BUSA Tech Operations Manager at The South African Breweries (SAB)

Key Roles and Responsibilities:

• Lead and be accountable for IT operational performance across SABU, while providing governance, execution leadership, and operational oversight across Africa Zone countries. 
• Drive the execution of technology strategy through stable, resilient, and scalable IT operations that enable business performance and transformation.
• Provide executive‑level oversight of core IT services (end‑user, infrastructure, network, and applications), ensuring availability, stability, performance, and continuous improvement.
• Act as Africa Zone execution lead for Global and Zone technology initiatives, coordinating country readiness, delivery, and operational stabilisation.
• Establish and maintain strong operational governance, including service performance management, risk visibility, and escalation management across SABU and supported countries. 
• Serve as the primary senior escalation point for major incidents, ensuring effective resolution, root‑cause analysis, and sustainable corrective actions.
• Ensure consistent and effective execution of IT service management processes (incident, problem, change) aligned to Global Tech standards.
• Partner with SABU and country leadership teams as a trusted technology advisor, aligning operational priorities to business objectives and operational realities.
• Collaborate closely with Africa Zone and Global Tech teams to embed standards, best practices, and common operating models across diverse geographies.
• Lead and develop IT operations leaders, teams, and strategic partners, building capability, accountability, and succession across the Africa Zone.
• Ensure compliance with technology standards, policies, security, and audit requirements, proactively identifying and managing operational risk and technical debt.
• Foster a culture of operational excellence, continuous improvement, and disciplined execution across IT operations.

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Engineering, or a related discipline; postgraduate qualification is an advantage.
• 8–12 years of progressive experience in IT operations and technology management, preferably within a complex, asset‑heavy or FMCG/CPG environment.
• Proven experience leading IT operations at country or regional level, with accountability for service stability, delivery outcomes, and operational governance.
• Demonstrated ability to execute technology strategy through disciplined IT operations in a multi‑country or matrixed environment
• Strong track record of leading and developing IT leaders and teams, including outsourced and strategic service partners
• Experience driving large‑scale technology initiatives or transformations, working across business, regional, and global stakeholders
• Highly effective communicator, able to engage credibly with senior business leaders, translated technical topics into clear business impact and risk.​​
• Strong commercial and vendor‑management capability, including governing supplier performance, cost control, and service quality.
• Sound judgement and a risk‑based, pragmatic decision‑making approach, particularly in high‑pressure or ambiguous environments.
• Proven ability to operate independently, manage competing priorities, and lead through uncertainty and change.
• Solid exposure to enterprise platforms (e.g. SAP, S/4HANA, ECC, Syspro, Gen AI) in a manufacturing or FMCG context, with an appreciation for operational dependencies.
• Comfortable operating in resource‑constrained and operationally critical environments, balancing global standards with local realities.
• Demonstrated ability to influence outcomes without formal authority, effectively navigating complex, matrixed organisations across geographies.