JOB PURPOSE

The Vice President, ICT Operations, is responsible for the overall strategic direction, effective management, and operational excellence of the entire ICT Operations function. This role ensures the continuous, efficient, and secure delivery of ICT services across all supported entities: Taylor's University, Taylor's College, Taylor's Hostel Malaysia, Taylor's Education Group, and TEG Assets under a shared services model, while also maintaining close collaboration with Taylor's Schools. The VP ensures all operational units meet Service Level Commitments (SLCs) and contribute directly to the institutions' strategic initiatives, including crucial support for academic (teaching & learning) and research ICT needs.

KEY RESULT AREAS / RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategic Leadership & Management

• Develop and execute the ICT Operations strategy and roadmap in alignment with the institutional and Group-level business objectives.

• Provide leadership, guidance, and mentorship to the direct reports and the entire ICT Operations team, fostering a culture of high performance, service excellence, and continuous improvement.

• Manage a complex shared services model, ensuring equitable and high-quality ICT support to Taylor's University, Taylor's College, Taylor's Hostel Malaysia, Taylor's Education Group, and TEG Assets.

• Collaborate closely with the application team and other units reporting to the CIO to ensure seamless integration and delivery of all ICT services.

• Manage and coordinate effort with the Taylor's Schools ICT teams to ensure effective collaboration on group-level initiatives and standards.

• Drive the Cloud strategy for operations and infrastructure services.

• Oversee the development and execution of the ICT business plan and overall communication strategy for the department.

Operational Excellence and Service Delivery

• Establish, monitor, and enforce Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and Service Level Commitments (SLCs) with internal customers across all institutions and departments.

• Oversee the management and operation of the on-campus data centre and virtualised server environment, ensuring maximum uptime, performance, and scalability.

• Ensure robust ICT security across the infrastructure and endpoints, including the effective management of the outsourced SOC team and operations security measures.

• Direct the End User Computing function to deliver efficient Service Desk operations and comprehensive workstation management and support in Windows, Linux, and Apple environments.

• Oversee the provision of Audio-Visual (AV) services, including the management of the outsourced AV vendor and the internal team providing 7-day-a-week event and class support.
• Ensure effective Disaster Recovery (DR) and business continuity planning and execution, collaborating with the managed service provider.

Governance, Budget, and Risk

• Be accountable for the overall ICT Operations budget, including planning, moderation, presentation, and tracking of expenses.

• Direct the procurement, tendering, and contract management functions, ensuring compliance with internal policies and achieving cost-effectiveness.

• Implement and enforce the governance of ICT policies and processes across the Infrastructure and End User Computing units.

• Manage relationships and performance of key vendors and partners to support the university's academic (teaching & learning) and research computing and support needs.

• Manage relationships and performance of other key vendors, suppliers, and outsourced service providers (e.g., SOC, AV support, DR vendor).

• Identify and mitigate operational and security risks within the ICT environment.

JOB SPECIFICATION

MINIMUM ACADEMIC/PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATION

• Minimum: Possess a recognised Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Electrical Engineering, or equivalent.
• Preferred: A Master's Degree in a related field.

RELATED EXPERIENCE

• At least 10 years of relevant experience in managing a large-scale ICT Operations function.
• Extensive experience in managing complex, multi-functional ICT teams (Infrastructure, EUC/Service Desk, Procurement).
• Proven experience in a shared services or multi-entity support model and a multi-campus setup.
• Preferred experience in the Education industry or an environment with similar multi-campus support and academic-driven IT requirements.
• Experience in managing complex Microsoft Active Directory and Mobile Device Management setups and environments encompassing Windows, Linux, and Apple platforms.