Head of department - Operations Centre

Job Title

Head of Department – Operations Centre

Reporting To

Chief IT Operations Officer (CITOO)

Location

Lyon

Contract Type

Fixed-term (36 months)

Deadline for Application

09/07/2026

Summary of Duties

Within the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Executive Directorate/Operations (OPS), the incumbent is responsible for leading the 24/7 Operations Centre (OPC) – the central point of service delivery, incident coordination and asset readiness for INTERPOL’s global user base.

Principal Duties and Activities

• DUTY 1: Operational Management
  • Lead and coordinate all operational activities within the OPC.
  • Oversee the Service Desk and Network Operations Centre, ensuring integrated support and real‑time infrastructure monitoring.
  • Establish unified workflows, escalation paths, and performance standards across regions and time zones.
  • Manage the full lifecycle of incident, problem, and request management in accordance with ITIL and internal frameworks.
  • Maintain real‑time monitoring, alerting, and dashboards for all critical services.
  • Ensure 24/7 operational readiness, staffing, shift scheduling, and escalation matrices.
  • Participate in cross‑functional incident response teams during major outages and cyber incidents.
  • Log, classify, prioritize, and communicate incidents to CITOO and stakeholders.
  • Maintain and improve operational documentation (runbooks, playbooks, SOPs, escalation matrices, contact lists).
  • Deliver operational reports to CITOO covering incident trends, MTTR/MTBF, system availability, and capacity.
  • Collaborate with Platforms & Systems and Engineering Office to inform system design and patch cycles.
• DUTY 2: Strategy & Planning
  • Develop and maintain the OPC Strategic Plan aligned with CITOO’s roadmap.
  • Define, monitor, and report on KPIs and SLOs (response times, resolution rates, etc.).
  • Participate in operational resilience exercises.
  • Drive digital transformation of the OPC (monitoring tools, AI‑driven alert correlation, automation).
  • Ensure compliance with ISO 27001 and INTERPOL’s ICT Governance Frameworks.
  • Work with Architecture and Engineering on readiness for production deployment.
  • Lead lifecycle planning for OPC tools, infrastructure, and supplies.
• DUTY 3: Acquisition & Deployment
  • Prepare RFPs, SOWs, and business cases for OPC technology investments.
  • Conduct cost‑benefit and ROI analyses for modernization initiatives.
  • Oversee deployment, configuration, and testing of new OPC systems.
  • Coordinate with Procurement, Finance, and Legal to ensure policy compliance.
  • Ensure smooth transition from pilot to production, including training and documentation updates.
  • Monitor performance of all OPC tools post‑deployment and initiate corrective actions.
• DUTY 4: Leadership
  • Supervise, coach, and develop OPC staff.
  • Lead performance management processes and individual growth plans.
  • Ensure cross‑skilling and redundancy across roles.
  • Promote a service‑oriented, security‑conscious culture.
  • Represent the OPC in senior operational meetings and budgeting discussions.
  • Act on behalf of CITOO during critical incidents.
• DUTY 5: Relationship & Collaboration
  • Maintain relationships with key ICT leaders and service delivery management.
  • Serve as primary contact between the OPC and National Central Bureaus during operational events.
  • Coordinate with Regional Offices and the Global NCB Network for localized support.
  • Engage Finance, Planning, and Procurement for budgeting and procurement alignment.
  • Represent the OPC in international forums and working groups.
  • Ensure all communications are clear, accurate, multilingual, and secure.

Qualifications, Competencies, and Skills

• Minimum five years of university education in Information Technology, Computer Science, or a related field.
• ITIL Foundation certification mandatory; ITIL Expert or other Service Management certifications highly desirable.
• Minimum eight years of ICT operations experience, with at least five years in a leadership role within a 24/7 environment; ten years if educational requirement not met.
• Proven experience managing a large‑scale, global Operations Centre within law enforcement, government or international organizations.
• Expertise in incident management, service restoration, escalation protocols, and real‑time monitoring of mission‑critical systems.
• Strong background in ITIL‑based service operations, including implementation and auditing of operational processes.
• Experience leading teams under high‑pressure, time‑critical conditions (cyberattacks, natural disasters, major global events).
• Experience working with international law enforcement partners is an asset.
• Fluency in English required; proficiency in Arabic, French or Spanish considered an asset.
• Ability to lead, motivate, and develop technical teams; deep understanding of 24/7 operations, SLAs, KPIs, and performance metrics.
• Excellent communication skills for technical and non‑technical audiences and senior management.
• Strong interpersonal skills to build trust across departments, regions, and partners.
• Solid understanding of network infrastructure, operating systems, cloud platforms, monitoring tools, ticketing systems and cybersecurity principles.
• Familiarity with project delivery frameworks and capability to lead small‑to‑medium operational projects.

EEO Statement

INTERPOL actively encourages applications from women, nationalities currently under‑represented among staff, and individuals with diverse experiences. All hiring decisions are merit‑based and based on qualifications and organizational needs.