Head: ICT Solution Delivery at Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA)

Job Description

• The purpose of the role is to provide innovative ICT and service delivery and contribute to the overall ICT strategy and direction of the business unit. Manage the ICT development functions, with a focus on Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems and solutions, ensuring the design, development, and implementation of critical applications and systems. Oversee system integration and automation and maintain oversight of the system development lifecycle, optimisation of processes and data management to support business objectives.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Focus and Technology Implementation
• Create alignment between the business strategy and the ICT strategy to enable the delivery of service and relevance of the service delivered.
• Deliver ICT technology to business by providing technology guidance in line with the DBSA Group ICT architecture framework, strategy and roadmaps.
• Develop a technology road map and architecture for the bank and cascade it to the business unit/s.
• Ensure maximisation of the utilisation of applications and infrastructure by keeping the client updated on the benefits of such utilisation.
• Drive adherence to the approval process of all technology decisions through group ICT governance processes / committees in line with the technology architecture roadmap and strategy.
• Manage risk in system development and application management, implementing robust controls to safeguard IT assets.
• Ensure that there is an agreed service level agreement (SLA) between the business unit/s and ICT to measure and agree and elicit feedback about performance.
• Develop and implement a dashboard to track ICT performance against:
• Strategic alignment with the business
• Delivery across projects
• SLA for services and technology support
• Foster strategic collaboration with the Head ICT Infrastructure, Head Service Management & Governance, other Heads within the Digital & Business Transformation and business Heads to ensure cohesive delivery of integrated solutions, data-driven innovation, resilient infrastructure, and service excellence that supports enterprise-wide transformation.
• Foster a culture of innovation and continuous improvement across teams.
• Align solution delivery initiatives with enterprise digital transformation strategies, ensuring technology investments support long-term business goals.
• Collaborate with data, infrastructure, and governance teams to ensure digital solutions are secure, compliant, and optimized for performance.

ICT Solutions

• Facilitate the development and maintenance of enterprise systems architecture, defining standards and protocols for data exchange, communications and software (includes defining standards and protocols for data exchange, communications, software and interconnection of DBSA network information systems).
• Provide advice on evaluation, selection, implementation and maintenance of systems and applications, ensuring appropriate investment in strategic and operational systems.
• Implement the communication strategy for ICT plans, policies and technology trends throughout the organisation.
• Responsible for daily operations and effectiveness of production systems, including maintenance and software upgrades.
• Manage the testing and quality standards through the application and development management technologies and methodologies such as Application Life Cycle Management (ALM).
• Collaborate with internal teams and third-party providers to ensure seamless integration of services and timely delivery of required solutions.
• Oversee the management of enterprise applications, ensuring they align with evolving business needs.
• Design and maintain the application landscape, ensuring effective systems operability with a focus on data governance, integration, and accessibility.

Project Management

• Document and incorporate all current and future business requirements and needs into the ICT planning process for projects.
• Implement effective project progress reporting mechanisms to provide feedback and information to the key project stakeholders.
• Deliver all projects in adherence to ICT project management methodologies and governance frameworks.
• Manage project delivery throughout the entire lifecycle, from strategic alignment, business case development, data gathering to testing, implementation, and operationalisation whilst ensuring deviations, change requests, risks, or issues are escalated appropriately.
• Financial Management
• Review and advise on budget per project, service and contract.
• Monitor service delivered against the cost value and confirm charged/billed costs against delivered services.
• Maintain contact with suppliers and maintain knowledge of current technology, equipment, prices and terms of agreements to minimize the investment required to meet established service levels.
• Evaluate alternatives, perform appropriate cost-benefit analysis, and recommend solutions that minimize costs commensurate with acceptable risks.
• Track and report team hours and expenses on a weekly basis.
• Monitor and manage the project budget.
• Client & Stakeholder Relationship Management
• Manage external vendors and negotiate data acquisition contracts.
• Navigate complex stakeholder landscapes, influencing outcomes and fostering consensus to achieve strategic goals.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with internal stakeholders such as Business Heads, Exco, and the Board as well as external partners to ensure solution delivery aligns with strategic objectives and stakeholder expectations.
• Collaborate with governance and service management teams to ensure compliance with service-level agreements and regulatory requirements.
• Champion a customer-centric culture within the solution delivery team, ensuring that solutions are designed and delivered with end-user experience and business impact in mind.
• Governance, Reporting & Compliance
• Collaborate and provide input for the preparation and presentation of high-quality submissions and reports for Executive Committees, Board, and governance forums, ensuring strategic and regulatory alignment.
• Ensure timely and accurate reporting on solution delivery performance, risks, and milestones to executive leadership and governance forums.
• Establish and maintain governance frameworks that align solution delivery with enterprise architecture, ICT policies, and strategic objectives.
• Monitor compliance with internal controls, regulatory requirements, and contractual obligations across all solution delivery initiatives.
• Lead periodic audits and reviews of solution delivery processes to identify gaps, enforce standards, and drive continuous improvement.
• Collaborate with risk, legal, and governance teams to proactively manage ICT-related risks and ensure mitigation plans are in place.
• People Management
• Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing team, fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, and continuous learning to maximise individual and collective potential.
• Lead the data analytics business unit and ensure effective execution of strategy.
• Implement human capital strategies and workforce planning.
• Foster a culture of performance, learning, and collaboration.
• Drive talent development initiatives, including coaching, performance management, and career pathing, to build and retain a skilled and motivated team.
• Contribute to building synergies & cooperation across functions in the DBSA.
• Living the DBSA values.
• Key Measurement Outputs
• Ability to lead the ICT solutions function efficiently and effectively.
• Quality and efficiency of ICT solutions & services provided.
• Development and integration of applications and systems.
• Uptime and adoption of systems and applications.
• Successful completion of project according to project deliverables and targets.
• Adherence to service level agreements.
• Management of client relationships and key stakeholders.
• Management of budget including operational expenses.
• Quality of ICT contracts in place including cost efficiencies
• Expertise & Technical Competencies
• Qualification
• A postgraduate degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Commerce or Engineering.
• Experience
• Minimum of 12 years’ experience in ICT solution delivery, with at least 5 years in senior management or leadership role.
• A Minimum of 5 years in managing medium to large-sized projects in an ICT environment.
• Extensive knowledge and capability experience of SAP ERP systems (on-premise and cloud).
• In-depth understanding of System Development Life Cycle (SDLC) methodologies.
• Experience in developing and implementing both ERP and non-ERP (i.e. DevOps) applications.
• Demonstrated exposure to formulation and implementation of ICT Strategy.
• Understands Internet, Intranet, Extranet and client/server architectures.

TECHNICAL COMPETENCIES

Negotiation

• Has an appreciation of cultural sensitivities and differences.
• Effectively employs a variety of advanced behavioural/interpersonal competencies to control the negotiation situation.
• Is able to take the lead in a variety of sensitive negotiation situations requiring high levels of tact and diplomacy.
• Is able to place a discrete negotiation situation within the context of a broader long-term relationship and is not threatened by conceding ground to protect the longer-term interests of DBSA.

IT Strategy and Planning

• Has a deep knowledge of IT solutions and their short and long term benefits and able to make a business case for large IT initiatives to improve overall performance.
• Closely involved in organisational decision making, developing the IT strategy as a cornerstone for the organisational strategy.
• Able to carry out benchmarking exercises with similar sized organisations and report on the organisation efficiencies and deficiencies in addition to suggesting how to achieve “best of breed“ solutions.
• Sound knowledge and understanding of business strategies of own customers and development opportunities and potentials
• Provide leadership that encourages cultural diversity and the management style required for managing across cultures

Presentation Skills

• Knows how to deliver arguments persuasively by employing a range of advanced presentation techniques (e.g. the appropriate use of body language, how to close a presentation so that the audience continues to think about the subject matter etc.).
• Has knowledge of various feedback mechanisms to check levels of audience understanding.
• Project Management
• Defines, plans and manages large and/or strategic projects, including those with a high degree of technical complexity, with impacts across the organisation and/or with national implications.
• Assembles and leads diverse and multi-disciplinary teams, ensuring maximum effective resource utilisation.
• Successfully manages substantial project budgets, and reports directly to senior managers on the progress and results of projects.
• Identifies complex issues that need escalation and proposes appropriate corrective actions.
• Costing and Budgeting
• Able to prepare and input budget information for various departments.
• Able to produce standard monthly cost/variance reports for distribution to line management.
• Provides analytical support to the Finance function in the preparation of financial proposals, submissions and projected costs to be included in budgets and allocations.
• Understands DBSA monthly close/trial balance procedures.
• Understands DBSA cost/revenue centre structure.
• Service Focus
• Maintains focus on the whole life of service delivery - designs, develops, delivers and operates.
• Ensures that a set of IT solutions, suppliers and vendors come together to deliver an IT service.

IT Support

• Tracks trends and developments that will affect own department’s / section’s ability to meet current and future end user’s needs.
• • Seeks out and involves end-user / customer in assessing the provided services, solutions to identify ways to improve.
• Required Personal Attributes

LEADERSHIP/BEHAVIOURAL COMPETENCIES

• Leading & Empowering Others
• Identifies long-term goals for the team and communicates them to team members, ensuring their buy-in.
• Sets a good example by personally exercising desired behaviour; acts on values and beliefs.
• Communicates a vision for the team and future success that inspires team members.
• After assessing others’ competence, one delegates full authority and responsibility to others to do a task in their own way.
• Ensures that competent employees are given opportunities to further their careers.

Leading & Managing Change

• Anticipates the need for change when not obvious and influences others to gain support.
• Builds sustainable business and organisational capacity to embrace and thrive on change.
• Re-engineers and aligns structures, processes and practices to support and sustain the desired change.
• Strategic & Innovative Thinking
• Understands connections and trade-offs of strategic choices to evaluate which ideas are practical and possible by considering business and/or scientific implications.
• Develops innovative business and/or customer solutions that shape industry practices.

Teamwork & Cooperation

• Acts to promote a friendly climate and good morale and resolves conflicts.
• Creates opportunities for cross-functional working.
• Encourages others to network outside of their own team/department and learn from their experience.
• Developing Others
• Gives specific positive or mixed feedback for developmental purposes.
• Gives negative feedback in behavioural rather than personal terms.
• Reassures and/or expresses positive expectations for future performance when giving corrective feedback.
• Gives individualised suggestions to individuals for their improvement.
• Driving delivery of results
• Identifies and implements a business opportunity that will have a long-term impact on the business (which may include the organisation’s reputation or brand image).
• Monitors progress and adapts the plan if necessary to ensure optimal benefit to the business.
• Makes decisions, sets priorities, or chooses goals on the basis of inputs and outputs makes explicit considerations of potential profit, return on investment, or cost benefit analysis.
• Based on the cost-benefit analysis, makes decisions of entrepreneurial risk nature.
• Decisiveness (High Performance, Service Orientation)
• Makes timely decisions about complex issues even when some information is missing.
• Makes decisions and stands by them even when they are controversial or unpopular.
• Grasps critical business opportunities when they arise by making timely decisions