Head: Software Development at Pepkor Payments & Lending

Key Responsibilities:

Leadership & People Development 

• Attract, recruit, and retain top software development talent with the skills to meet PPL’s evolving technology and business needs
• Build and nurture high-performance, self-organising teams by setting clear expectations, defining team purpose, and promoting continuous learning
• Provide strategic direction, mentorship, and hands-on coaching to drive excellence in team delivery and personal growth
• Develop succession planning and manage individual development plans to minimise knowledge concentration risks
• Cultivate a psychologically safe and inclusive work environment that values diversity, transparency, and emotional intelligence
• Address performance concerns constructively and manage disciplinary processes where necessary, in collaboration with People Support

Software Delivery & Quality 

• Drive the delivery of scalable, maintainable, and secure software systems that meet business objectives and architectural standards
• Ensure adoption of Agile practices, with a strong emphasis on continuous integration, test automation, and built-in quality frameworks
• Champion the use of metrics to assess software quality, delivery velocity, and team health—enabling early identification of issues and opportunities for improvement
• Oversee technical design reviews, code quality assessments, and best practice alignment across all development teams
• Encourage innovation through technical experimentation while maintaining the stability and integrity of the production environment
• Ensure all software changes are tested, reviewed, and deployed in compliance with regulatory and internal risk management guidelines

Strategic Alignment 

• Translate business strategy into actionable development goals and long-term delivery plans in collaboration with Product and Architecture leads
• Actively participate in strategic planning forums and ensure software development priorities support the broader mission of the organisation
• Ensure software delivery initiatives contribute measurable value to business KPIs, including customer experience, operational efficiency, and digital transformation
• Align technology capabilities with evolving customer and market demands, ensuring that development efforts stay relevant and impactful

Process Ownership 

• Define, govern, and continuously improve the Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC), ensuring it is pragmatic, scalable, and fit for PPL’s delivery environment
• Lead the implementation and evolution of Agile frameworks such as Scrum and Kanban across teams, promoting standardisation without stifling contextual flexibility
• Monitor adherence to delivery processes, facilitating retrospectives, process audits, and continuous improvement cycles to boost productivity and predictability
• Design visibility mechanisms like dashboards and information radiators to ensure clear reporting and accountability
• Align delivery processes with compliance, data protection, and audit requirements

Transparency & Communication 

• Foster a culture of open and honest communication within teams and with business stakeholders
• Maintain transparency on project progress, risks, dependencies, and team capacity using clear visual management tools and performance dashboards
• Establish mechanisms for regular updates to executives, including milestone tracking, delivery forecasts, and retrospectives
• Create an environment where innovation, experimentation, and constructive failure are encouraged as learning opportunities
• Ensure that team goals and outcomes are clearly aligned and communicated across functions

Vendor & Budget Oversight

• Lead the strategic sourcing, onboarding, and management of external development partners and contractors to supplement in-house capability
• Negotiate and maintain service level agreements (SLAs), ensuring vendors deliver on scope, quality, and time commitments
• Oversee the software delivery budget (annual and 3-year plans), ensuring effective cost management and ROI on technology investments
• Monitor vendor performance, mitigate delivery risks, and take corrective actions where contractual obligations are not met

Requirements
Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree or 3-year tertiary qualification in IT (e.g., BSc Info Science, BTech, NDip)
• Certified Scrum Master (CSM) or equivalent Agile certification

Experience:

• 12+ years in IT, including 6+ years leading software development teams
• Proven success in enterprise software release and Agile delivery
• Experience with vendor management and contract negotiation
• Strong technical leadership and team development record