Financial Services – vice-president, Infrastructure & Service Management

Our client is a global leader in the financial services industry with a well established Canadian footprint serving millions of customers with a myriad of best-of-class products and services.
A well-known employer of choice, our client’s brand extends to superior customer service and experience both via its extensive brick-and-mortar network and its continually evolving digital capabilities. It is expected that technology will play an ever-more important role in providing the rich omni-channel experience expected by customers.
Our client now seeks a VP Infrastructure & Service Management to serve a critical role in its Canadian operations.
Scope of Position  Broadly, the objective of the role of the VP Infrastructure and Service Management is to cultivate an environment that attracts, deploys and retains the human and other resources required for the effective direction, planning, management and operational oversight of service management and infrastructure. This includes the management of strategic plans, in addition to directing and/or overseeing major strategic change initiatives and corporate projects.
The role is a critical enabler and support for the firm’s ongoing digital transformation. It will be responsible for establishing a service management framework appropriate to a digitally sophisticated organization while ensuring that the firm’s infrastructure is appropriately cloud sophisticated and agile friendly. Nurturing a close working relationship with the development organization will be critical to attaining the firm’s goals of a smooth continuous delivery organization.
Reporting to the local CIO while collaborating across the global IT organization, the successful candidate will manage a growing team of highly capable and motivated individuals and the budget appropriate to deliver excellence.
Functional Tasks   Develop/refine in conjunction with other senior executives the company IT vision as it relates to infrastructure and service management in support of the company’s business objectives.
Work closely with the IT team, providing clarity of responsibility, training, feedback and support to aid in their success.
Align the strategic and tactical planning, development, evaluation, and coordination of information management and technology systems to the IT vision.
Oversee infrastructure operations along with the management of multiple IT and communications systems and projects, including data centre operations applications hosting, mainframe, midrange, server, desktop hardware, base software, telephony and voice technology
Develop processes that will regularly evaluate existing technology, information systems, and staffing, research new solutions and technologies and recommend changes.
Develop and implement policy and procedures to ensure the protection of all IT assets and the integrity, security and privacy of corporate information.
Develop and monitor the annual operating and capital budgets for IT and supporting infrastructure (maintenance, helpdesk, hardware replacement, software upgrades, etc.).
Approve, coordinate and manage all projects related to selection, acquisition, development and installation of major information systems including collaborating with user groups to advise on evaluation, selection, implementation and maintenance of information systems.
Evaluate project management practices from budgeting through to execution and recommend/take steps for improvement.
Ensure appropriate investment (with appropriate, supported by ROI) in strategic and operational infrastructure and service management systems for overall corporate and operating group effectiveness. Evaluate installed systems to measure their appropriateness.
Serve as the primary contact to software, hardware and network-related vendors, consultants, and partners and maintains knowledge of current technology, equipment, prices and terms of agreements to minimize the investment required to meet established service levels. Evaluate alternatives, perform appropriate cost benefit analysis, and recommend solutions that maximize effectiveness and minimize costs commensurate with acceptable risks.
Oversee the development,…