The humanitarian sector is shifting to a new reality. Digital services are now mission critical for us in almost all parts of our operations. We depend on them as those we serve depend on us.

With the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) you can deploy your IT and digital service management experience against the most valuable vision: A dignified life for all displaced.

Our IT Service and Operations area is looking for a manager with global perspectives and experience. You will use engagement and collaboration, openness, and curiosity, understanding and appreciation to deliver a globally efficient support organisation which looks after both local and global products. You will set the ambition for end user support and direct the team where we have most impact on the communities we serve.

You will know when and where to apply innovative approaches and when to ensure streamlined and robust standardised IT processes. And you will convey this to employees, peers, and stakeholders alike to ensure global alignment.

Who are we?

The Danish Refugee Council is working in hotspots in more than 40 countries. Over the past years, we have had a tremendous growth internationally. Successful ideation, development, and benefit realisation from new and existing solutions are key objectives in DRC to ensure we continue to provide efficient security and protection to the people we serve. We balance this with our delivery of seamless collaboration platforms for our colleagues in need of flexibility to perform their tasks and collaborate globally irrespective time and place and a robust and expanding ERP platform in Microsoft Dynamics.

In headquarters in Denmark, the global IT department consists of 50 colleagues in four teams.

As Head of IT Service and Operations, you will lead a team of 14 employees of whom five work remotely from Poland. Your staff includes IT System Administrators, Cloud Consultants, Microsoft 365 specialist, Security specialists, IT supporters and Student Workers.

You are part of Global IT Management with representation from our four regions and the HQ IT management team. You lead the Global IT Service & Operation coordination group - and leverage this to align on technology, tool, and process standards. You report to the Global Head of IT.

About the job

You are a strong people manager who has the necessary technical and process experience to facilitate services which meet the need of large organisation operating in the most difficult environments. You will ensure that basic needs of the organisation are delivered in Denmark and facilitated across our global organisation. You must be a hub of communication and collaboration using these levers to set global standards which are working where we are present. This also includes ownership of IT products and tools required for the full IT Service Management offering.

With your peers in Global IT Management, you will drive internationalisation of the IT organisation. We must ensure that management structures are well defined, mandated, collaborative, functional & efficient, and driving strategic execution. Your main responsibilities will be to:

• Drive consolidation of IT service management tools and processes including successful global roll-out of new IT Service Management tool.
• Leveraging value of operational data through Power BI dashboards.
• Define operational plans for improvement across global infrastructure including cloud, connectivity, and hardware solution.
• Manage key vendors, attracting commercial interest and optimising our global IT licenses.
• Deliver an efficient and targeted IT security effort leveraging the tools available to DRC.
• Lead the operation and maintenance of DRC Azure Cloud infrastructure.
• Maintain global Microsoft 365 infrastructure for + 7.000 users.
• Ensure the continuous development and maintenance of desktop image and endpoint security.
• Attract and retain highly motivated and qualified IT staff with a leadership style aligned with the DRC culture and values.
• Engage as partner to stakeholders outside of the IT organisation, installing confidence with our deliverable, transparency in our approach, and aiding their safeguarding of data on people we protect.

About you

To be successful in this role, we expect you to have at least five years documented people management experience leading the IT Service & Operations area within a global organisation of similar scale and complexity. You know how to leverage key IT service management tools and methodologies (ITIL, SAFe®, PMI, Prince2, Cobit), and demonstrate the ability to turn challenge into opportunity – with colleagues within and outside the IT organisation.

All employees should master DRC's core competencies: Communicating, Taking the lead, Collaborating, Striving for excellence, and Demonstrating integrity.

Moreover, we also expect the following:

Required

• Hold an academic degree.
• Experience from similar position in a complex global organisation.
• Strong customer focus and drive for cross cultural collaboration and management.
• Execute against set plans and drive focus on goals and outcomes.
• Be persistent, resilient, and structured.
• Open and inclusive management style.
• Demonstrated ability in coaching and developing both experienced employees as well as bringing less experienced employees fast to strong performance levels.
• Have strong oral and written communication skills.
• Fluency in written and spoken English.

Desirable

• Knowledge of the ITIL framework and experience from ITIL implementation projects.
• SAFe® certification.
• IT Security certification.
• NGO-experience.
• Knowledge of French and Danish is desirable.

We offer

A great workplace in central Copenhagen easily accessible by public transport. While we trust that meeting physically strengthens common culture, innovation power, relationships, and collaboration, we offer the opportunity to flexibly work from home when the tasks do not require presence in the office. We are a global organisation where virtual is the norm.

Contract length: Permanent

Workplace: Borgergade 10, Copenhagen, Denmark

Start date: When the right candidate is identified.

Salary and conditions will be in accordance with the agreement between DRC and Lederaftalen (management agreement) which is available at lederne.dk. This is contractually a national position for which local Danish terms and conditions apply.

Application process
All applicants must send a cover letter and an updated CV in English. Apply online at job.drc.ngo.

Closing date for applications: 29 February 2024. Due to the urgency in filling this role, we will conduct interviews on a running basis and will close for applications early if the right candidate presents itself.

Further information

For questions regarding the vacancy please contact Steffen Kølbek, CIO and Global Head of IT.

For further information about the Danish Refugee Council, please consult our website drc.ngo