APN seeks new Head of Technology

APN News and Media are seeking a new Head of Technology, after posting an online job advertisement for staff in Auckland.

Labelled as a "huge opportunity to influence Print and Digital Technology for New Zealand's leading media company," the advert was originally posted on January 6 and currently has 25 applications.

The chosen candidate will head a "talented and dynamic large team" of staff, with full details of the advert below.

Job description:

APN News - Media NZ is seeking a dynamic, forward thinking and innovative person to join their senior leadership team.

The landscape of media, print and digital is evolving and APN NZ is offering a unique opportunity for the right person to contribute substantially to the strategic direction and role that technology plays at the fore-front of its industry.

As Head of Technology you will have a complete understanding of the role technology plays within a modern business, both as part of the go-to-market offer, and its support for business operations utilising your broad knowledge of trends and developments in the IT sector.

This will be essential to shape and define the direction of software and systems development and the architecture principles to which they should adhere.

You will have primary accountability and responsibility for maintaining and evolving technology to support the New Zealand Media business across all platforms including print and digital.

The ability to influence and collaborate in the development of, and oversee the execution of, technology delivery that underpins the New Zealand Media strategy will be a vital part of your core skill set.

Simplification, integration and overall cost control will be a key focus along with managing the prioritisation and execution of all programs of work associated with the technology team. This work will be in alignment with APN Corporate Technology vision.

You will also be accountable for New Zealand Media's PMO delivering large, strategically critical projects on time and on budget.

Mentoring project managers is a key requirement, as is the implementation and execution of robust project processes – in particular those relating to issue, risk, and resource management.

This is a fantasic opportunity for a proven inlfuencer with the ability to provide and lead a change agenda across a range of stakeholders including external and internal realtionships, the senior menagment team and the APN Group.

Desired skills - experience:

* To be successful you will have extensive knowledge and experience in strategic leadership, delivery and management of a multi-media technology strategy and vision function in a large dynamic service delivery environment.

* A tertiary qualification of IT, Computer Science, or related field is essential. You will be seen as an outstanding people leader, mentor, negotiator and influencer.

* Solid business acumen and an understanding of how technology initiatives contribute to the P - L of a media business.

*Energetic and confident person with the ability to communicate with operational and strategic level resources.

*Ability to understand and articulate technology vision and strategy to a non-technical audience.

*Demonstrable cost control experience and skills, with sounds understanding of capital and operating budgets and strategies for managing the mix between the two.

*Solid understanding of digital technologies, both current and evolving, and how they should be applied in a cost effective manner in the media organisation of both today and tomorrow.

*Ability to translate many and varying business priorities into a strategic technology roadmap and articulate this to an executive team.

*Strength in managing stakeholder expectations.

*Experience managing large teams through significant change.

Company description:

* APN News - Media has a diverse portfolio of vibrant media assets.

*APN has leading outdoor advertising businesses in Australia and New Zealand and has strong growing operations in Hong Kong and Indonesia.

*APN NZ Media is New Zealand's leading publisher with a weekly brand audience of 2.6 million people.

*The New Zealand Media division's portfolio includes the best-selling daily newspaper The New Zealand Herald, award-winning website nzherald.co.nz, national magazines the New Zealand Woman's Weekly and the New Zealand Listener, as well as regional newspapers.

*In New Zealand, we have three of the top five national radio networks with NewsTalk ZB, Classic Hits and Coast as well as four additional major networks.

*In Australia, our major metro radio networks are Mix and Classic Hits connecting audiences in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide. We also operate The Edge in Sydney.

*APN publishes 20 daily and more than 100 non-daily newspapers across Australia and New Zealand. We are proud to be the leading publisher in New Zealand, with The New Zealand Herald spearheading public opinion in the country.

*In Australia, we focus on providing relevant and engaging publications in some of Australia's fastest growing regions.

*With market leading online sites such as NZ Herald Online and GrabOne and a strong audience connection with our radio and news branded web and mobile sites, APN is expanding its digital potential.