Head of Business Applications

About British International Investment

British International Investment (BII) is the UK’s development finance institution, wholly owned by the UK Government. Established with a mission to address the world’s biggest developmental challenges, BII focuses on creating a virtuous cycle of investment and impact. With over 75 years in supporting sustainable business growth in developing and emerging markets, BII has £8.1 billion in net assets and plans £9 billion in new investments over the next five years. It supports over 1,400 businesses, reaching out to 950,000 workers worldwide. The institution prides itself on its three key development objectives: Productive, Sustainable, and Inclusive growth. BII’s culture is underpinned by values that promote impact-led, commercially rigorous, collaborative, and tenacious efforts in alleviating global challenges. BII prioritizes diversity and inclusion in its workforce, welcoming applicants from all backgrounds. The organization also ensures a robust vetting process for shortlisted candidates, including reference and background checks.

About this Role

The Head of Business Applications at British International Investment is responsible for the application landscape within the organization, ensuring overall system coherence and strategic alignment. This role champions the efficient use and adoption of applications across the business, including core platforms such as the portfolio management system and Microsoft Dynamics. Reporting to the Chief Security Technology Officer, the position involves leading a team of approximately eight developers, managing vendor relationships, and ensuring the delivery of application solutions that align with business requirements. BII’s technology stack comprises around 250 applications hosted primarily in the cloud as either SAAS solutions or on BII’s Azure tenant. As part of an expanding technology landscape, this role is critical in integrating systems, automating processes, and enhancing functionalities as BII continues to grow. Strong collaboration with senior stakeholders in both business and support functions is essential to understand business needs and deliver optimal solutions.

Responsibilities

• Own the application landscape, including strategy and delivery aligned with business goals.
• Lead a team of approximately 8 developers, ensuring the right sourcing model.
• Manage relationships with key vendors, including BlackRock.
• Align business requirements to strategic priorities, encouraging optimal use and adoption of applications.
• Act as a gatekeeper for proposed changes, prioritizing and delivering appropriately sized solutions.
• Build strong collaborative relationships with internal stakeholders such as Finance, Treasury, Investment Operations, and Change Management.

Requirements

• Demonstrated leadership skills in managing a Business Application/Development team within Financial Services (private equity, investment management, investment banking, or NGO).
• Strong understanding of financial services systems, business functions, and industry trends.
• Proven track record in delivering fit-for-purpose application solutions while balancing customization and standardization.
• Experience in managing third-party vendors effectively; experience with BlackRock is a bonus.
• Ability to operate at strategic and tactical levels.
• Excellent communication skills, able to present to senior business levels, including C-suite.
• Experience in building effective relationships across business lines and resolving conflicts.
• Familiarity with portfolio management systems (preferably eFront), finance and treasury systems.
• Additional skills in data management, Datawarehouse, M365, ITIL, Agile, and DevOps are useful.
• Strong motivation for BII’s development mission and demonstrated commitment to development or social goals.

Benefits

• Competitive salary.
• Opportunity to work in a mission-driven organization with a significant impact on global development.
• Engaging and collaborative work environment.
• Opportunity to lead and drive strategic initiatives.
• Diverse, inclusive workplace culture.
• Professional development and career advancement opportunities.
• Comprehensive benefits package, including wellbeing programs.
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