Head of Technology

With over 100 years of rich history and strongly positioned as a local bank with regional and international expertise, a career with our family offers the opportunity to be part of this exciting growth journey, to reset our future and shape our destiny as a proudly African group.

Job Summary

To ensure the organisation has the ICT systems, applications, infrastructure and support services needed to achieve excellence. Control, through outsourcing relationships, all ICT operations to ensure delivery on time and within budget of all business related ICT systems and services to agreed performance and quality standards. To maintain a strategic view over the set of projects, providing the framework for implementing business initiatives and large-scale change objectives.Job Description

People Management 40%

Outputs:

• Manage a team of information technology managers to ensure effective delivery of IT service offerings
• Develop a high performing team by embedding formal performance development and informal coaching. Encourage frequent knowledge sharing between team members.
• Determine and analyse development needs for the team and ensure that identified training requirements are budgeted for and executed.
• Establish and maintain a succession plan for the team.
• Interview and recruit new members of the team, including determining appropriate compensation levels with input from Human Resources.
• Create effective workforce and recruitment demand plans to ensure that current and future business requirements can be met. Plans should be revised at least twice a year.
• Review and update the department’s organisation structure and role description on at least an annual basis to ensure that they are fit for purpose and contain all the accountabilities of each team member.
• Motivate to and obtain approval from the COO for any additional headcount for the team.
• Approve leave requests for team members and create leave plans to ensure adequate coverage.
• Monitor overtime and ensure that it is kept to a minimum. Report excessive overtime to the COO and create plans to address the issues.
• When required, initiate disciplinary processes for team members calling on support from Human Resources when required.
• Resolve grievances raised by team members and escalate only if required.
• Address poor performance of any team member through the formal Performance Accelerator programme and ensure that continued poor performance is appropriately dealt with.
• Motivate team members and ensure that their efforts are recognised.
• Participate in the creation and implementation of Employee Opinion Survey (EOS) actions for the team.

Business Management  20%

Outputs:

• Allocate duties to team members in order to achieve operational targets including prioritisation and work schedules.
• Based on gaps identified, motivate requests to the manager for additional resources including people, budget and equipment.
• Obtain a thorough understanding of the business unit’s strategy and explain it to team members in such a way that they understand the contribution they have to make.
• Explain targets and take accountability for the monitoring and achievement of performance objectives in the department in terms of employee satisfaction, customer experience, cost performance, return on investments, risk, compliance and governance requirements. Create quarterly and monthly plans to ensure delivery for the year.
• Manage departmental budgets including signing off of invoices and quotes within mandate. Escalate out of budgets or items higher than approved mandate to the next level manager.
• Rigorously monitor expenditure against approve budgets and put measures in place to address variances. Continuously identify areas for improved efficiency and reduced cost.
• Conduct basic statistical analysis to track performance variances and determine the root causes of errors. Make recommendations for productivity or process enhancements to process owners.
• Implement productivity improvement measures by coaching staff on any new processes or on their areas for improvement.
• Populate balanced scorecards for the specific department on a monthly basis. Work with the team to address shortcomings during the next month. Escalate any major issues identified to the next level manager.
• Participate in the measurement and reporting of internal and external Service Level Agreements on a monthly basis. Address any process failures specific to the department under management.

Risk Management 20%

Outputs:

• Ensure that processes, control requirements and risk management frameworks that have been designed for the area are understood by all members of the team.
• For audit findings that have an impact on the area, work with the COO to understand what actions are required to close out findings. Implement required actions.
• During scheduled audits and management assurance reviews, ensure that all information required by the auditors are provided timeously.
• Complete required compliance and SOX attestations.
• Log all Risk and Loss events as a result of error or fraud highlighted in the department. Ensure that the issues are thoroughly investigated and closed or escalated as per policy.
• Ensure that the team understands all compliance requirements and highlight gaps to the COO
• Monitor compliance training undertaken by team members and ensure that they complete the required training within prescribed timelines.
• Ensure that all regulatory requirements are adhered to.
• Ensure that the Business Continuity Tool is updated regularly. Arrange for team members to participate in BCM tests at the required intervals and document test results. Work with other managers in the area to implement corrective measures in case of test fails.
• Working with other managers in the department to develop Risk and Control Assessments (RCA’s) for the function and update at the required intervals (normally quarterly). Complete attestations to testify to the adequacy of controls on request.
• Ensure that all team leaders and members understand the control requirements related to physical and systems access control and information security requirements. Collect access cards from employees leaving the department or the bank and send instructions to IT and HR to remove their systems access.
• Ensure that the IT area has a Health and Safety Rep, Fire Warden and Evacuation rep.

Networking 10%

Output:

• Assist in the planning and implementation of additions, deletions and major modifications to the supporting regional infrastructure.
• Implement network security at the regional level
• Oversee the administration and maintenance of the company’s infrastructure, and directs more junior Innovators when necessary.
• Oversees the administration of the company’s Wide Area Network (WAN).
• Oversees the administration and maintenance of computer stations and software for the group training programs and the Learning Studio and provide additional support if necessary
• Oversee troubleshooting, systems backups, archiving, and disaster recovery and provides expert support when necessary.
• Work with project teams to help implement Internal Systems.
• Interact with internal clients on all levels to help resolve IT-related issues and provides answers in a timely manner.
• Builds and maintains vendor relationships and manages the purchase of hardware and software products.

Business Continuity Management 10%

Outputs:

• Compile and implement the BCM plan, present it to Management for a sign-off and communicate to all Staff by sending a copy & conduct a briefing session
• Update the plan as and when necessary to cater for changes in the business environment
• Plan, manage and organise regular testing of the BCM plan by testing all the necessary systems at the relevant disaster recovery site in accordance with Absa Group policy
• Represent group interests in the Group Business Continuity Committee by attending meetings
• Ensure that the IT manual is updated for correctness & relevance and maintained by incorporating the changes when required.
• Serve as main point of contact on all IT-related matters for the office assigned.
• Ensure that all activities and duties are carried out in full compliance with regulatory requirements, Absa Operational Risk Framework and internal Absa Policies and Standards.

Education

Bachelor’s Degree: Information Technology (Required)