Head Data Applications & Integration

About the role

The Central Bank of Kenya is looking for a Head of Data Applications & Integration to provide strategic leadership for its Data Platforms, Engineering and Integrations section. The role oversees Platform Administration, Data Engineering and Data Integrations, and sits in Westlands, Nairobi.

Key responsibilities

• Oversee Platform Administration, Data Engineering and Data Integrations functions.
• Contribute to and oversee the implementation of the enterprise Data Architecture framework and technology roadmap.
• Lead the selection, implementation and optimisation of data management platforms and tools.
• Develop and execute the data cloud strategy and hybrid infrastructure management.
• Ensure integration between data platforms, analytics tools and existing CBK systems.
• Manage data platform administrators, data integration and data engineers while building new capabilities.
• Drive platform security, performance, availability and reliability standards.
• Manage technical partnerships with vendors and service providers, aligned with IT enterprise, data architecture and cybersecurity requirements.

Required profile

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Systems, Data Engineering or a related discipline; a Master's degree is an added advantage.
• At least two relevant certifications (e.g. CISSP, CCSP, ITIL v4, Enterprise Architecture, Data Engineering, Integration Engineering, Cloud Computing or Platform Operations).
• Minimum of 10 years' experience designing, implementing and managing enterprise data platforms, data engineering solutions and integration architectures, including at least 5 years in a senior technical leadership role within central banking, financial services, government, telecommunications or regulatory institutions.
• At least 5 years leading and governing enterprise data engineering, platform administration and integration functions, including oversight of teams for data platforms, ETL/ELT development, enterprise integrations and production support.

Required skills

• Enterprise data ecosystems: Oracle Database, Oracle Data Integrator (ODI), Oracle SOA Suite, API platforms, ESB, cloud and hybrid platforms.
• ETL/ELT pipelines and workflow orchestration with ODI, Apache Airflow, Azure Data Factory, Microsoft Fabric, Databricks or equivalents.
• Integration technologies: Oracle SOA Suite, Oracle WebLogic, API-led integration, ESB, microservices, event-driven architectures, messaging platforms.
• Cloud and on-premise infrastructure, platform security, cybersecurity, high availability, disaster recovery and regulatory compliance.
• Ability to develop technology roadmaps, establish data engineering standards and integration governance, and modernise legacy platforms.