IT Application Manager – Cambridge/Hybrid – £80-£85k & Benefits
Reports to (Job Title): Business Transformation Director
Purpose of the position:
As the IT Application Manager, you will be responsible for the end-to-end lifecycle management of core and support applications, serving as the internal owner and strategic point of contact for these platforms. While a significant portion of technical delivery is outsourced to a Managed Services Provider (MSP), your role will be pivotal in vendor oversight, solution architecture alignment, contract management, governance, and Tier 1 business support.
This is not a hands-on development role but a high-impact functional and strategic leadership position that bridges business needs with IT delivery, ensuring that our application landscape supports operational and strategic goals.
Responsibilities:
- Application Portfolio Management: Own the lifecycle and roadmap for core applications and support applications including upgrades, enhancements, and decommissioning decisions.
- Vendor & Contract Management: Manage relationships with outsourced service providers, ensuring performance against SLAs, contract compliance, and cost-effectiveness.
- Tier 1 Business Support: Act as the initial escalation point for business stakeholders; triage and prioritize support issues before escalating to MSP.
- Architecture Oversight: Ensure solution designs and integrations meet enterprise architecture standards, cybersecurity policies, and business requirements while being the internal expert on the overall application architecture.
- Change Management: Oversee change control processes for application updates and enhancements, ensuring minimal disruption to business operations.
- Governance & Compliance: Ensure applications meet regulatory, cybersecurity, and corporate policy requirements, including ITAR and other defence-related standards.
- Stakeholder Engagement: Collaborate with business units, IT leadership, and cross-functional teams to align application capabilities with organizational goals.
- Budgeting & Forecasting: Support IT financial planning by providing input on licensing, support costs, and project investments related to assigned applications.
Technical Competencies:
Applied or technical knowledge and skills needed for effective performance in the role. i.e commercial acumen, computer skills etc.
- Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Engineering, or related field; Master’s preferred.
- 7+ years of experience in IT application management, with a focus on enterprise systems such as ERP or PLM.
- Demonstrated experience managing third-party vendors and MSPs in a global or complex organization.
- Strong understanding of IFS ERP and/or PTC Windchill PLM is highly desirable.
- Familiarity with ITIL processes, project management methodologies (e.g., Agile, Waterfall), and enterprise architecture frameworks.
- Experience in a regulated industry, particularly aerospace and defence, is strongly preferred.
- Excellent communication, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills.
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