Head of Finance and HR Systems

Lead the vital systems that power our council and enable our teams to deliver reliable, efficient services for our community

As our Head of Finance and HR ICT Systems, you’ll lead the digital backbone of Kensington and Chelsea, with strategic ownership of Oracle Fusion and the other core HR and Finance systems that underpin the Council. It’s a role with genuine, whole organisation impact – a chance to support improved used of data and efficient service delivery, to empower our workforce and ensure the systems that support our staff and residents run smoothly and effectively every single day.

What you’ll be doing

Your focus will be providing strategic leadership and clear ownership across our core business platforms, including Oracle Fusion and Revenues and Benefits systems. Managing a dedicated team of just over 20 people, you will establish robust governance, drive high standards of service management, ensure visibility of delivery, and build capability right across the team. A primary focus will be embedding and optimising Oracle Fusion following its 2024 implementation – refining business processes, improving data quality, reducing technical debt and driving user adoption across Finance, HR, Payroll, Procurement and Revenues and Benefits.

This means working closely with senior leaders across the council to translate organisational needs into a clear, prioritised improvement roadmap. On a daily basis, you will balance strategic oversight with practical delivery – reviewing service performance, overseeing regular system updates and related testing, and ensuring cyber security, access controls and disaster recovery arrangements remain resilient. Alongside managing budgets, contracts and supplier performance, you will provide strategic oversight for our aligned solutions including our Revenues and Benefits platform which is in the process of procurement. As part of the Wider ICT leadership team, you will also participate in the out-of-hours leadership rota.

For further details, please review the Job Description and Person Specification 

What you’ll bring

You’ll bring a substantial, hands-on track record with Oracle Fusion, alongside deep practical knowledge across enterprise resource planning, payroll, procurement, reporting, security, integrations and release management. Having personally led or played a major role in a complex Oracle implementation, stabilisation or optimisation programme within local government, you understand the operational realities and statutory demands of council Finance and Human Resources services.

You’re an experienced leader of multidisciplinary application teams who knows how to inspire staff, build internal capability, influence senior stakeholders and establish strong change controls around business-critical platforms. With clear communication skills and resilience, you move confidently between strategic system ownership and detailed delivery decisions.

Most importantly, you're someone who brings credibility, empathy and clarity under pressure, guiding users smoothly through system adoption and turning complex technical challenges into practical, positive outcomes for our services.

Why join us

At RBKC, we’re all in – investing in our people, our communities and our future.

This is a role with huge strategic potential. You’ll take ownership of core digital systems underpinning our entire organisation, backed by strong senior sponsorship and a clear commitment to continuous improvement. As part of a forward-looking ICT leadership team, it’s a chance to step into a space where your leadership is highly valued and your work can drive genuine, lasting change.

We will invest in your professional growth, offering continuous learning and development opportunities to help you lead with confidence. You’ll also receive a competitive salary, flexible hybrid working arrangements and the backing of a collaborative team that takes pride in delivering safe, efficient services for our borough.

About us

Kensington and Chelsea is home to diverse communities, thriving businesses and unique local places. Everything we do is focused on supporting our residents, strengthening our approach and creating a fairer borough.

As a competent and caring Council, we take pride in our work every day, ensuring our services are delivered with care and competence. We listen to our residents, act with integrity and work together to build a borough that is greener, safer and fairer for all.

In this role, you’ll be a vital enabler – bringing a dedicated mindset to simplifying workflows, establishing robust systems and building capability across our teams. System embedding and digital transition are rarely smooth sailing, but your efforts will ensure complex operational challenges become opportunities to build resilient infrastructure and deliver better outcomes for our entire organisation.

Interview Details

 w/c 26th October and 2nd November 2026. 

Working Style

You’ll be based in the Borough for three days a week, playing a key role in supporting our workforce and local community. Whether you’re advising senior leaders or collaborating with service leads, you’ll be part of a dedicated team making a real difference behind the scenes. An increased presence will be expected initially as you build relationships, establish team dynamics and get to grips with our system architecture.

Ready to join us? 

We’re all in – are you? If you share our values and have the skills to contribute, we’d love to hear from you.

Please apply online explaining how you meet the requirements set out in the person specification and job description.

We reserve the right to extend or close this vacancy early without warning subject to the volume of suitable applicants.

We are committed to promoting equality and respecting diversity and welcome applications from all sections of the community.

We are a Disability Confident Employer – committed to ensuring that our recruitment and selection process is inclusive and accessible.

We are committed to fair, transparent, and consistent pay practices. New hires will start at the minimum of the advertised salary range.

Employees receive annual salary increases until they reach the top of the pay scale. In addition, employees will receive any agreed cost of living pay rises.