Vivace Head of Technology – Accelerated Capability Environment
 

London/hybrid working 2-3 days in office.

Vivace is a QinetiQ Business Unit that is the Private Sector Partner for the Home Office’s Accelerated Capability Environment (ACE). ACE was set up to bring industry and academia closer to government and National Security problems, and stimulate the flow of innovative, agile and flexible solutions to problems in the digital environment, delivering real impact for mission users.

Vivace works in partnership with its Home Office and wider government partners, helping to identify threats, risks and areas of need, then works with a diverse range of organisations representing big tech, large system integrators, consultants, SMEs, start-ups and academia – called the Vivace Community. 
 

The ACE Head of Technology provides the technical leadership and assurance to ensure the effective and safe running of the capability.  Working with internal ACE colleagues and external partners, you will set strategic technical direction for ACE, manage the delivery of supporting services to ensure that ACE is able to deliver continued mission impact, whilst remaining within an agreed Home Office/ QinetiQ risk appetite. 

Key responsibilities:  

Technical Leadership:
o    Development and Delivery of the ACE Technical Strategy
o    External thought leadership in the Digital and data domain. o    Leadership of the Technical Enablers team within ACE

Assurance:
o    Information Assurance within ACE.  Acting in the Chief Security Officer role, assurance of information within the ACE boundary.  This also includes chairing of the ACE Security Working Group.
o    Technical Assurance.   Accountability for technical assurance within ACE.  Ensure that commissions and other products (incl software) are delivered to an appropriate quality; able to maintain pace, whilst meeting corporate governance requirements. 
 

Technical Support Services:
o    Delivery of supporting IT Services for ACE (Azure/ O365, AWS and supporting SaaS).  This is a strategic leadership role, day to day running to be managed by the Vivace  Operations Manager.  Noted that much of the IT services are outsourced. 
 

Skills/Knowledge:

• Technical Leadership:   Ability to provide strategic leadership and direction for all technical matters within ACE.   Working with senior Home Office, external Government and Industry  and ACE colleagues, able to set direction, and delivery capability.
• Thought Leadership:   Credible in the wide Digital and Data domain with an ability to provide Thought Leadership at senior levels in Government and in Industry / Academia.
• Technical Assurance:  Knowledge of technical assurance.  Set the boundaries, allow appropriate reviews and know when intervention is required.
• Information Technology:  Understanding of risks and opportunities within modern, cloud-based IT environment.  Able to engage credibly with suppliers service delivery partners.
• Information Assurance and Engineering:   Able to understand the Information environment within ACE and deliver an appropriately assured environment.   Needs to consider both security and legislative requirements (e.g. GDPR).
• Technical Management:  Able to provide management for the supporting technical specialists within ACE (e.g. the data analytics team).  Cohere the individuals into more than the sum of their parts and ensure appropriate deployment of skills to support ACE delivery. 

Behaviours:

• Self motivated and delivery focussed.
• Comfortable working in a dynamic start-up environment with the ability to work within a rapidly evolving organisation.
• Strong communications skills.  Able to brief complex matters to an appropriate level based on audience
• Personal accountability for the safe and efficient running ACE technical function.  work strategically, however with an attention for detail.
• Proactive and pragmatic approach.
• Good citizen & patriot with a desire to create a safer digital world

Why join QinetiQ?

As we continue to grow into new markets around the world, there’s never been a more exciting time to join QinetiQ. The formula for success is our appetite for innovation and having the courage to take on a wide variety of complex challenges.

You’ll experience a unique working environment where teams from different backgrounds, disciplines and experience enjoy collaborating widely and openly as we undertake this exciting and rewarding journey. Through effective teamwork, and pulling together, you’ll get to experience what happens when we all share different perspectives, blend disciplines, and link technologies; constantly discovering new ways of solving complex problems in an diverse and inclusive environment where you can be authentic, feel valued and realise your full potential. Read more about our diverse and inclusive workplace culture here.  

Joining QinetiQ offers you an opportunity to work on a broad range of interesting defence-based projects with vast career progression across a global organisation in addition to competitive personal and professional benefits.  You’ll receive a highly competitive salary and benefits package: our basic salaries are very attractive as we constantly review what’s happening in the market. The range of benefits that we offer include, adaptive and flexible working, generous holiday entitlements, Health Cash Plan, Private Medical Insurance and Dental Insurance and much more. 

About QinetiQ

As a company of over 6,000 dedicated professionals, we are a world-centre of excellence in research and development and act as a catalyst for fast-track innovation, offering outstanding experimentation facilities, and technical, engineering and scientific expertise. QinetiQ is made up of dedicated experts in defence, aerospace, security and related markets, all working together to explore new ways of protecting what matters most. Being part of QinetiQ means being central to the safety and security of the world around us. Partnering with our customers, we help to save lives; reduce risks to society; and maintain the global infrastructure on which we all depend. Come and find out how you can play a role.

Please note that many roles in QinetiQ are subject to national security vetting. Applicants that already hold the appropriate level of vetting may be able to transfer it upon appointment, subject to approval. A number of roles are also subject to restrictions on access to information that mean factors such as nationality, previous nationalities held and the country in which you were born may have an effect on the roles that you can be employed in.