The Donkey Sanctuary
Head of Application Management
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Head of Application Management
These are exciting times for the charity, and we have an outstanding opportunity for a self-motivated and highly professional individual with exceptional analytical, collaborative and interpersonal skills to join the Leadership Team, as Head of Application Management.
Position: Head of Application Management
Location: Devon/Hybrid (This is a hybrid working position, combining home and occasional onsite working under the guiding principles for such roles. The working pattern and requirement for site attendance (for essential meetings) will be agreed between the line manager and post-holder)
Hours: Full-time, 35 hours per week, 08.30-16.30, Monday-Friday
Salary: £63,813 per annum
Contract: Permanent
Closing Date: Sunday 2 August 2026. Please note this role may close earlier than advertised so apply as soon as possible.
About the Role
As Head of Application Management, you will be responsible for the leadership, strategic direction and effective delivery of all business applications used across the Sanctuary, ensuring these are reliable, secure and support operational and strategic goals. Within this multifunctional and rewarding role, you will lead, support and develop the application management team so they can deliver a high-quality and customer-focused service, fostering a collaborative working culture, encouraging innovation and shared problem-solving.
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Your Principal Duties and Responsibilities Will Include:
- Leading the development and delivery of an application management strategy, ensuring it supports the current and future needs of the organisation.
- Establishing clear processes for the full lifecycle of applications, including acquisition, development, maintenance, and retirement.
- Overseeing the performance, availability, and reliability of all business-critical applications, ensuring services run smoothly and efficiently and support business continuity and the delivery of organisational objectives.
- Ensuring effective incident, problem, and change management processes so that application issues are resolved promptly and downtime is minimised.
- Building strong working relationships across the Sanctuary, acting as the main point of contact for application related advice, priorities and improvement.
- Ensuring applications comply with regulatory requirements, data protection obligations, and security standards.
- Identifying and managing risks related to application services, implementing appropriate controls and mitigation strategies.
About You
We are looking for someone who has:
- Proven experience of leading application management or enterprise systems teams.
- A strong understanding of ITIL, DevOps, and Agile methodologies.
- Familiarity with SFIA framework and digital transformation principles.
- Excellent leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
- Proven strategic thinking and decision-making skills.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
- Practical experience of managing complex application landscapes and vendor ecosystems.
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Benefits Include:
- Competitive pension.
- 31 days holiday (including Bank holidays), rising to 34 with each full year of service.
- Wellbeing team.
- Recorded Pilates and Yoga classes.
- Long service awards.
- Healthshield plan.
- Free parking.
- Subsidised restaurant and shop.
About the Organisation
Join one of the UK’s largest international animal welfare charities, currently supporting projects in over 35 countries worldwide, working for a world where donkeys and mules live free from suffering and their contribution to humanity is fully valued.
The Charity is a Disability Confident Employer, committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of vulnerable people (children and adults) and expects all staff and volunteers to undertake this commitment. Applicants will be subject to safer recruitment processes, including an application for a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check where required for the post.
You may also have experience in areas such as Application Management, Systems Management, Director of Application Management, Application Management Director.
Please note this role is advertised by the recruitment agency acting for the client, Not For Profit People. #INDNFP
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