Director General Information Systems

Information Systems
2738

General Information

Type of contract Fixed-term contract which may be converted into a permanent contract after five years subject to individual performance and organisational needs

Who can apply? EU nationals

Salary L full time monthly net salary: €14,021 plus benefits, for further information see what we offer.

Working time Full time

Place of work Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Closing date 25.11.2020

Your team

You will lead the Directorate General Information Systems (DG-IS). Our Directorate General, develops, delivers and supports information and communications systems for the ECB and the Eurosystem/ European System of Central Banks (ESCB). We are a team of 300 internal members of staff providing secure, dynamic and intuitive IT systems and tools, assisted by managed service providers in the areas of end-user computing, systems and security operations, application development and maintenance. We also provide an IS governance framework (including IS architecture and security policies) for the common systems and services of the Eurosystem/ESCB. We are currently working on the digital and technological transformation of our organisation and shaping it around eight pillars that will bring the IS strategy to life: innovation, digitalisation, data centricity, artificial intelligence, fast solution delivery, enabling security, employee centricity and business partnering. 

The ECB is an inclusive employer and we strive to reflect the diversity of the population we serve. We encourage you to apply, irrespective of your gender, gender identity, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, religion, disability or other characteristics.

Your role

You will be a team leader with a hands-on approach, a team player with strong interpersonal skills, and a strategic and innovative thinker. 
As Director General Information Systems, you will be responsible for setting the strategic direction and the management of all ECB information systems resources. You will lead all ECB information systems and information technology activities. In your role as Director General, you will report to the Chief Services Officer (CSO), who reports to the ECB’s Executive Board via the President of the ECB and you will be entrusted with the following main tasks:
 
  • leading DG/IS in cooperation with other members of its (senior) management team;
  • contributing to the ECB’s strategic direction as a member of its senior management team, while practising and promoting the ECB’s shared values;
  • encouraging leadership behaviour through coaching and training. Ensuring your staff are growing and constantly improving their level of customer service, IS/IT-related skills and personal competencies;
  • establishing and supervising the business area’s strategic goals, medium-term plans and annual work programme; 
  • as part of the strategic plan, developing an annual operational plan and budget that prioritise projects and set annual objectives. Preparing capital expenditure proposals for all IT and information systems;
  • overseeing the planning, selection, purchase, development (customisation) and implementation of new information systems, infrastructure and applications to help reach the ECB`s objectives, including the deployment of a cyber security roadmap;. 
  • ensuring the provision of timely and effective support across the institution for all technology and information systems’ needs. Maintaining a strong service-oriented culture in DG-IS services; 
  • maintaining an effective organisational structure that supports the ECB's needs for technology and information systems and reflects best practices;
  • helping to ensure effective cooperation both within DG-IS and with other business areas, constantly monitoring the impact that DG-IS work has on the ECB and the outside world;
  • developing strong business relationships across the organisation, collaborating with senior management and earning their trust as DG-IS delivers projects on time and within budget;
  • representing DG-IS and the ECB by participating in and/or chairing a wide range of internal and external committees, working groups and high-level fora, and maintaining good working relationships with all our strategic IT partners.

Qualifications, experience and skills

Essential: 
  • a master’s degree or equivalent in information technology, computer science, computer engineering or a related discipline [for details on degree equivalences see here]; 
  • at least ten years’ IT leadership experience with demonstrated success as a technology executive in roles of increasing responsibility within an organisation on a scale commensurate to that of the ECB;
  • cross-functional team leadership: at least five years’ experience in leading and motivating a team of highly qualified managers and staff (50+ people) from diverse, preferably multinational backgrounds, to high levels of performance and engagement as well as a track record in creating environments in which teams are willing and able to innovate;
  • experience with modern technologies, tools and delivery methods;
  • experience in designing, implementing and evaluating IT topic-based strategic communication;
  • experience of communicating with multiple stakeholders on strategic IT developments;
  • the ability to work calmly under pressure;
  • in-depth knowledge of the latest IT trends combined with an ability to embed them into the business context and to “cut through the issues” to solve them through a solution oriented approach;
  • a strong understanding of how IT endeavours impact the whole organisation;
  • in-depth knowledge of next generation technology innovation and understanding how these can be leveraged for the ECB’s purpose and strategy, as well as proven experience with software as a service (SAAS) and cloud-based, outsourced solutions through third party providers;
  • professional experience in project and vendor management including large outsourcing partnerships;
  • a good understanding of the opportunities and challenges of digitalisation/professional experience of digitalising major business processes and of modernising IT architecture and infrastructure accompanied by strong change management;
  • a history of driving innovation while maintaining high quality service levels;
  • a track record of effectively and efficiently performing transformations with interdisciplinary teams and managing large-scale projects an, influencing and motivating people in both direct, indirect and peer reporting relationships; 
  • the ability to navigate multilingual/multicultural organisational environments;
  • an advanced (C1) command of English and an intermediate (B1) command of at least one other official language of the EU, according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages with proven drafting ability and presentation skills, and a working knowledge of at least one other official language of the EU.

Desired:
  • experience working in a financial services institution or comparable organisation.
  • understanding of communities and developer pools and how to leverage knowledge and creativity for the organisation.
Behavioural competencies
The successful candidate will have the following behavioural competencies:
  • enhances performance by developing management and staff potential through support, guidance and coaching;
  • acts as a role model and inspires others by spreading and embracing the ECB’s vision and values;
  • effectively establishes and maintains a wide range of networks, relations and contacts with relevant internal and external parties;
  • communicates ideas in an effective manner and ensures mutual understanding, thereby being aware of the diversity of the counterparts;
  • shares information and supports team members in the achievement of common goals;
  • examines issues critically and adopts relevant approaches geared towards successful business solutions;
  • demonstrates a strong aptitude for strategic thinking by identifying medium-term objectives and formulating clear plans in accordance with the ECB’s mission and strategic intents;
  • defines policy issues/problems clearly and devises succinct solutions;
  • develops processes, structures and budgets to steer the Directorate General effectively and efficiently.

Application and selection process

The recruitment process for this position will include a presentation and interviews. 
The selection procedure will also include a separate assessment of your leadership competencies.

Back to search results