Job profile

Job title: Applications Manager

Responsible to: Head of IT Service Delivery

Principal working contacts

Director of IT & Digital Transformation Head of IT Service Delivery

IT Service Operations Manager

IT Customer Service & Transition Manager

IT Service Operations Team

Other key IT Teams and contacts (Security & Compliance Team, Development Team, and Project Managers)

Job purpose

The Applications Manager will lead and manage a development team, responsible for the delivery of technical solutions, in support of IT services and Digital Transformation at the Care Inspectorate.

The Applications Manager is an operational management role leading a team to deliver the planning, software development, integrations, implementation, release and on-going support of business applications, with a support model that ensures the delivery of service standards to agreed service levels and leading the development of digital standards through continual service improvement.

Key responsibilities

• Lead the team responsible for designing, developing, and maintaining all business applications at the Care Inspectorate, overseeing analysis, planning, testing, and documentation.
• Lead a team ensuring the continuity, integrity and availability of all business apps.
• Manage the ongoing monitoring and maintenance of digital apps usage.
• Coordinate knowledge management processes to support the sharing of relevant app service information effectively.
• Assist the Enterprise Architect in developing system architectures aligned with design principles.
• Collaborate with the IT Customer Service and Operations Managers to ensure smooth release, transition, and management of digital apps.
• Partner with the IT Service Operations Manager to efficiently manage infrastructure and utility costs related to digital apps delivery.
• Work with Customer Service Manager to integrate app support service with the wider Service Desk team.
• Support procurement activities necessary for maintaining continuity and development of business applications.
• Support project delivery, resource management, and environment management processes as part of the IT management team, while ensuring regular reporting on achievements and plans.
• Deputise for the Head of IT Service Delivery as necessary.

Relationship management

• Support the Head of IT Service Delivery to maintain healthy and effective relationships with senior stakeholders, business service owners and staff at all levels, to ensure a positive, collaborative working environment.
• Maintain an effective app support and development team ensuring that performance management, professional development and employee engagement are key areas of focus.
• Maintain and develop a healthy team dynamic, encouraging skills and knowledge sharing, ensuring a consistency of standards and service
• Promote the principles of partnership working throughout the organisation and in all working practices in accordance with the Care Inspectorate's Partnership Agreement.
• Be proactive in raising public awareness in the work of the Care Inspectorate.
• Demonstrate a commitment to the Care Inspectorate’s aims, vision and values and to the Care Inspectorate’s overall objective of improving care in Scotland.

People management

• Lead and manage a team, ensuring that they work effectively to meet the aims, objectives and targets of Care Inspectorate.
• Provide advice, guidance and support to team members through regular one-to-one supervision, performance development reviews and personal development plans to ensure continuous improvement in their work, supporting their personal and professional development.
• Coordinate and monitor administrative support to the team
• Promote consistent, high-quality practice amongst team members, manage their performance and monitor their standards and behaviour.
• Promote the health, safety and welfare of staff in accordance with Care Inspectorate policies, procedures and guidance.
• Promote diversity and equality of opportunity, ensuring that these principles are upheld across all areas of work.

Other duties

This job description is a broad picture of the post at the date of preparation. It is not an exhaustive list of all possible duties, and it is recognised that jobs change and evolve over time. Consequently, the post holder will be required to carry out any other duties to the equivalent level that are necessary to fulfil the purpose of the job, and to respond positively to changing business needs.

Person specification

Job title: Inspection Planning Manager – Workforce Planning and Data 

Attributes 

Experience

Essential:

• General experience of workforce planning activities.
• Significant experience of office management
• Staff supervision, systems and processes
• Workload planning, prioritisation and allocation

Desireable: 

• Experience of collaborative/ partnership working.

Education, qualifications and training

Essential:

• Qualified to SCQF level 5
• Commitment to own CPD.

Desireable: 

• Qualification at SCQF Level 6/7 in relevant subject area (i.e. Highers / HNC)

Skills and knowledge

Essential:

• Sound knowledge of Microsoft Excel and Power BI
• The ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in written form.
• The ability to undertake performance and information analysis in order to formulate and implement strategies and actions effectively.
• Capable of challenging current thinking in a positive and constructive way to develop new and innovative approaches to planning and improvement.
• Ability to translate plans into action.
• Effective negotiating and influencing skills
• Demonstrate a broad level of knowledge of working within inspection/regulation of care and associated IT systems.
• Demonstrate understanding of equality and diversity.
• IT literate, demonstrating experience of IT systems and processes, using the most effective methods to communicate and manage information.

Desireable: 

• Understanding of project management

Key performane outcomes

Leading others

Essential:

• Ability to provide leadership, a clear sense of purpose and direction to staff.
• To effectively deploy staff and other resources to achieve corporate aims, objectives and targets.
• Ability to ensure that the planning function conducts itself in accordance with the highest standards of integrity, probity and openness through the implementation of robust corporate governance.

Desireable:

• Demonstrates experience of delivering change and improvement at an operational level.

Management of resoures

Essential:

• Ability to bring together the overall work of a team of staff and involve team members in decision-making.
• Manage resources and budgets effectively and in accordance with Care Inspectorate’s corporate aims and objectives.
• Delegates effectively to others.
• Identifying skills and experience of individual staff and making the best use of resources.
• The ability to adopt a flexible approach to competing priorities and changing circumstances and encourages and supports others to so.
• Ability to drive continuous improvement
• Applies rules and procedures sensibly.

Effective communication

Essential:

• Articulate and positive communicator both in verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to express ideas clearly and concisely and adapt communication to suit different situations.
• Ability to form constructive relationships with managers and staff at all levels of the organisation.
• Ability to communicate effectively with external stakeholders and manage partnership arrangements effectively to secure positive outcomes/key deliverables.

Desireable:

• Good public speaking skills with ability to represent the Care Inspectorate at conferences, events.

Impact and influence

Essential:

• Demonstrates ability to influence at all levels.
• Demonstrable ability of promoting, leading and implementing strategies and change programmes.
• Evidence of building positive relationships, engaging and collaborating effectively with others internally and externally.
• Demonstrates personal resilience, being able to work flexibly under pressure with stamina and tenacity to deliver results.

Desireable:

• Ability to take account of wider political and organisational sensitivities to deliver strategic objectives.

Objective decision making

Essential:

• The ability to assist key stakeholders to develop strategies and action plans with others, in line with corporate aims and objectives.
• Demonstrates an analytical and systematic approach to problem solving.
• Ability to make appropriate and realistic judgments, based on relevant, up to date and verifiable information
• Ensures that team members have appropriate support, resources and authority levels to make decisions quickly and effectively.
• Encourages and supports devolved decisions-making.
• Considers the Care Inspectorate’s strategic vision, corporate aims and objectives and values in leading and managing others
• Ability to take responsibility for difficult decisions and to remain resilient against possible criticism.