Head, Technology Services

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Operational Leadership & Service Delivery

• Provide overall leadership and accountability for Country Technology Services, ensuring stable, secure and efficient day-to-day technology operations.

• Establish and maintain effective operating models, processes, controls and governance frameworks for Technology Services.

• Ensure high availability, reliability and performance of critical technology infrastructure, applications, networks, systems and end-user services.

• Oversee the Country IT service desk/help desk and ensure incidents, service requests and technology issues are resolved within agreed service levels.

• Monitor technology service performance through agreed KPIs, KRIs and SLAs and drive corrective actions where service performance falls below target.

• Provide leadership in the resolution of major and critical technology incidents, including escalation management and root-cause analysis.

• Ensure effective problem management and implementation of permanent corrective actions to minimize recurring incidents.

• Develop and maintain operational procedures, technical standards, service catalogues and support documentation.

• Ensure effective monitoring and reporting of technology availability, capacity, performance and service quality.

• Provide expert technical guidance and escalation support to Technology teams and business users.

• Ensure appropriate after-hours, standby and escalation arrangements are maintained for critical technology services.

• Ensure all technology operational processes are adequately documented, controlled and periodically reviewed.

• Drive automation and process improvements to improve service efficiency, reduce manual intervention and enhance service reliability.

2. Strategic Operational Readiness

• Translate Group and Country business strategies into practical Technology Services plans, roadmaps and operational priorities.

• Develop and maintain a Country Technology roadmap covering infrastructure, applications, networks, cybersecurity, cloud, end-user computing, resilience and emerging technologies.

• Assess technology capacity and readiness to support business growth, new products, channels, branches and operational initiatives.

• Lead technology readiness assessments for new products, projects, systems, branches, applications and major business initiatives.

• Ensure technology environments are appropriately designed and tested before production deployment.

• Oversee technology change management, ensuring changes are properly assessed, approved, tested, implemented and documented.

• Ensure technology projects transition effectively into business-as-usual operations, including support models, documentation, training and handover.

• Participate in business planning and budgeting to ensure technology investments are aligned with strategic priorities.

• Evaluate emerging technologies and make recommendations on their applicability, business value, risk and cost.

• Provide technology input into business cases, procurement decisions, transformation initiatives and strategic investments.

• Ensure Technology Services are scalable and capable of supporting future business and digital requirements.

• Work closely with Group Technology to adopt approved Group platforms, standards, architectures and technology initiatives.

3. Infrastructure, Network & Systems Management

• Manage the Country’s technology infrastructure, including servers, storage, LAN/WAN, telecommunications, connectivity, end-user computing and data centre environments.

• Oversee the administration, availability and performance of the Bank’s WAN, LAN, wireless and other connectivity services.

• Plan and implement additions, deletions, upgrades and major modifications to the Country technology infrastructure.

• Ensure network architecture and infrastructure remain secure, resilient and aligned with Group standards.

• Oversee network monitoring, capacity planning, performance management and fault resolution.

• Manage technology infrastructure lifecycle, including upgrades, patching, maintenance, refresh and retirement.

• Ensure effective configuration and asset management of infrastructure and technology devices.

• Oversee systems backups, restoration testing, archiving and retention in accordance with corporate and regulatory requirements.

• Ensure appropriate disaster recovery capabilities are implemented, maintained and periodically tested.

• Provide technical oversight for cloud, hosting, telecommunications and other technology services where applicable.

• Ensure data centre and technology facilities are appropriately maintained, secured, monitored and environmentally controlled.

4. Applications & Core Banking Technology

• Provide leadership and oversight for the availability, performance and support of business-critical applications.

• Oversee the support and maintenance of core banking and other critical banking applications.

• Ensure effective incident, problem, change and release management for critical applications.

• Work closely with business owners, application vendors and Group Technology teams to resolve application issues and improve system performance.

• Participate in the implementation, enhancement and integration of core banking and supporting applications.

• Supervise testing of new programs, application releases, patches and technology products before implementation.

• Ensure appropriate testing, documentation, user acceptance and production-readiness processes are followed.

• Oversee application support arrangements, including vendor escalation and third-level technical support.

• Ensure application access, roles and privileges are appropriately controlled and periodically reviewed.

• Support integration initiatives and ensure interfaces between systems are reliable, secure and adequately monitored.

5. Customer Experience & Cost Optimization

• Establish Technology Services as a customer-focused function that delivers reliable and responsive services to internal and external customers.

• Monitor technology-related customer and user experience indicators and develop initiatives to improve service quality.

• Ensure technology incidents affecting customers or critical business operations are prioritized and resolved promptly.

• Identify opportunities to simplify technology processes, improve service availability and reduce operational friction.

• Drive technology cost optimization without compromising service quality, security or resilience.

• Review technology expenditure, vendor contracts, licensing, connectivity costs, maintenance agreements and infrastructure utilization.

• Optimize technology asset utilization and eliminate unnecessary or duplicate technology expenditure.

• Develop and maintain appropriate technology budgets and monitor expenditure against approved plans.

• Support commercial negotiations with technology suppliers and service providers to achieve value for money.

• Evaluate total cost of ownership when recommending new technologies, platforms or solutions.

• Promote automation, standardization, virtualization, cloud adoption and other appropriate technologies to improve efficiency and reduce operating costs.

6. Risk Management & Compliance

• Ensure Technology Services operate in full compliance with Group policies, regulatory requirements, information security standards and applicable banking controls.

• Identify, assess, monitor and mitigate technology, operational, cybersecurity and third-party risks.

• Maintain an effective technology risk register and ensure identified risks have appropriate mitigation plans and owners.

• Ensure appropriate controls are implemented for access management, change management, backup, logging, monitoring, patching and privileged access.

• Ensure compliance with information security, data protection, technology risk and business continuity requirements.

• Support internal and external audits and ensure timely closure of technology audit findings.

• Coordinate responses to regulatory reviews, control assessments and technology-related compliance requirements.

• Ensure appropriate segregation of duties and control mechanisms are maintained within Technology.

• Ensure technology assets, systems and information are protected against unauthorized access, loss, disruption or misuse.

• Work closely with Risk, Compliance, Information Security and Internal Audit functions to strengthen the Country’s technology control environment.

• Ensure security vulnerabilities are identified, prioritized and remediated within agreed timelines.

• Promote a strong culture of operational risk awareness and security across the Technology team and wider organization.

7. Cybersecurity & Technology Resilience

• Implement and maintain Country-level cybersecurity controls in line with Group Information Security policies and standards.

• Oversee network security, endpoint security, access controls, vulnerability management and security monitoring.

• Ensure appropriate protection of critical systems against cyber threats, unauthorized access and service disruption.

• Work with Group Cybersecurity and Security Operations teams to investigate and respond to security incidents.

• Ensure cybersecurity incidents are appropriately escalated, investigated, documented and remediated.

• Maintain effective technology disaster recovery and business continuity arrangements.

• Coordinate periodic disaster recovery, failover and technology resilience testing.

• Ensure recovery time objectives (RTOs) and recovery point objectives (RPOs) for critical systems are defined and achievable.

• Review lessons learned from incidents and resilience tests and implement required improvements.

8. Development & Oversight

• Lead, coach and develop the Country Technology Services team to achieve high levels of technical competence, accountability and service orientation.

• Establish clear objectives, performance measures and development plans for direct reports.

• Build a high-performing team with appropriate technical depth across applications, infrastructure, networks, cybersecurity and service management.

• Identify skills gaps and implement appropriate training, certification and succession development programmes.

• Promote continuous learning and awareness of emerging technology, cybersecurity threats and industry practices.

• Ensure effective workload planning, resource allocation and succession planning.

• Establish a culture of accountability, collaboration, innovation, customer service and continuous improvement.

• Conduct regular performance reviews and provide constructive feedback and coaching.

• Ensure staff adhere to approved technology processes, controls, security requirements and professional standards.

• Develop technical leadership capability within the Technology team and ensure appropriate succession coverage for critical roles.

9. Vendor, Procurement & Contract Management

• Manage relationships with key technology vendors, service providers, telecommunications providers and external support partners.

• Establish and monitor service level agreements and performance commitments with vendors.

• Ensure vendor performance is regularly reviewed against agreed KPIs, SLAs and contractual obligations.

• Lead or support procurement of hardware, software, licenses, connectivity, managed services and other technology requirements.

• Ensure technology procurement is commercially sound, transparent and aligned with approved procurement policies.

• Review vendor proposals and make recommendations based on technical suitability, risk, service quality and total cost of ownership.

• Monitor vendor risks and ensure appropriate business continuity and contingency arrangements exist for critical suppliers.

• Ensure contracts, licenses, warranties and maintenance agreements are effectively managed and renewed on time.

10. Technology Governance, Projects & Change

• Provide technology leadership and governance across Country technology projects and initiatives.

• Participate in project steering committees and provide technical input to major business and technology programmes.

• Ensure technology projects comply with approved architecture, security, infrastructure and Group technology standards.

• Review project designs and ensure appropriate operational, security and resilience requirements are incorporated.

• Ensure effective transition of completed projects into Technology Operations.

• Maintain appropriate technology documentation, architecture records, inventories and operational knowledge bases.

• Promote structured IT service management practices across the Technology function.

• Ensure technology changes are governed through an appropriate Change Advisory and approval process.

• Report on technology performance, risks, incidents, projects, budgets and strategic initiatives to senior management and Group Technology.

11.Command Centre / Service Operations Management

• Oversee all Technology Service Desk and Command Centre activities at Country level.

• Ensure effective monitoring of critical applications, infrastructure, networks, connectivity and technology services.

• Respond to escalated technology incidents and coordinate resolution across internal teams and external service providers.

• Ensure critical incidents are managed using defined escalation and communication procedures.

• Monitor utilization and maintenance of technology monitoring and tracking systems.

• Ensure management receives timely and accurate communication during major technology incidents.

• Establish incident trend analysis and use operational data to identify opportunities for preventative action.

• Ensure appropriate service continuity arrangements are available for critical business operations.

12. Service Level Management

• Establish, negotiate, manage and monitor SLAs and OLAs for Technology Services.

• Define service performance standards for internal Technology teams and external service providers.

• Produce regular service performance reports covering availability, incidents, response times, resolution times, customer satisfaction and recurring issues.

• Conduct periodic service reviews with key business stakeholders and vendors.

• Implement service improvement plans where agreed service levels are not achieved.

• Ensure service management processes are continuously reviewed and improved.

13. Technology Asset & Financial Management

• Develop and manage the annual Technology Services budget.

• Monitor technology expenditure and ensure effective financial controls.

• Maintain an accurate inventory of hardware, software, licenses and other technology assets.

• Ensure technology assets are properly allocated, maintained, secured and retired in accordance with policy.

• Optimize software licensing and infrastructure utilization.

• Ensure appropriate approval and financial justification for major technology investments.

• Provide management with regular reports on technology expenditure, commitments, forecasts and savings opportunities.

14. Compliance Enforcement

• Ensure all Group policies, procedures, technology standards and regulatory requirements are implemented at Country level.

• Maintain evidence of compliance with technology policies and controls.

• Ensure technology policies and procedures are communicated to relevant employees.

• Coordinate remediation of identified control weaknesses and audit findings.

• Ensure technology processes remain aligned with evolving regulatory and Group requirements.

KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

Performance in the role will be measured through, among others:

• Technology service availability and uptime.

• SLA and OLA achievement.

• Major incident frequency and resolution performance.

• Mean time to detect and resolve incidents.

• Core banking and critical application availability.

• Network and infrastructure performance.

• Cybersecurity and vulnerability remediation performance.

• Disaster recovery and business continuity test results.

• Technology audit and regulatory compliance performance.

• Technology operational risk exposure and remediation.

• Customer and user satisfaction with Technology Services.

• Technology budget performance and cost savings.

• Vendor performance and SLA compliance.

• Successful delivery and operational transition of technology projects.

• Staff productivity, competency development and succession readiness.

JOB PROFILE

Experience & Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Information Technology, Engineering, Information Systems or a related discipline.

• Relevant professional qualifications in IT service management, cybersecurity, networking, project management or technology governance.

• At least 8 years’ experience in IT/Technology, with a minimum of 5 years in a management or senior technology leadership role, preferably within banking or financial services.

• Strong experience managing medium-to-large Technology Services environments.

• Demonstrable experience managing enterprise infrastructure, networks, applications, service management and technology operations.

• Strong experience supporting and managing Core Banking Systems, preferably Flexcube, Globus, Delta or comparable banking platforms.

• Strong Cisco and Microsoft technology experience.

• Professional certifications such as CCNA, CCNP, CCSP, Microsoft certifications, ITIL and/or PRINCE2 will be an advantage.

• Strong knowledge of LAN/WAN technologies, routing, switching, network security, firewalls and enterprise connectivity.

• Experience with cybersecurity controls, vulnerability management, identity and access management and security incident response.

• Experience in disaster recovery, business continuity, high availability and technology resilience.

• Experience managing technology vendors, contracts, procurement and budgets.

• Strong understanding of IT governance, technology risk and regulatory compliance within financial services.

• Experience managing technology projects and transitioning solutions into operational support.

Technical Skills & Capabilities

The successful candidate should demonstrate strong practical and managerial capability in:

• Enterprise IT infrastructure and architecture.
• Cisco networking, routing and switching.
• LAN/WAN and enterprise connectivity.
• Network security, firewalls and VPN technologies.
• Microsoft Windows Server and Microsoft enterprise technologies.
• Core Banking Systems and banking applications.
• Database and application support concepts.
• IT service management and ITIL practices.
• Cybersecurity and information security controls.
• Backup, disaster recovery and business continuity.
• Cloud and hybrid technology environments.
• Systems monitoring and performance management.
• Identity and access management.
• Endpoint and server management.
• Technology asset and configuration management.
• IT project and change management.
• Vendor and service provider management.
• Technology budgeting and cost optimization.
• Technology risk, audit and compliance.

Skills, Capabilities & Personal Attributes

• Strong strategic and operational leadership capability.
• Excellent problem-solving, analytical and decision-making skills.
• Strong commercial awareness and financial management capability.
• Excellent customer and stakeholder relationship management.
• Strong communication, presentation and influencing skills.
• Ability to operate effectively under pressure and during major incidents.
• Strong negotiation and vendor management skills.
• Ability to translate complex technical matters into clear business recommendations.
• Strong service orientation and customer focus.
• High level of integrity, accountability and professionalism.
• Ability to lead change and manage competing priorities.
• Innovative mindset with a strong focus on continuous improvement.
• Strong people leadership, coaching and talent development capability.
• Ability to work collaboratively across business and technology functions.
• Strong project, time and resource management skills.
• Ability to balance technology risk, service quality, business requirements and cost.
• Strong understanding of the operational demands and regulatory environment of banking and financial services.