IT Specialist – Legal, Corporate Affairs & Corp Functions – IT Portfolio

About Us 
Tate and Lyle is a successful organisation with a clear purpose, ambition, strategy, and strong expert talent, solely focused on achieving its’ ambition as a world class ingredients solutions provider. We have expanded our plant-based footprint beyond corn into tapioca, stevia leaf, chickpea protein and soluble fibre to explore wider platforms for achieving our ambition. Achieving this ambition will require; development of new capabilities, reallocation of resources and investment to become a leaner, more agile company, leveraging latest technology, process insight and ways of working.

Tate & Lyle Global Shared Services Centre in Łódź is the principal location for handling the business support activities and processes for Tate & Lyle, both transactional as well as value-added business partnering support. Starting operations in 2011 with less than 50 people, we now have over 350 employees supporting operations globally. We have 30 teams operating in Łódź to provide service in the areas of Finance, Customer Service, Procurement, HR/People Services, and IS/IT.

About this role:

IT Specialist is an important role embedded within the IT “Towers Functional” team and serves as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) for Corporate Functions – Legal, Corporate Affairs and the Corporate Functions Portfolio Management. Support the Senior IT Managers and leadership in the E2E delivery of IT initiatives, (strategy to project delivery to operational excellence). This role brings specialist knowledge to complex challenges, will collaborate on cross functional initiatives and guides teams on best practises and innovation.  

• Ownership for understanding, analysing business needs and drive requirement definition and validation, driving insights through data, and ensuring that technology design & solutions align with business objectives.

• Ownership for selected project delivery through partners and accountable operational management of IT services and solutions within Corporate Functions – Legal and Corporate Affairs, and the wider Corporate Functions portfolio driving efficiency, simplification value, growth and compliance.

• Contributing and shaping functional technology strategy and roadmap to Corporate Functions – Legal and Corporate Affairs strategies and goals, working closely with key leaders and stakeholders.

• Operate as the go-to expert SME providing technology & solution functional know how to underpin strategic decisions within Corporate Functions – Legal and Corporate Affairs

• Develop, understand and address the technology needs of Corporate Functions – Legal and Corporate Affairs, translating these into actionable and sustainable strategies to meet target IT TCO,

• Collaborate across ISIT teams (Other Functional SMEs, ERP and Innovation CoE, D&A, Service Operations) on initiatives and projects to deliver a “best-in-class” IT experience as a single team to ensure integrated and compliant solutions.

• Work with strategic partners and  third-parties to implement systems and tools aligned with Enterprise Architecture and the wider IT Strategy and Operating Model.

• Ownership for the adoption of Portfolio Management and Planning Guidelines within the Corporate Functions Tower and support and enable the Senior IT Managers to ensure compliance with T&L PM Methodology, Planning and Financial guidelines and respective governance exists for initiatives and projects within the portfolio.

• Oversee the planning, execution, and governance of our IT project and application portfolio

Accountabilities:

Subject Matter Expertise & Partnership

• Leverage functional solution / technology capabilities with key Corporate Functions – Legal and Corporate Affairs stakeholders & leads to explore new ideas, requirements, address challenges and identify potential solutions.

  • Maintain a deep understanding of the function’s goals, processes, and technology needs, aligning technology solutions with their objectives.

  • Conduct gap analysis, analyse and model business processes and solutions to identify areas for improvement.

  • Proposed and recommend solutions to enhance efficiency and effectiveness.

• Elicit and co-document business requirements through stakeholder interviews, workshops, and analysis.

  • Collaborate with stakeholders to gather, analyse, and document business and technical requirements

  • Translate business needs into functional specifications and collaborate with ERP CoE and other IT teams to ensure the solution design meets intended outcomes.

• Collaborate with functional leads to drive the adoption of IT solutions and innovations.

  • Perform data analysis to support decision-making and strategic planning.

  • Co-create and technology strategies and application roadmaps, aligned with global and regional business goals.

People

• Foster a culture of continuous improvement by actively seeking feedback from stakeholders

• Develop knowledge and embed relevant industry best practices and introduce emerging trends to IT and Functions as part of the continuous improvement ethos

• Act as a mentor for junior team members, fostering knowledge sharing and technical development within the team to promote technical excellence and innovation.

Budget, Financial and Resource Management

• Manage corresponding IT budget for the designated Function / Region initiatives within the approved portfolio, ensuring resources are allocated effectively and projects are cost-effective.

  • Monitor and track budgets and forecasts v actuals against KPIs, aligned to FR4 and FR8 cycle

  • Optimize the technology landscape and the total cost of ownership (TCO).

Technology Planning and Innovation

• Co-creation of a strategic technology roadmap that supports the long-term goals of designate Function and Business Units, ensuring alignment with their vision and objectives.

• Advocate for technology-driven innovation, identifying opportunities where IT can enhance business capabilities, efficiency, and productivity.

  • Identify and explore emerging technologies in partnership with functions and business units, fostering a culture of innovation and ensuring solutions are fit for purpose and future-proof.

Portfolio, Programme and Project Management

• Manage technology workstream and projects, ensuring timely delivery and alignment with their strategic requirements align to T&L Project Management Methodology.

  • Coordinate cross-functional teams, including IT and business functions and external vendors and partners, to deliver integrated technology solutions.

  • Govern and monitor project progress, manage risks, resolve issues, and communicate status to stakeholders regularly.

• Manage suppliers and partners to augment IT resources, capacity and skills as needed.

• Develop a standard Portfolio Review approach for Function/Region and IT consumption, to implement a project portfolio that drives the successful delivery of prioritized objectives and business outcomes.  Lead the strategic planning and oversight of the IT project and application portfolio, ensuring alignment with business goals and priorities.

  • Maintain an up-to-date portfolio roadmap, tracking project statuses, financials, KPIs, risks, and dependencies.

  • Collaborate with IT leadership and business stakeholders to evaluate, prioritize, and approve new initiatives.

  • Drive continuous improvement of portfolio management processes, tools, and governance frameworks, ensure the adoption and adherence to T&L PM Methodology and Guideline and Financial Treatment and Guardrails

  • Convene IT Tower review meetings and provide relevant periodic reporting by business value, priority and status with key risks and issues for escalation, aligned to Strategy and Planning guidance and guidelines

  • Ensure the IT Functional Tower team can quickly adapt to changing business priorities and demands, through robust portfolio management and business prioritisation.

Service Delivery and Support

• Work with IT Operations to ensure the delivery of IT services, ensuring stability, security, and performance.

• Collaborate with IT service management teams to address incidents, manage changes, and ensure the reliability and availability of systems through periodic Service Performance Reviews.

Compliance and Security

• Ensure that all IT solutions and services comply with regulatory requirements, industry standards, and company policies.

• Collaborate with IT security teams to implement and maintain robust security measures for data and systems

• Document and maintain comprehensive records of IT projects, solutions and best practices within the discipline for future reference and team training.

Skills and Experience (Manager):

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience.

• Certifications such as CPA, CMA, PMP, ITIL, or equivalent are a plus.

• 5-7 years of experience as a Business Analyst / IT Legal + Corporate Affairs SME and IT portfolio management, program management, or strategic project leadership, preferably within IT or software development environments.

• Strong understanding of IT project management methodologies (Agile, Waterfall, or Hybrid).

• Proficient in portfolio management tools and platforms (e.g., ServiceNow, Clarity PPM, Smartsheet, MS Project, or similar).

• Proven experience partnering with Corporate Head Office business functions, to align technology solutions with business objectives.

• Demonstrated track record of delivering complex IT projects from inception to completion

• Experience and understanding of Legal or Corporate Communications solutions.

• Experience working in a global organisation, with an understanding of how to navigate cultural and organisational complexities.

• Proficiency in data analytics and data management, with the ability to utilise data insights to drive decision-making and strategy.

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build relationships and influence stakeholders at all levels, with the ability to interpret and explain information to different audiences from inside and outside the organisation who are not familiar with the subject matter.

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, capable of addressing complex challenges with strategic and practical solutions.

• Resolve complex issues requiring original thought, research, new approaches and analytical techniques.

• Provide advice and guidance through technical knowledge, research and analysis within own discipline, which impacts the performance of the team.

• Responsible for achieving personal targets, which can impact the overall success of the team.

• May oversee project delivery, including managing project timelines, budgets and resources to ensure successful completion.

WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU

As a business operating in 50 countries worldwide, we offer a global rewards package to all employees alongside a range of country-specific benefits. In addition to the flexible working policy, hybrid working model & competitive salary we offer:

• Extensive development opportunities and programs (vertical & horizontal promotions, foreign assignments, projects, broad range of internal & external training)

• Private medical care, including dental care

• MyBenefit Platform, including Multisport

• Lunch subsidy

• Work from home benefits package

• Languages assistance program

• Personal trainer

• Life Insurance

• LinkedIn Learning Platform access

• Employee Assistance Program (an online platform to support your well-being) and Mental Wellness University

• Possibility to participate in various programs & projects, including activities in Charity Team, First Aid Team, Emergency Team, Active Team and Eco Team

• Last but not least: Work in a welcoming, stimulating, and energetic environment where you can unleash your potential

At Tate & Lyle, we are committed to all our employees being seen, heard, and valued and thus, we value the contributions of people with unique backgrounds, identities, and experiences.

Tate & Lyle is an equal opportunity employer, committed to the strength of an inclusive workforce.