ABOUT EIT FOOD
EIT Food is Europe’s leading food innovation initiative, working to make the food system more sustainable, healthy and trusted by consumers. Established by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) in 2017, EIT Food is a fast-growing partnership organisation focusing on entrepreneurship and innovation in the food sector.
EIT Food is a member organisation bringing together key industry players, agri-food startups, research centres and universities from across Europe representing the food value chain in Europe. In addition to thematic leadership, EIT Food is also responsible for coordinating a multi-million euro EU grant allocation from the EIT and distributing it among its partners and stakeholders for the implementation of projects.
EIT Food headquarters (HQ) are based in Leuven (Belgium) and it has 5 regional offices (Co-Location Centres or CLCs) in Europe (based in Poland, Spain, Germany, the UK and Belgium), each working with and for partners in several EIT Food partner countries.
Visit our website: https://www.eitfood.eu.
JOB DESCRIPTION
As the Head of IT at EIT Food Ivzw, you will play a pivotal role in shaping and executing the organization’s technology strategy. You’ll lead a team responsible for managing and enhancing and implementing our IT infrastructure, systems, and digital solutions. Your expertise will drive innovation, efficiency, and seamless operations across the organization. The Head of IT will report directly to the Chief Operating Officer (COO), ensuring alignment with organizational objectives. You will report to the Chief Operating Officer (COO), ensuring alignment with organizational objectives.
MAIN DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES
- Strategic Leadership: Implement comprehensive IT strategy aligned with EIT Food’s Mission and Priorities & collaborate with senior management to integrate technology into business processes effectively.
- Team Management: Lead and mentor a team of internal and external IT professionals
- Infrastructure and Workplace Tools: Manage the organization’s IT infrastructure, networks, and cloud services & ensure robust security protocols, disaster recovery plans, and data privacy compliance.
- Digital Transformation and project delivery - Technology Capability for the whole Organisation: drive digital initiatives to enhance operational efficiency, user experience, and data analytics. Including ongoing implementations like Salesforce, ERP & HRIS systems.
- Vendor Management
- Budget Oversight
- Risk Management
- Collaboration and Communication
EXPERIENCE & SKILLS
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, engineering or equivalent experience delivering technology-enabled change.
- Proven experience (at least 5 years) in IT leadership roles.
- Knowledge of IT infrastructure, cybersecurity, cloud computing, and data management.
- Previous experience in driving cross-functional IT projects that show capacity in bringing solutions to various users with a service-provider mindset.
- Excellent communication, problem-solving, and project management skills.
- First-hand experience with SaaS implementations, Knowledge of CRM systems, particularly Salesforce, is a significant advantage.
- Familiar with Project Management Methodologies
- Familiarity with grant-giving organizations is advantageous.
- Customer mindset – You can demonstrate how you work in a customer-centric way, and can engage people across a business, through an understanding of their needs.
- You possess excellent communication skills, both verbally and in writing in English.
- You are proactive and recommend information technology strategies, policies, and procedures by evaluating organisation outcomes, identifying problems, evaluating trends even anticipating user requirements
- You are capable of “connecting the dots” between various organisational needs, your strengths lie in your strong collaboration skills and user understanding Your project management skills have taught you to be flexible and focused: you enjoy complex problems and delivering short and long-term solutions to teams across various business units
- You are able to work in a ever-changing organisation, comfortable with ambiguity and can deal with uncertainty.
WHAT WE OFFER
Working at EIT Food means joining a team of like-minded individuals who are dedicated to creating a better future through food innovation. We cultivate a culture of collaboration, inventiveness, inclusivity, and constructive feedback. All employees are encouraged to contribute their ideas and expertise towards our mission of creating a more sustainable and inclusive food system.
Together, we're making a real impact on the food industry and we're looking for talented individuals like you to join us.
As a valued member of our team, we'll provide you with a competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package.
CONTRACT TYPE
Full time permanent position (not open for contractors or freelancers).
LOCATION & TRAVEL FREQUENCY
EIT Food HQ, Leuven (Belgium) or an agreed regional office (Bilbao, Madrid, Freising, Warsaw). Hybrid working possible
Please note that all applicants must be legally authorized to reside and work in Europe.
Frequent/Occasional travel within Europe can be expected.
APPLICATION
Interested candidates are asked to upload their CV in English to CV Warehouse before 01.05.2024 at 23:59 CET. Please note that this position can be closed at any time if the right candidate is found. Applications and interviews will be carried out on a rolling basis.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES
EIT Food is an equal opportunity employer, offering each candidate matching the minimum obligatory qualifications and experiences an equal chance in employment and promotion procedures.
Acquisition from recruitment agencies based of this posting, is not appreciated.
