Head of Technology - Service, Operations and Infrastructure

Purpose of Role:

Serving as the primary liaison and key point of contact for Service, Operations, and Infrastructure (SOI) Group Functions—including Hosting, Delivery, EUC & Collaboration, Service Management, Observability, and other Service, Operations and Infrastructure responsibilities —this role is responsible for directing daily operations and group delivery while providing guidance and leadership. Additionally, the position involves collaborating closely with SOI senior executives in Australia and other IT senior leadership in India.

Key responsibilities:

- To manage and deliver operational excellence, service availability and performance, including service operations, network, hosting and infrastructure delivery working in coordination with leadership in Australia and New Zealand.
- Management of technology and training needs for local staff under direct management.
- Align and manage SOI KPI’s and OKR’s
- Management of program & project timelines, requirements, budget and delivery
- Drive and lead operational support capabilities for new & changing services
- Potential management of partner organisations existing within India, Australia and New Zealand working in coordination with leadership in Aus/NZ.
- Manage a large group made up of direct hires with coordination and feedback from management in Australia and New Zealand
- Manage and maintain a large multi-million dollar budget
- Manage a complex multi-partner relationship ~200 people
- Vendor Management of multiple vendors in the technology group
- Work closely with local Facilities team for end user requirements & service availability
- Help to build Woolworths' profile in the local tech industry / with local partners and the community
- Maintain good culture and engagement within the SOI team in India, focusing on VOT scores and minimising turnover amongst the team

SFIA Competency Framework Woolworths Group Technology uses the SFIA competency framework to build out the competency requirements for their roles.

Click here to read more.

Skill & Level

Strategic planning- Level 5

- Contribute and support all policies, standards, and guidelines for how the organisation conducts strategy development and planning.
- Leads and manages the creation or review of a strategy that meets the requirements of the business.
- Develops, communicates, implements and reviews the processes which embed strategic management in the operational management of the organisation.

Information systems coordination - Level 6

- Maintains awareness of the global needs of the organisation.
- Promotes the benefits that a common approach to technology deployment will bring to the business as a whole.
- Coordinates and collaborates with others on the promotion, acquisition, development, and implementation of information systems and services.

Emerging technology monitoring - Level 6

- Plans and leads the identification and assessment of emerging technologies and the evaluation of potential impacts, threats and opportunities.
- Creates technology roadmaps that align organisational plans with emerging technology solutions. Engages with, and influences, relevant stakeholders to obtain organisational commitment to technology roadmaps.
- Develops organisational guidelines for monitoring emerging technologies.
- Collaborates with internal and external parties to facilitate intelligence gathering.

Portfolio management - Level 6

- Engages and influences senior managers to ensure the portfolio will deliver the agreed business objectives.
- Leads the definition of a portfolio of programmes, projects, and/or on-going service provision. Plans, schedules, monitors and reports on portfolio-related activities. Ensures that each part of the portfolio contributes to the overall achievement of the portfolio.




- Identifies portfolio-related issues. Notifies projects/programmes/change initiatives of issues and recommends and monitors corrective action.
- Collects, summarises and reports on portfolio measures. Reports on portfolio status as appropriate.

Organisational capability development - Level 6

- Seeks out, identifies, proposes, and initiates capability improvement activities within the organisation.
- Leads substantial improvement programmes. Plans and manages the evaluation or assessment of organisational capabilities. Selects frameworks, approaches and techniques for use.
- Takes action to exploit opportunities to deliver measurable, beneficial impacts upon operational effectiveness. Devises solutions and leads change initiatives, including communication, transition and implementation activities.
- Monitors international, national, and sector trends in order to establish the needed capability.

Technology service management - Level 7

- Sets strategy for the management of the portfolio of technology services.
- Aligns technology service management with organisational strategies, objectives and emerging opportunities. Promotes the opportunities technology offers the organisation, including the feasibility of change and its likely impact.
- Authorises the establishment of new or modified technology service delivery capabilities. Integrates in-house and outsourced options, as well as delivery options leveraging multiple service delivery capabilities.
- Authorises allocation of resources for the planning, development and delivery of all technical services and products. Maintains an overview of the contribution of technology services to organisational success.

Service level management - Level 7

- Sets strategies for service delivery that support the strategic needs of the client organisation.
- Authorises allocation of resources for monitoring service delivery arrangements.
- Develops relationships with customers at the highest level to identify potential areas of mutual commercial interest for future development.
- Maintains an overview of the contribution of service delivery arrangements to organisational success. Provides leadership within the industry on the identification of future trends.

Performance management - Level 6

- Determines and delegates people management and functional management objectives and responsibilities.
- Creates and sets the direction for multiple workgroups to achieve strategic organisational objectives. Sets strategy for quality and performance measurement in line with organisational goals.
- Provides a work environment and resources that allow individuals and workgroups to perform their tasks efficiently.
- Leads the implementation of formal organisational processes such as recruitment, reward, promotion and disciplinary procedures.

Workforce planning - Level 6

- Defines the workforce planning approach for a significant part of the organisation in line with strategic business goals.
- Communicates the workforce planning approach and obtains organisational commitment. Selects frameworks to be used for the organisation's skills and capability inventory.
- Interprets business strategy to direct workforce demand forecasting (skills and numbers) for the organisation. Monitors the external environment in relation to supply and emerging trends.
- Influences people management policies and practices to align with workforce plans. Integrates with resourcing strategies and plans.



Monitors execution of workforce plans.

Supplier management - Level 6

- Develops organisational policies, standards, and guidelines to ensure effective supplier management across the integrated supply chain.
- Defines the approach for commercial communications and the management of relationships with suppliers. Establishes a positive and effective working environment with suppliers for mutual benefit.
- Ensures that resources and tools are in place to conduct bench-marking. Reviews supplier analysis and assesses effectiveness across the supply chain.
- Manages risks and assures the quality of the services delivered by suppliers.

Stakeholder relationship management - Level 6

- Leads the development of comprehensive stakeholder management strategies and plans.
- Builds long-term, strategic relationships with senior stakeholders (internal and external). Facilitates the engagement of stakeholders in support of the delivery of services and change projects. Acts as a single point of contact for senior stakeholders, facilitating relationships between them.
- Negotiates to ensure that stakeholders understand and agree on what will meet their needs, and that appropriate agreements are defined.
- Oversees monitoring of relationships including lessons learned and appropriate feedback. Leads actions to improve relations and open communications with and between stakeholders.

Customer service support - Level 6

- Influences the strategic direction and takes responsibility for the full range of customer service functions.
- Defines service channels, service levels, standards and the monitoring process for customer service or service desk staff. Champions the service culture required to deliver organisational outcomes.
- Leads the development and implementation of organisational frameworks for complaints, service standards and operational agreements.
- Takes responsibility for business continuity and legal, regulatory and contractual compliance.

Career Experiences:

- IT Service Operations (e.g. ITIL)
- Relevant degree qualification or equivalent
- 18+ Years overall operational excellence by defining long-term technology and service strategies, driving portfolio delivery, optimizing performance, and ensuring alignment with business objectives, customer outcomes, and commercial priorities.
- 5+ years of senior leadership experience managing large-scale IT operations (100+ people) and external service providers.
- 3+ years experience leading technology teams in a Global Capability Centre (GCC) or complex offshore/onshore model.
- Proven track record in financial management of multi-million dollar technology budgets.
- Experience in delivering infrastructure projects and operational excellence in a high-availability environment.

About Woolworths Woolworths Group is one of Australia's largest retailers, serving millions of customers across supermarkets, digital channels, supply chain operations, and related businesses. Through a strong focus on innovation, analytics, and technology, Woolworths continues to transform the retail experience and deliver better outcomes for customers, partners, and communities.

As a data-driven organization, Woolworths invests heavily in advanced analytics, business intelligence, and digital capabilities to support strategic decision-making and operational excellence. Joining Woolworths means working in a collaborative workplace where insights and innovation directly influence business success.

At Woolworths, you will have the opportunity to work on large-scale retail and digital transformation initiatives, leveraging data to enhance customer experiences, optimize operations, and influence key business decisions.

Location : Corporate Edge, Level 10, M3, Block Acacia, Embassy Manyata Business Park, Nagavara

Experience Range : 18+ Years

📌 Head of Technology - Service, Operations and Infrastructure (Bangalore Metropolitan Area)
🏢 Woolworths Group
📍 Bangalore Metropolitan Area