Chief Technology Officer
About the Company
The Irish Times Group is Ireland’s leading independent quality news publishing organisation. The core activity of The Irish Times Group has evolved from six-day print publishing to a seven-day multi-platform news publisher with a market-leading position in the development of subscriptions and maximising revenues. We focus on producing quality content for our readers, providing media solutions for customers and we continue to grow and evolve in a fast-paced changing media landscape.
The Company is owned by The Irish Times Trust and is managed by The Irish Times DAC. In recent years, the Irish Times Group expanded its interests to include the Irish Examiner, The Echo, Regional newspapers and Radio stations in addition to the Citywest print facility, recruitireland.com, MyHome.ie, RIP.ie and The Gloss.
About the Role
This is the organisation's most senior IT leadership role, reporting to the Group Managing Director. The Chief Technology Officer is responsible for leading the Group-wide IT strategy and ensuring it aligns with the business vision, strategy, goals and objectives.
This role is key to the ongoing digital transformation and the successful candidate will lead the development and delivery of the transformation roadmap. The Group has reviewed its Technology function and is now looking for a leader who can align and grow the existing team with the vision to deliver on the Group’s strategy.
The CTO will play a critical role in ensuring that our technology platforms are secure, scalable, stable and aligned with our business goals. They will develop the technology strategy and upgrade the technology environment to modernise infrastructure, systems and workflows. They will be responsible for developing and implementing a product focus to deliver best-in-class digital products and content experiences to audiences. The CTO will oversee and manage the organisation's cybersecurity to safeguard our assets, data, and digital infrastructure.
Key Responsibilities;
Digital Transformation Leadership
- Oversee the replacement and/or modernisation of legacy systems into a digital-first, cloud-based architecture, including subscription management platforms, storefronts, and content delivery and management systems with an emphasis on delivering compelling end-user experiences and enhanced business value
Technical Strategy Development
- Define, shape and execute the company's long-term technology strategy, ensuring alignment with overall business goals and focusing on innovation, scalability, and operational efficiency
Team Leadership
- Build, mentor, and manage a high-performing, cross-functional technology team, fostering a culture of innovation, agility, and collaboration.
- Engage people with the vision and help them on the journey to delivery of the architecture, products and services needed
Product Development and Customer Experience
- Lead the planning, development, and implementation of a new product function to enhance our offerings and meet evolving customer demands.
- Understand the customer experience and translate the UX into technology solutions
Cybersecurity & Compliance
- Ensure that all systems are secure, compliant with relevant data security and privacy regulations and that they are equipped to handle sensitive customer information
Cost and Vendor Management
- Work with the CFO to review contracts, suppliers and the marketplace to establish value for money in existing relationships
- Plan and develop the annual expense and capital expenditure budget for IT
Project Management
- Oversee large-scale technology projects from inception to delivery, ensuring timely completion and budget management using agile methodologies
Innovation
- Keep up with emerging technologies that can drive business growth, enhance customer experience, and optimise content delivery
- Drive innovation and create solutions to business challenges, inspiring the team to deliver innovative and useful products
Teamwork
- Collaborate with the Senior Leadership Team to align technology strategies with business goals, ensuring that technology investment drives revenue, optimises costs, and improves overall operational efficiency
- Build relationships and create synergies across the enterprise to enable cost-effective and innovative shared services
Requirements for the role;
Experience:
- 15 or more years in IT and business/industry
- Extensive, senior leadership responsibilities
- 5-plus years in related industries managing multiple, large, cross-functional teams or projects, influencing senior-level management and key stakeholders
Knowledge/Skills:
- Strong business orientation
- Understanding of current and emerging technologies
- Ability to provide effective and timely solutions to internal customers while managing costs and risks inception to execution.
- Ability to communicate technology solutions in business terms
- Ability to build and lead an organisation staffed with the right people in the right roles
For further details and a comprehensive job description, please contact susan.cox@irishtimes.com
