Head of IT

St Thomas Catholic Academies Trust Job Description Purpose of the role The Head of IT leads the Trust’s IT service and is responsible for the technology that supports teaching, learning and operations across the Trust. Reporting to the Chief Operations Officer and working closely with the Executive team, the postholder provides the strategic direction and operational leadership of the IT function, ensuring that systems are secure, reliable and used well, and that the service continues to develop to meet the needs of pupils, staff and the Trust. The Head of IT leads the central IT team and works in partnership with school leaders to provide a consistent service across the Trust. The role brings together responsibility for day-to-day service delivery with leadership of the Trust’s longer-term technology development. Main responsibilities Leadership and strategy With the COO and Executive team, provide input into and deliver the Trust’s IT strategy and roadmap, aligned to the Trust’s priorities, curriculum needs and operational requirements. Provide professional leadership of the IT function across all schools and central teams, acting as the Trust’s senior adviser on technology. Contribute to wider Trust planning and provide advice and assurance to leaders and trustees on IT matters. Maintain clear architecture and standards for the Trust’s systems and infrastructure, supporting consistency and value across schools. Service delivery and user support Develop a secure, effective and consistent IT service for staff and pupils across all schools. Maintain a clear route into the service, with effective logging, prioritisation and resolution of incidents and requests. Oversee on-site and remote support, balancing responsiveness with planned and preventative work. Define and maintain the scope of the IT service and the standards of service that schools can expect. Infrastructure, networks and platforms Oversee the reliability, security and management of the Trust’s networks, servers, cloud platforms and end-user devices as a single trust-wide estate. Ensure infrastructure and platforms meet relevant standards, including the DfE Digital and Technology Standards. Lead the planning and delivery of strategic technology projects, including the consolidation, standardisation and modernisation of systems and platforms. Hold responsibility for the technical platforms, identity and hosting that underpin the Trust’s management information and data systems. Oversee support for the digital aspects of operational technologies, such as access control and CCTV. Information security and resilience Maintain appropriate technical security controls, filtering and monitoring across the Trust, meeting the DfE Cyber Security Standards and the Trust’s risk and insurance requirements. Maintain effective backup, disaster recovery and incident response arrangements, linked to the Trust’s business continuity planning. Provide