Chief Information Officer at Gulf African Bank

Reports to: Managing Director

Department: Information Technology & Communication

Location: Head Office, Nairobi, Kenya

Job Purpose

• Formulate Information Technology (IT) plans and provide strategic direction to IT in alignment with the overall bank strategy and respective business drivers.
• Responsible for managing IT department within the Bank and ensuring high levels of IT support and service to its internal and external customers.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic

• Uphold the Bank’s philosophy by ensuring adherence to the company’s vision, mission and business strategy.
• Define IT strategy in alignment with the Bank’s business strategy
• Prioritize list of strategic IT initiatives in line with bank objectives
• Spearhead the development and implementation of appropriate IT policies and Procedures corresponding to business processes
• Aim to deploy a best in class IT framework across the Bank by drawing on best practices from institutions locally and globally.
• Monitor regional and global developments in the technology sector to identify opportunities for improvement.

Operational

• Periodically formulate an IT budget and ensure that it is adhered to
• Oversee IT implementations for improvement of software and hardware systems, processes, and practices.
• Ensure the Bank’s systems are available and adequately supporting users at all times.
• Manage crisis situations, involving complex technical hardware or software problems
• Ensure contingency and Disaster Recovery for required systems,
• Review weekly incidents and ensure that all incidents are progressed with Root Cause Analysis.
• Ensure that robust procedures are in place to manage deployment, code fixing and troubleshooting
• Design and maintain internal IT security framework and ongoing monitoring of IT Security
• Coordinate with Risk and Compliance team to report on any suspicion of security violation/incident and ensure incorporation of their inputs.
• Review and renew proposal from vendors and supervise vendor execution of contractual obligations.

Organizational

• Spearhead the use of technology in improving service delivery with focus on enhancement of existing channels and introduction of new delivery channels (e.g. mobile banking, internet banking, and card systems).
• Act as a senior point of escalation to troubleshoot, report and resolve issues.
• Build a strong team to deliver Technology strategy, and lead a robust people agenda including resource planning, talent management, professional skills development and performance management.
• Ensure training inputs and periodic feedback is provided to employees.
• Coordinate the development of a central Help Desk to resolve internal hardware, software and network issues.
• Direct safe operations by complying with the Bank’s quality standards, policies, procedures and systems.
• Abide by the Central Bank’s policies and guidelines

Key accountabilities

• Return on investments in IT and adherence to Budgets
• Contribute to overall customer satisfaction
• Operational effectiveness, efficiency and system uptimes
• Timely completion of all IT initiatives, within budget
• Compliance to policies, procedures and guidelines
• Engaged, high performing IT team.

Contacts for this position

Internal

• Departmental Heads
• Management Committees
• Board of Directors

External

• Consultants
• Suppliers, vendors and contractors
• External service providers
• Regulators

Qualifications and experience

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree in IT, Computer Science, or any related field.
• 15+ years of experience in information Technology and similar fields, at least 5 years should be at Management level

Preferred:

• Master’s degree in IT, Computer Science or any relates field
• IT management related certifications
• Experience of working in the Banking industry and Kenya

Personal Attributes

• High levels of professionalism, honest with impeccable integrity (high ethical standards).
• Dynamic, enthusiastic, results oriented individual with excellent communication and social skills.
• Possessing strong organizing, planning and integration skills
• Proven ability to build strong, cohesive partnerships with the business, operations, technology and other key stakeholders and work effectively in a collaborative and dynamic organization
• Have a high sense of diplomacy, accuracy, attention for detail and with strong analytical ability.
• Have outstanding communication and reporting skills, problem analysis and listening ability.