Head of Digital
Term: 2 Year Fixed Term Contract
Hours: Full Time
Location: Hybrid Working Arrangement in Chartered Accountants Ireland, Dublin Office
About The Institute
The world of professional accountancy is changing at an unprecedented pace, adapting to its crucial role in climate reporting, AI and emerging technologies, increasingly sophisticated regulation, and evolving ways of working. This pace of change ensures that the non-stop demand for professional accountants and their services will continue to grow and expand to 2030 and beyond.
Chartered Accountants Ireland, the longest established and fastest growing professional accountancy body on the island of Ireland, is changing rapidly too, drawing on best-in-class organisational design and state-of-art digital solutions to provide forward-looking education, support, and regulation to members, firms, and students in the years ahead. We are embarking on a business transformation programme, the most exciting and ambitious in our 135-year history.
Institute Values
The Institute seeks to ensure an environment based on its values of Innovation with Ambition, Collaboration for Impact, Speed and Simplicity, Trust, Inclusion, and For Tomorrow, For Good. Candidates should be able to demonstrate how these may apply to them in the role for which they are applying and how their previous experience is relevant to them.
The role:
As the Head of Digital with organisational responsibility for Customer (Members and Students) Digital User Experience and Customer Support Tier 1, front-end applications, and relevant process change, you will play a pivotal role in shaping and advancing the organisation's digital presence and customer-centric strategies. This leadership role combines a set of responsibilities, from enhancing customer experiences to driving process changes and optimising front-end digital applications. This role reports to the new role of Chief Information Officer.
Key Responsibilities:
Digital Strategy and Leadership:
- Develop and execute a holistic digital user experience strategy aligned with the organization's overall objectives.
- Provide visionary leadership in the digital space, fostering innovation and a customer-centric approach.
Front-End Applications:
- Create and maintain a front-end digital applications structure working closely with the Data management, Education, and member facing departments.
- Ensure the business needs are clearly articulated and focused on while working with the Systems Integrator envisaged in the Transformation programme.
- Manage the development and maintenance of front-end applications, websites, and digital platforms.
- Ensure applications are user-friendly, high-performing, and align with the organization's brand and goals.
Customer Digital Experience:
- Lead efforts to enhance the digital experience across various customer touchpoints, ensuring seamless, engaging, and consistent journeys.
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams to identify and address pain points in the customer journey.
Customer Support Tier 1:
- Oversee the Tier 1 customer support function, ensuring it delivers efficient and effective support to customers.
- Implement strategies to reduce response times, enhance issue resolution, and elevate customer satisfaction.
Digital UX:
- Drive improvements in digital user experiences through UX/UI design teams.
- Use data-driven insights and customer feedback to continually refine and optimize digital user interfaces.
Process Change and Optimization:
- Identify opportunities for process improvement and change within the organization, particularly those related to digital operations.
- Implement process optimization methodologies (e.g., Lean, Six Sigma) to enhance efficiency and reduce operational bottlenecks.
Cross-functional Collaboration:
- Collaborate closely with departments such as marketing, IT, operations, and product development to ensure alignment of digital initiatives with organizational objectives.
- Foster a culture of collaboration and cross-functional problem-solving.
Data-Driven Decision-Making:
- Utilise data analytics and customer insights to inform decision-making.
- Identify trends, pain points, and opportunities for improvement, and drive digital and process enhancements based on data.
- Ensure front-end development assures the data requirements of the Institute Data Strategy.
Team Leadership and Development:
- Build and lead high-performing teams responsible for digital strategy, customer support, UX, front-end applications, and process change.
- Provide mentorship and development opportunities to team members.
Change Management:
- Implement effective change management strategies to ensure smooth transitions during process changes and digital transformations.
- Engage and communicate with employees to gain buy-in and support for changes.
Performance Measurement:
- Define key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics to track the success and impact of digital initiatives, customer support improvements, UX enhancements, and process changes.
- Regularly report on progress to senior leadership.
The candidate
Requirements:
- Education: A bachelor's degree in a relevant field such as Computer / Digital Technologies, Business Administration, Digital Marketing, or Customer Experience Management is required. A master's degree is a plus.
- Experience: A track record of at least 5 years in senior technical leadership role with a focus on digital strategy, customer experience, customer support, digital UX, front-end applications, and process improvement/change management.
- Digital Expertise: Expert understanding of digital technologies, trends, and best practices, with a deep knowledge of customer-centric digital strategies.
- Customer-Centric: A customer-centric mindset with a strong commitment to improving customer experiences.
- Analytical Skills: Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to derive insights from data.
- Leadership Skills: Exceptional leadership and team management skills, with the ability to provide vision, inspire and guide teams to achieve organisational goals related to the new generations of members.
- Communication: Strong communication and stakeholder management skills, including the ability to effectively collaborate with individuals at all levels of the organisation.
- Change Management: Experience in change management methodologies and the ability to manage and communicate change effectively.
- Process Improvement: Familiarity with process improvement methodologies (e.g., Lean, Six Sigma) and a demonstrated ability to drive process change and optimisation.
- Front-End Applications: Experience with front-end development principles, user experience design, and web technologies.
Flexible work arrangements
The Institute is seeking and encourages applications from experienced candidates who may be looking for flexible work arrangements. If such arrangements are being sought please bring these to the attention of your interviewer.
The Institute will use the information which you have provided in this form to respond to your request or process your application and will hold and protect it in accordance with the Institute's privacy statement, which explains your rights in relation to your personal data. By submitting this application acknowledge you have read our privacy statement.
Chartered Accountants Ireland is an equal opportunities employer.
How to apply:
Please contact for further details and to send your details, Susan Nix (snix@morganmckinley.com) with our selection partner, Morgan McKinley.
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