Head of department - Operations Centre

The Head of Department Operations Centre (OPC) leads the 24/7 Operations Centre responsible for the delivery of ICT services to INTERPOL’s global user base. The role ensures operational management, strategy and planning, acquisition and deployment, leadership, and collaboration to maintain seamless ICT service delivery aligned with INTERPOL’s mission.

Responsibilities

• Initiate, coordinate, and ensure the timely and effective execution of all 24/7 operational activities within the Operations Centre.
• Assume overall responsibility for the ICT’s Service Desk and Network Operations Centre (NOPC), ensuring integrated delivery of end-user support and real-time infrastructure monitoring.
• Establish unified workflows, escalation paths, and performance standards to guarantee seamless coordination between user support and network operations across all regions and time zones.
• Oversee the end-to-end lifecycle of incident, problem, and request management from detection and triage through resolution and closure ensuring adherence to ITIL and ICT’s Service Management Frameworks.
• Manage real-time monitoring, alerting, and dashboarding systems to ensure visibility into the health, performance, and security posture of all critical ICT services.
• Guarantee 24/7 operational readiness of the OPC including staffing, shift scheduling, tool availability, communication channels, and escalation matrices with full coverage across all time zones and operational modes.
• Participate in cross-functional incident response teams during major outages, cyber incidents, or high-priority events including direct liaison with other ICT Teams.
• Ensure all incidents are logged, classified, prioritized, and escalated in accordance with agreed Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and operational playbooks with timely communication to CITOO and affected stakeholders.
• Maintain and continuously improve operational documentation: Runbooks, Playbooks, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), Escalation Matrices and Contact Lists.
• Deliver daily, weekly, and monthly operational reports to CITOO including incident trends, MTTR/MTBF metrics, system availability, and capacity constraints to support transparency, audit readiness, and strategic decision-making.
• Collaborate directly with the Head of Platforms & Systems and Engineering Office to ensure operational feedback informs system design, patch cycles, and infrastructure changes.
• Develop and maintain the OPC Strategic Plan aligned with CITOO’s roadmap and INTERPOL’s overall ICT Strategy covering technology evolution, staffing models, automation, and process maturity.
• Define, monitor, and report on KPIs and Service Level Objectives (SLOs) for the OPC including response times, resolution rates, false positive rates, and customer satisfaction.
• Participate in the execution of operational resilience exercises including tabletop simulations, disaster recovery drills, and cyber incident response scenarios involving OPC staff and other ICT Teams.
• Drive the digital transformation of the OPC evaluating and implementing advanced monitoring tools, AI-driven alert correlation, automation of routine tasks, and integration with ticketing and communication platforms.
• Ensure all OPC processes are compliant with ISO 27001 and INTERPOL’s ICT Governance Frameworks and participate in internal and external audits.
• Work with the Architecture and Engineering to ensure new systems and services are operationally ready for handover including validation of monitoring coverage, alert thresholds, and escalation paths prior to production deployment.
• Lead lifecycle planning for OPC tools, infrastructure and supplies including asset management, software licenses, mobile communication subscriptions, hardware refreshes, redundancy planning, and vendor management to ensure sustainability and cost efficiency.
• Prepare RFPs, Statements of Work (SOW), and business cases for OPC-related technology investments including monitoring platforms, communication systems, collaboration tools, and automation solutions.
• Conduct cost-benefit and return-on-investment analyses for OPC modernization initiatives with clear alignment to operational resilience, efficiency gains, and risk reduction.
• Oversee the deployment, configuration, and testing of new OPC systems ensuring seamless integration with existing tools, security baselines, and access controls.
• Coordinate with Procurement, Finance, and Legal to ensure all acquisitions comply with INTERPOL’s procurement policies, data privacy requirements, and agreements.
• Ensure smooth transition from pilot to production for all new OPC technologies including staff training, documentation updates, SOP validation, and post-implementation reviews.
• Monitor the performance of all OPC tools and systems post-deployment and initiate corrective actions or upgrades based on operational feedback and KPI performance.
• Directly supervise, coach, and develop OPC staff ensuring alignment with INTERPOL’s values and performance expectations.
• Lead the performance management process to set clear goals, provide regular feedback, identify development needs, and implement individual growth plans.
• Ensure multi-skilling and redundancy across all OPC roles enabling flexible staffing, cross-training, and crisis resilience under any operational scenario.
• Foster a proactive, service-oriented, and security-conscious culture where ownership, urgency, and precision are core values.
• Represent the OPC in senior operational meetings including with CITOO, SOPC, and senior management and make recommendations on staffing, budget, and resource allocation to support operational excellence.
• Act on behalf of CITOO during critical incidents or high-level briefings when required ensuring accurate, timely, and authoritative communication.
• Maintain strong working relationships with the Head of Platforms & Systems, Head of Network & Data Centre, Head of Security Operations Centre (SOPC), and Service Delivery Management to ensure integrated incident response and service continuity.
• Serve as the primary point of contact between the OPC and National Central Bureaus (NCBs) during operational events ensuring clear, secure, and timely communication of system status, outages, and recovery progress.
• Coordinate with Regional Offices and INTERPOL’s Global NCB Network to understand operational challenges, adapt OPC support models, and deliver localized incident response guidance.
• Engage with Finance, Planning, and Procurement teams to align OPC budgeting, forecasting, and acquisition planning with organizational priorities.
• Represent INTERPOL’s OPC in international forums, working groups, and bilateral engagements — sharing best practices and learning from global law enforcement partners.
• Ensure all communications internal and external are clear, accurate, multilingual (English/French/Spanish/Arabic), and aligned with INTERPOL’s neutral, professional, and secure communication protocols.
• Perform any other duties as required by the hierarchy.

Requirements

• At least five years’ University education in Information Technology, Computer Science, or a related field.
• ITIL Foundation certification is mandatory; ITIL Expert or Service Management certifications are highly desirable.
• Minimum 8 years’ experience in ICT operations, with at least 5 years in a leadership or managerial role within a 24/7 operational environment.
• Ten years of relevant experience are required if the post holder does not have the required level of education.
• Proven experience managing a large-scale, global Operations Centre ideally within a law enforcement, government, or international organization.
• Demonstrated expertise in incident management, service restoration, escalation protocols, and real-time monitoring of mission-critical systems.
• Strong background in ITIL-based service operations, with experience implementing and auditing operational processes.
• Experience leading teams under high-pressure, time-critical conditions including during cyberattacks, natural disasters, or major global events.
• Experience working with international law enforcement partners is an advantage.
• Fluency in English is required and proficiency in another language of the Organization (Arabic, French or Spanish) would be an asset.
• Proven ability to lead, motivate, and develop technical teams in high-stakes environments.
• Deep understanding of 24/7 operations, SLAs, KPIs, and performance metrics.
• Ability to remain calm, make rapid decisions, and lead under pressure during major incidents.
• Exceptional ability to communicate technical information clearly to technical and non-technical audiences including senior management.
• Ability to translate operational needs into long-term plans, budgets, and technology investments.
• Strong interpersonal skills to build trust across departments, regions, and international partners.
• Solid understanding of network infrastructure, operating systems, cloud platforms, monitoring tools, ticketing systems and cybersecurity principles.
• Familiarity with project delivery frameworks and ability to lead small-to-medium operational projects.

Skills

• ITIL Foundation
• ITIL Expert
• Service Management
• IT Operations
• Operations Centre Management
• Incident Management
• Service Restoration
• Escalation Protocols
• Real-time Monitoring
• Operational Process Auditing
• Team Leadership
• 24/7 Operations Management
• SLA Management
• KPI Reporting
• Networking Infrastructure
• Operating Systems
• Cloud Platforms
• Monitoring Tools Development
• Ticketing Systems
• Cybersecurity Principles
• Project Delivery Frameworks
• Budgeting
• Technical Communication

Languages

English, French, Spanish, Arabic