Head, IT, Business Relationship Engagement (Deputy Director) - Information Technology at Central Bank of Kenya

Job Purpose

• The job holder will be responsible for providing overall guidance, strategic direction and advice on architectural design of new and existing systems, to support the growing needs of the organization on business IT solutions, enabling & driving the Bank’s strategic initiatives.
• As the Head of IT Business Engagement, the role holder will be one of the main point of contact within the Bank to ensure that business goals are achieved through the deployment of relevant technology.
• Working with the Director of IT, the role will be accountable for defining and managing the relationship between IT and other business units. The primary aim is to ensure the right support (delivered through the IT Business Engagement / Relationship Managers) is getting to the relevant business areas in order to support the delivery of their business goals, and to define & deliver their strategic areas.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

Strategic Responsibilities

• The role holder shall provide leadership and direction to the Financial Stability, Enterprise Applications, Core Banking, Payment Systems and Business Intelligence team.
• Ensure the development and maintenance of the IT Business Relationship Engagement (BRE) strategy and related processes.
• The holder shall be responsible for Business-to-IT Strategic planning, budget management and optimization, vendor management, resource management, process participation and ownership.
• The function will also provide overall leadership and help drive change at the highest level through influence and strategic use of data across the Bank, managing the strategy and execution of the Business Intelligence & Analytics team.
• The holder is responsible for the functional organization design and staff resourcing.

Technical and Operational Responsibilities

• 1Responsible for all Business applications (Core Banking, Payments Systems [RTGS, SWIFT], Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Business Intelligence & Analytics Platform, Financial Stability Reporting Platform, Collaboration and all corporate applications and software tools) enhancements, performance metrics and customer’s satisfaction.
• Implement and manage development by directing and coordinating activities consistent with established goals, objectives, and policies.
• Identify opportunities for automation and streamline business processes specifically in all business areas, including designing and driving the Data Analytics Strategy for the Bank.
• Lead and implement major IT Business Application Change projects aligned with business goals.
• Review business process and/or technical designs to validate appropriate use of technology, and ensure our systems
• enhance business processes, operations, and information process flow. Drive system consolidation where possible and keep system footprint manageable and cost-effective.
• Ensure application development initiatives are well managed and deliver on expectations regarding functionality, timeliness and cost.
• Develop technology strategies aligned with organizational goals and support the implementation of the overall technology vision, strategy direction set by management/IT.
• Establish, contribute to and/or adhere to key departmental operating procedures around governance, project
• management, software lifecycle management, change management and application security/ controls.
• Ensure that applications meet business requirements and systems goals, fulfil end-user requirements, and identify and resolve systems issues.
• .Review and analyse existing applications’ effectiveness and efficiency, and develop strategies for improving or leveraging these systems.
• Ensure the team collaborates with analysts, designers, and system owners in the testing of new software programs and applications.
• Coordinate with infrastructure, system administration and service delivery units to ensure efficient and reliable business continuity practices are in place as per the enterprise BCP policy.
• Ensure recruitment, development and retention of a high performing team with clear objectives and career development plans which are regularly reviewed.
• Develop and manage a team to provide timely and comprehensive support to projects, internal business usersexternal stakeholders on issues relating to Infrastructure, Operations & Service Management.
• Development and analysis of relevant management reports on various key aspects of the section’s responsibilities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Business Operations, Electrical Engeneering or equivalent relevant degree aligned to IT / Technology Operations
• Master’s Degree in ICT, Computer Science, Information Systems, Business Administration, or a related field is an added advantage.
• Strong knowledge in the payments ecosystem and how they technically Integrate in reference to CSD,RTGS,SWIFT, T24,ERP and Data Warehouse systems.
• Experience delivering large-scale core banking systems, digital banking platforms, Financial Market Systems, and enterprise financial technology solutions across large institutions.
• Strong Knowledge in Back Office Systems Operations and how the blend with business activities.
• International and professional Information Technology certification e.g. ITIL Service Management, ISO Lead Implementer (20000/22301), COBIT, CISA, CISM, CRISC, CGEIT, COBIT will be an added advantage.
• Certification in Project Management (e.g. Prince 2, MSP, TOGAF) will be an added advantage.
• Strong leadership & management abilities to inspire and coach employees to accomplish strategic goals and related tasks, executive presentation, personnel management, strategic QA.

Work Experience

• At least twelve (12) years’ experience in a large IT environment, with at least five (5) years in a senior leadership position with demonstrated involvement in core banking/payment system/ERP/Financial Market systems implementations, maintenance and integrations for large financial institutions.
• Minimum of five (5) years focused Business Engagement & Analysis experience.
• Must have been involved in previous core banking/payment system/ERP implementations for large financial institutions.