our colleagues, employers and members.
As Head of Applications & Automation, you will set the strategic direction for LPPA’s enterprise applications portfolio and automation capability, ensuring systems remain secure, resilient and effective while identifying opportunities to simplify processes and improve user experience.
Working closely with the Chief Technology Officer as a key member of the IT Leadership Team, you will lead LPPA’s enterprise applications roadmap, automation strategy, governance and integration approach. You will also lead the Applications & Automation team, develop strategic partnerships and help shape LPPA’s wider technology agenda.
A bit about us:
Local Pensions Partnership Administration (LPPA) is a multi-award-winning organisation and one of the UK’s leading pension administration companies. We support over 1,500 employers and more than 700,000 members of Local Government, Police and Firefighter pension schemes.
What we can offer you:
- Salary of £80,000-£85,000 DOE + annual bonus scheme - 30 days’ annual leave, plus bank holidays, two concessionary days and your birthday, with the option to buy and sell leave - Local Government Pension Scheme with generous employer contributions - Health or Dental Plan and Enhanced Employee Assistance Programme - Free car parking in Preston City Centre
What you’ll be doing:
Strategic Leadership & Application Portfolio Management
- Develop the roadmap for enterprise applications and automation services - Review LPPA's application landscape to maximise value, user experience and efficiency - Identify opportunities to simplify and modernise business processes through technology - Ensure technology investments deliver measurable business benefits and service improvements
Automation, Integration & Applications
- Own LPPA's automation roadmap, assessing and prioritising opportunities across the organisation - Chair the Automation Forum, ensuring effective governance and prioritisation - Oversee integration between core systems, third-party applications and external data sources - Ensure automation and integration solutions are scalable, secure and resilient - Lead the support and continual improvement of LPPA's enterprise applications - Oversee application performance, upgrades, enhancements and major incidents
Enterprise Applications Leadership
- Lead the support, maintenance and improvement of LPPA's enterprise applications - Ensure business-critical applications meet service, availability, performance and user satisfaction standards - Maintain governance and lifecycle management for enterprise systems - Oversee application upgrades, enhancements and new functionality - Act as an escalation point for major application incidents and risks
Leadership & People Management
- Lead and develop a high-performing Applications & Automation team - Foster accountability, collaboration, innovation and continuous improvement - Set objectives and priorities aligned with LPPA’s strategic goals - Support professional development and plan for future skills and capability needs
Supplier, Governance & Stakeholder Management
- Manage relationships with software vendors, implementation partners and support providers - Monitor supplier performance and contractual obligations - Maintain governance frameworks and operating standards for enterprise applications and automation - Build relationships across the business, translating requirements into effective technology solutions - Contribute to the leadership and continuous improvement of the wider IT function
You’ll need:
- Significant senior leadership experience in enterprise applications, business systems, automation or digital services - A track record of delivering application strategies, roadmaps and technology-enabled transformation - Experience delivering measurable business value and service improvements through technology - Experience leading and developing multidisciplinary technical teams - Strong experience managing enterprise applications, including performance, risk, resilience and security - Experience of automation, workflow orchestration, systems integration and process optimisation - Strong knowledge of automation and integration technologies, including UiPath, Microsoft Power Platform, APIs or comparable platforms - Experience establishing governance and assurance for enterprise technology and automation - Strong commercial and supplier-management experience - The ability to influence senior stakeholders and translate complex technology issues into clear decisions - Strong strategic thinking, judgement and problem-solving skills - Understanding of technology risk, information security, service management and regulatory considerations
Nice to have:
- SQL, reporting and data analysis experience - UiPath, Microsoft Power Platform or related automation qualifications - Experience of enterprise systems governance or service management frameworks - Familiarity with Agile delivery methods - Experience in pensions, financial services, the public sector, regulated environments or member-focused organisations
Working with and upholding our values:
- Working together - Committed to excellence - Doing the right thing - Forward thinking