IT Strategy Enablement Lead at Santam Insurance

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Translate high-level strategic goals into detailed, actionable plans.
• Conduct market and industry research to identify trends and opportunities for strategic initiatives.
• Assist in the formulation and execution of long-term IT strategies and roadmaps.
• Develop and manage project plans to ensure timely and successful execution of strategic initiatives.
• Monitor and report on the progress of strategic projects, ensuring alignment with overall business objectives.
• Collaborate with key stakeholders across the organization to ensure alignment and support for strategic initiatives.
• Facilitate communication and collaboration between different departments and teams.
• Address stakeholder concerns and feedback to ensure successful strategy implementation.
• Develop and track key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the success of strategic initiatives.
• Provide regular updates and insights to senior leadership on the status and impact of strategic projects.
• Use data-driven insights to inform decision-making and adjust strategies as needed.
• Manage relationships with key IT vendors, ensuring service level agreements (SLAs) are met and performance is monitored.
• Negotiate contracts and agreements with vendors to secure the best terms and conditions.
• Evaluate and select new vendors, ensuring they meet the organization’s requirements and standards.
• Develop and maintain strategic reports and dashboards to track the progress of IT initiatives and performance metrics.
• Present findings and recommendations to senior leadership and stakeholders.
• Ensure accurate and timely reporting on key IT projects and strategic initiatives.
• Socialisation of the strategy is embedded and understood by the business, overall BITS division as well as our partners
• Ensure that solution implementations are coherent and consistent with technology strategies, governance and architecture.
• Provide advice and consultancy across the Santam Group on the Risk, Vendor Management principles and strategy enablement (in collaboration with SGT, Sourcing etc)
• Provide support to Manco members as well other key stakeholders
• Develop and maintain a deep understanding of the workings of BITS key strategic initiatives 
• Work effectively in a team with other members across BITS, including the enterprise architecture team, change management team, HR etc.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• At minimum a Bachelor’s degree in information technology, Computer Science, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Master’s degree in business administration (MBA), Information Technology, or a related field is preferred.
• Certification in Agile methodologies or relevant project management certifications.
• Certification in Risk and information systems control (CRISC) advantageous
• Experience in the financial services sector, with knowledge of risk and compliance considerations.
• Previous experience leading IT strategy development, digital transformation initiatives, or large-scale IT projects.
• Minimum 8 years of experience in technology roles
• Minimum 5+ years of experience in senior management roles within the IT sector, demonstrating a strong track record of strategic planning, execution and project management.
• Proven expertise in Agile project management methodologies with hands-on experience in leading Agile teams through successful project implementations.
• Demonstrated experience in strategic planning, execution, and performance monitoring
• Solid understanding of vendor management principles, including vendor selection, contract negotiation, and performance management.
• Strong leadership and team management capabilities, with a focus on collaboration and stakeholder engagement.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence and engage stakeholders at all levels.
• Excellent analytical skills with the ability to gather, analyze, and interpret data to drive informed decision-making and strategic planning.
• Strong communication, interpersonal, and influencing skills, with the ability to effectively collaborate with stakeholders at all levels of the organization.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment and manage multiple priorities while maintaining a high standard of work quality.
• Expertise in leading change management initiatives to support the implementation of new strategies and processes.

SKILLS

• Strong leadership and influencing skills
• Ability to negotiate and positively influence others
• Ability to effectively deal with conflict situations and complexity 
• High level of emotional intelligence
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Excellent facilitations skills
• Networking skills
• Applying technologies
• Conceptual thinker
• Change management
• Develop and implement strategy
• Interpersonal skills, ability to engage with senior business stakeholders
• Ability to accept accountability for actions and decisions 
• Analytical in nature
• Problem resolution
• Team player 
• Pragmatism
• Plans and aligns 
• Strategic alignment and execution
• Design thinking 
• Data Security
• IT Policies, standards, industry regulations and best practices
• Risk mitigation and assurance with appropriate oversight