Head of IT

About the role

A leading banking institution in Nairobi, represented by its client, is looking for a Head of IT to lead its technology function. The role provides strategic and operational leadership, ensuring the availability, security and effectiveness of IT infrastructure, systems and business applications, and covers technology strategy, cybersecurity, IT risk, service delivery, vendor management and team development.

Key responsibilities

• Develop and implement the IT strategy, set direction on technology investments and emerging technologies, and maintain IT policies, standards and governance frameworks.
• Ensure high availability of applications and infrastructure, resolve support requests within agreed turnaround times, manage incidents and restore services within Recovery Time Objectives.
• Lead IT projects and change initiatives, keeping them within scope, timeline and budget, and coordinate integration of new systems.
• Oversee IT risk management and cybersecurity controls, including access controls, encryption and regular testing of disaster recovery and business continuity arrangements.
• Manage the annual IT budget, monitor IT spend, and negotiate and monitor vendor contracts and service levels.
• Lead, coach and develop the IT team, support recruitment and succession planning, and promote continuous learning.

Required profile

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Computer Engineering or a related field.
• Minimum 8 years' IT experience, including significant experience in a senior IT leadership role, preferably in banking or financial services.
• Experience developing IT strategies in a regulated environment and managing projects, vendors, budgets and technology risks.
• Certification in IT governance, cybersecurity or information security (e.g., CISM, CISA, CISSP) is an added advantage.

Required skills

• Strong knowledge of IT infrastructure, networks, servers, storage, applications and information security.
• Good understanding of banking technology, cybersecurity practices, IT governance and regulatory requirements.
• Technology leadership, cybersecurity, project management, risk management and communication.