IT Continuity & Resilience Lead

The IT Continuity & Resilience Lead will be responsible for developing, implementing, and managing comprehensive disaster recovery standards, plans, and test schedules to ensure the protection and recovery of critical IT systems and all infrastructure and applications.

1. Develop, maintain, and manage a comprehensive disaster recovery test schedule, standard test results templates, and plans to ensure the timely recovery of critical IT systems and infrastructure in the event of a disruption or disaster.
2. Lead the execution of disaster recovery tests and exercises to evaluate the effectiveness of recovery processes, coordinating with relevant teams to ensure proper documentation, execution, and evaluation of test results while identifying areas for improvement and driving enhancements to disaster recovery capabilities.
3. Measure and report on response against the application or service RTO/RPO.
4. Create and maintain relationships with stakeholders at all levels and work to support, influence, and drive resilience across the business, ensuring close alignment with the BCM team and company BCM plans.
5. Drive program improvements and alignment with industry best practices and regulatory expectations related to disaster recovery.

Essential Academic Qualifications/Certifications:

• Bachelor's degree in computer science, information systems, or a related field.
• Relevant certifications (e.g., Certified Business Continuity Professional (CBCP)).
• ITIL foundation certificate or higher.
• BCM Institute accreditation.

Essential Technical Skills and Job Knowledge/Experience:

• 10+ years of IT business-related experience, with 5-7 years preferably in Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity Planning.
• Strong technical background with a solid understanding of IT infrastructure, networks, systems, and applications.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with attention to detail.
• Strong knowledge of industry best practices, standards, and regulatory requirements (e.g., ISO 22301, NIST SP 800-34).
• Proficient in identifying vulnerabilities and recommending risk mitigation measures.
• Familiarity with disaster recovery technologies and tools (e.g., backup software, replication solutions, virtualization technologies).
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written.
• Continuous learning mindset, staying updated with industry trends.
• Experience in utilities or a similarly regulated industry preferred.

Typical Problems Handled Independently:

• Developing and maintaining a comprehensive disaster recovery test schedule.
• Leading disaster recovery tests and evaluating their effectiveness.
• Measuring and reporting response times against RTO/RPO.
• Maintaining relationships with stakeholders and ensuring alignment with BCM plans.

Problems Requiring Advice:

• Addressing deviations from RTO/RPO during testing, requiring analysis and potential architectural changes.
• Seeking budget approval for changes needed to achieve RTO/RPO.

Problems Requiring Escalation:

• Non-compliance from support teams or suppliers in planning and executing tests.

Most Difficult Aspect of the Job:

• Creating and maintaining relationships with stakeholders across the business while driving resilience and aligning with BCM plans.

• The role requires both strategic and tactical thinking to improve testing maturity year-on-year and ensure IT Continuity is integrated into all solutions.

Internal Impact:

• Ensuring effective IT Continuity processes and service restoration to prevent extended IT outages within the company.

External Impact:

• The company relies on IT applications for safety and service delivery. A failure to restore IT services could impact gas pressure control or emergency responses.

Contribution to Company Objectives:

• Supports IT service restoration and Mean Time to Restore (MTTR) improvement.

Operational Timeframe:

• The role deals with both day-to-day issues and long-term strategic improvements.