Interim Head of Technology Transformation - 6 month fixed term contract

The Interim Head of Technology Transformation is a 6-month fixed-term leadership appointment reporting directly to the Chief Data Officer. This is a delivery-focused role with accountability for driving tangible outcomes across Ergomed's Future Ready programme — a strategic initiative to evaluate, decide, and begin executing the optimal IT operating model for the enterprise. The postholder will move the programme from analysis into action: landing the insource/hybrid/MSP decision, standing up robust IT service management practices, designing the target operating model, and initiating the internal capability build.

PROGRAMME DELIVERY & OPERATING MODEL DECISION

• Operating Model Decision: Drive the structured evaluation of Ergomed's three IT operating model options — full insource, enhanced hybrid, and full MSP — to a firm, costed, risk-adjusted recommendation within the first 90 days.
• ROI Development and financial approval : Develop a detailed ROI and cost analysis and secure approval to proceed
• Implementation Accountability: Own implementation of the chosen operating model —accountable for initiating and driving execution: standing up governance, mobilising workstreams, managing the transition, and holding the programme to milestones.
• Vendor Assessment: Conduct hands-on commercial and technical due diligence on incumbent and prospective MSP partners), producing comparative scorecards and a clear recommendation.
• MSP Mobilisation: Where the chosen model involves a new or renegotiated MSP engagement, lead or directly support contract execution, onboarding, and performance baseline-setting.
• Programme Governance: Stand up programme governance immediately upon joining: define scope, milestones, steering structure, RAID log, and reporting cadence without waiting for direction.
• Stakeholder Alignment: Secure stakeholder alignment across IT leadership, Finance, HR, Legal, and business unit leads — translating complex trade-offs into clear, decision-ready outputs.
• Durable Outputs: Produce board-quality business cases, decision papers, and transition plans that executed against

IT SERVICE MANAGEMENT — DELIVERY & IMPROVEMENT

• Service Ownership: Take active ownership of IT service delivery quality during the transition period
• ITSM Maturity Assessment: Assess current service management maturity against ITIL best practice across incident, problem, change, and request management; identify and close critical gaps at pace.
• Service Performance: Drive measurable improvement in key service metrics — SLA attainment, incident resolution times, backlog reduction, and user satisfaction — within the contract period.
• Escalation & Governance: Establish or strengthen escalation paths, major incident management processes, and vendor SLA governance appropriate to Ergomed's GxP and non-GxP environment.
• ITSM Tooling: Define the ITSM tooling strategy and, where required, initiate implementation — including integration with monitoring, AIOps, and reporting capabilities.
• Continuity & Knowledge Transfer: Ensure service continuity is maintained throughout any operating model transition, with formal knowledge transfer processes agreed with incumbent providers.

TARGET OPERATING MODEL & ORGANISATION DESIGN

• TOM Delivery: Deliver a fully documented target operating model: organisational structure, role definitions, RACI frameworks, service tower breakdown, and span of control — ready for immediate implementation.
• Capability Blueprint: Define the internal IT capability blueprint: functions to insource, skills required, graded headcount model, and a sequenced hiring plan prioritised by risk and dependency.
• Global Site Model: Develop a site-tier model reflecting Ergomed's global footprint, defining support levels, on-site vs. remote delivery, and escalation routes for each tier.
• Transition Roadmap: Produce a transition roadmap with phased milestones, resource requirements, and go/no-go criteria, enabling the permanent leadership team to execute with confidence.
• INTERNAL IT CAPABILITY BUILD
• Talent Acquisition: Initiate recruitment for critical internal IT roles identified in the capability blueprint, working with HR to define briefs, assess candidates, and make early hires within the interim period.
• Talent Development: Identify high-potential individuals within the existing IT organisation and establish structured development pathways — including Microsoft ESI training leverage — to accelerate internal capability.
• Team Foundation: Build team culture, operating norms, and accountability frameworks that will outlast the interim engagement and enable the permanent team to sustain momentum.

Qualifications

• Degree in a relevant field (e.g., Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, Business, or equivalent professional experience)
• ITIL v4 certification (Practitioner or above) strongly preferred — Foundation acceptable with demonstrably extensive practical service management experience
• Prince2 Practitioner, MSP, or equivalent programme management qualification desirable

Experience

• Extensive, hands-on IT service management experience — not advisory — including direct accountability for incident, problem, change, and request management in a complex, multi-site environment
• Demonstrable track record of improving measurable service management outcomes (SLA attainment, MTTR, backlog reduction) within a real delivery role
• Proven experience leading IT operating model transformations and delivering the transition —ideally within a global, multi-site CRO, pharmaceutical, or life sciences environment
• Experience conducting MSP evaluation, vendor due diligence, and contract negotiation in a regulated environment; able to interrogate commercial models and SLA structures with confidence
• Prior experience designing and implementing target operating models and organisational structures for IT functions of comparable scale (~500–3,000 users across multiple geographies)
• Experience building or rebuilding internal IT capability including hiring, onboarding, and developing teams within a transformation context
• Strong track record as an interim or programme director: recognised for landing tangible decisions, producing high-quality artefacts, and leaving a sustainable foundation within a fixed timeframe
• Familiarity with GxP IT environments (21 CFR Part 11, GAMP 5, or equivalent) and the compliance implications for IT service delivery and change management is highly desirable
• Deep practical service management expertise: able to diagnose and fix process gaps, re-engineer escalation paths, and drive SLA performance without waiting for the operating model to be settled
• Strong commercial acumen: able to read and challenge MSP contracts, SLAs, and commercial models and translate risk into business-language recommendations
• Exceptional stakeholder management and influencing skills — able to engage credibly from service desk managers to Board level
• Rigorous programme delivery: able to stand up governance, manage a complex RAID log, and hold workstreams accountable with minimal support infrastructure
• Analytical rigour: able to synthesise cost, risk, capability, and culture data into clear, decision-ready outputs
• High degree of self-direction and resilience; operates with urgency and does not require hand-holding in ambiguous, fast-moving environments
• Proficiency with Microsoft 365 ecosystem (Azure, Intune, Defender, Copilot) and modern ITSM platforms (ServiceNow, Jira Service Management, or equivalent

Communication skills

• Fluent English (written and verbal) is essential. The ability to produce clear, board-ready documentation — business cases, operating model blueprints, service improvement plans, transition roadmaps — is a core requirement of this role.

Our core values are key to how we operate, and if you feel they resonate with you then Ergomed is a great company to join!

Quality

Integrity & Trust

Drive & Passion

Agility & Responsiveness

Belonging

Collaborative Partnerships

We look forward to welcoming your application.

Ergomed Group is a rapidly expanding full service mid-sized CRO specialising in Oncology and Rare Disease.

Since its foundation in 1997 the company has grown organically and steadily by making strategic investments and landmark acquisitions, with operations in Europe, North America and Asia

Our company allows for employee visibility (you have a voice!) creative contribution and realistic career development.

We have nourished a true international culture here at Ergomed.

We value employee experience, well-being and mental health and we acknowledge that a healthy work life balance is a critical factor for employee satisfaction and in turn nurtures an environment from which a high-quality client service can be achieved.

Come and join us in this exciting journey to make a positive impact in patient’s lives.