General Manager: Technology and Development (DStv Digital Media) at MultiChoice

Job Description

If you’re ready to work at a multi-national organisation that operates in a fast-paced industry with high levels of change and leading-edge technology adoption, then you’ll fit right in at DStv Digital Media.

We are customer-focussed and socially-aware, and because we’re a multinational and multicultural organisation, expect to be kept on your toes. This opportunity will see you working with a team of highly-skilled and passionate digital experts that are responsible for crafting world-class products.

Role Responsibilities

The General Manager: Technology and Development will report to the Group General Manager for Digital Media and will be responsible for managing the Technology and Development aspects of the division. This includes:

Overall responsibility for delivering the technology platform and delivery solutions that will enable the distribution of content over IP to the DStv Customer base.

Manage the following DDM technology disciplines:

• Development
• Architecture
• Platform and Distribution
• Quality Assurance
• Source, lead and manage a team of highly skilled and motivated individuals, who will work hand-in-hand with the Product Development team to deliver technology solutions.
• Run and manage regular technology and development meetings with business partners.
• Manage the technology budget.
• Attend prioritisation forums, brainstorms and operational reviews and assist in representing the division and addressing issues that may arise.
• Contribute to the short and long-term divisional planning and strategy as a member of the management team, including setting of objectives and measurement and report back against these objectives.
• Act as liaison for the division in terms of all matters relating to Technology and Development.
• Maintain relationships and Service Level Agreements between internal and external stakeholders and business partners.
• Ability to communicate, engage and cooperate with senior executives of the organisation.
• Negotiate and maintain relationships with various DDM related vendor contracts.
• Work with the GM Product Development to ensure that prioritised projects are adequately resourced, and solutions are delivered accordingly.

The Ideal Candidate:

• Has a Bcomm (IS) or BSc degree, and at least 10 years of experience, covering the following areas:
• Solid understanding of technology environments and the unique challenges that come with these environments.
• Able to demonstrate experience managing and developing technologies
• Significant experience working within new media, software development, broadcast, or related media sectors.
• Proven experience in the digital TV industry, including an understanding of Content Windows, Rights, Content Protection, Content Preparation and Digital Content Formats.
• Proven experience creating new technology concepts, and delivering them to users & audiences.
• Track record in terms of distribution of content, networking principles, caching architectures, peering arrangements and an ability to execute on strategies to manage traffic and bandwidth across networks.
• Strong technology and architecture skills
• Proven experience setting technology budget and delivering within that budget.
• Good understanding of the African OTT and PayTV market landscape for digital media products, including consumer attitudes and interaction, environmental challenges and limitations.
• Good understanding of the relevant technologies and practices (e.g. client- and server-side technologies, new media technologies and platforms, project management (especially Agile and Lean) and software engineering processes and practices.
• Experience communicating concepts and ideas to stakeholders at all levels within organisations, including oral and written presentations, proposals, specifications, and reports.
• Proven ability to influence decision-making at all levels within an organisation, and in a variety of contexts.
• Experience managing commercial and contractual relationships with third party suppliers and partners.
• Ability to simplify complex problems into component parts and evaluate systematically.
• Evidence of problem solving and providing creative solutions.
• Experience as line manager and leader of technology management team (up to 10 direct reports), including professional and personal development and coaching.