Group Chief Technical Officer at KFML Holdings Pty (Ltd)

• KFML Holdings — the group behind Spec-Savers South Africa and a portfolio of approximately 15 companies — is recruiting a Group Chief Technical Officer to lead one of the most commercially consequential technology reset opportunities in South African retail healthcare.
• This is not a traditional CTO role.
• This is not a “keep the lights on” environment, nor a pre-packaged digital transformation programme. This is a mandate to critically reassess a complex, established technology landscape and make clear, evidence-based decisions on what should be rebuilt, retained, replaced, outsourced, or retired.

The Challenge:

The successful candidate will inherit a large-scale franchise-driven ecosystem spanning:

• 450+ optometry locations
• 72 audiology stores
• Distribution and warehouse technology environments
• Ecommerce, loyalty, analytics, operational and customer platforms
• Significant legacy investment and technical debt
• A partially developed next-generation practice management platform requiring urgent strategic direction

Minimum Requirements    

• Relevant tertiary qualification in Information Technology, Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Systems, or a related technology discipline.
• Minimum 10 years’ experience within senior technology leadership roles, with exposure to complex, multi-system operational environments.
• Proven experience conducting enterprise-wide technology or architectural assessments within established and complex business environments.
• Demonstrated experience leading technology operating model resets, platform rationalisation initiatives, presenting technology strategy, investment recommendations, and operational risk considerations at Executive Committee, Board, or shareholder level.
• Strong commercial and strategic technology acumen.
• Demonstrated practical experience implementing AI-native tooling, AI-assisted development practices, or modern engineering workflows within a technology function.
• Experience leading geographically distributed or functionally diverse technology and development teams across multiple systems, platforms, or operational areas.
• Evidence of materially improving development velocity, delivery capability, engineering effectiveness, or operational performance through modern software delivery practices.

Duties and Responsibilities    
The measures of success:

• Within the first 90 days, this leader will be expected to evaluate one of the business’s most important technology decisions: Continue, redirect, or replace the current core practice management ecosystem.

We are specifically looking for a commercially astute technology executive who:

• Thinks clearly under ambiguity
• Understands franchise and distributed operating environments
• Can challenge sunk-cost thinking with credibility and evidence
• Has personally embedded AI-native ways of working into technology delivery
• Can materially improve development velocity and operating effectiveness
• Is capable of influencing executive, board, and franchise stakeholders alike

Deadline:14th Juane,2026