Deputy Director – Business Systems

Purpose The purpose of a Deputy Director of Business Systems typically is to oversee the development, implementation, and management of information systems and technologies to support and enhance various business operations within the institution. This role combines elements of business strategy, technology expertise, and leadership to ensure that the university's systems effectively meet its objectives and contribute to its overall success Minimum requirements NQF 8 Postgraduate Degree/Diploma Willingness for after-hours involvement 10 - 15 years related experience, including management/ supervisory experience Stakeholder management experience Familiarity with the higher education legislative environment Has demonstrated a track record of managing a Secretariat portfolio, running a unit of a reasonable size Has a successful record of leadership and teamwork Has the ability to mobilize and inspire others towards shared goals Understands the operations and affairs of a university environment Thinks strategically and operationalise this into plans and projects Plan and manage budgets Duties and Responsibility Strategic Planning Develop a comprehensive understanding of the institutions business goals and objectives. Identify opportunities for leveraging technology to support and enhance business strategies. Collaborate with senior management and key stakeholders to formulate a cohesive IT strategy aligned with overall business objectives Business Systems Architecture: Define the architecture and infrastructure required to support the organization's strategic objectives. Assess current systems and technologies to identify gaps and areas for improvement. Design scalable and flexible systems architecture to accommodate future growth and changes in university needs. Technology Roadmap Development: Create a technology roadmap outlining the phased implementation of IT initiatives to support business goals. Prioritize projects based on their potential impact on the university's strategic objectives and resource availability. Ensure alignment between technology investments and business priorities. Execution and Implementation: Oversee the execution of IT projects, ensuring they are delivered on time, within budget, and according to specifications. Coordinate cross-functional teams involved in system development, integration, and deployment. Monitor project progress and address any issues or risks that may arise during implementation. Change Management: Develop and implement change management strategies to facilitate the adoption of new technologies and processes within the university. Communicate with stakeholders to gain buy-in and support for IT initiatives. Provide training and support to end-users to ensure successful adoption of new systems and technologies. Performance Measurement and Optimization: Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the effectiveness of IT initiatives in supporting the university objectives. Monitor and analyze system performance and user feedback to identify opportunities for optimisation and improvement. Continuously iterate on the IT strategy based on feedback and changing business requirements. Vendor Management and Partnerships: Evaluate and select third-party vendors and technology partners to support the organization's IT initiatives. Negotiate contracts and service level agreements (SLAs) to ensure value for money and adherence to quality standards. Manage vendor relationships and hold vendors accountable for delivering on their commitments. Risk Management and Compliance: Identify potential risks related to IT projects and develop mitigation strategies to minimize their impact on Institution operations. Ensure compliance with relevant regulations and industry standards governing data security, privacy, and IT governance. Manage Systems Operations Oversight: Supervising the operation and maintenance of all business systems, including hardware, software, networks, databases, and applications. Ensuring the availability, reliability, and performance of IT systems to meet business requirements and service level agreements (SLAs). Implementing best practices and standards for system monitoring, incident management, and performance optimization. Incident and Problem Management: Establishing processes and protocols for identifying, prioritizing, and resolving IT incidents and problems in a timely manner. Leading incident response efforts during critical outages or system failures, coordinating with technical teams to restore services promptly. Conducting root cause analysis to identify underlying issues and implement corrective actions to prevent recurrence. Change and Release Management: Managing the process for implementing changes and releases to IT systems, ensuring minimal disruption to business operations. Coordinating with stakeholders to assess the impact of proposed changes, obtain approvals, and schedule deployments during appropriate maintenance windows. Monitoring the effectiveness of change management processes and making adjustments to improve efficiency and minimize risk. Capacity Planning and Performance Monitoring: Conducting capacity planning assessments to anticipate future resource requirements and ensure scalability of IT infrastructure. Monitoring system performance metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) to identify trends, anticipate bottlenecks, and optimize resource utilization Collaborating with infrastructure and application teams to implement performance tuning and optimization strategies IT Service Management (ITSM): Implementing IT service management frameworks such as ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library) to standardize service delivery processes and improve operational efficiency. Establishing service level agreements (SLAs), operational level agreements (OLAs), and key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure and track IT service performance. Continuously evaluating and improving ITSM processes through feedback mechanisms and service reviews. Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity: Developing and maintaining disaster recovery plans and business continuity strategies to ensure the resilience of critical IT systems and data. Conducting regular testing and simulations of disaster recovery procedures to validate effectiveness and identify areas for improvement. Establishing communication protocols and escalation procedures to facilitate rapid response and recovery during emergencies. Compliance and Security Management: Ensuring compliance with relevant regulations, industry standards, and internal policies governing IT operations and security. Implementing security controls, access controls, and monitoring mechanisms to protect sensitive data and mitigate cyber threats. Conducting regular audits and assessments to evaluate the effectiveness of security measures and address any vulnerabilities or compliance gaps. Vendor and Contract Management: Managing relationships with third-party vendors, service providers, and contractors involved in supporting IT operations. Negotiating contracts, service level agreements (SLAs), and license agreements to ensure cost-effectiveness and quality of service. Monitoring vendor performance and holding vendors accountable for meeting contractual obligations. Policy Development: Collaborate with key stakeholders to identify needs and gaps in existing policies related to information systems and technology. Research industry best practices, regulations, and standards to inform the development of new policies. Draft comprehensive policies that address security, privacy, data management, system usage, and other relevant areas. Ensure policies are clear, concise, and aligned with organizational goals and values. Draft comprehensive policies that address security, privacy, data management, system usage, and other relevant areas. Ensure policies are clear, concise, and aligned with organizational goals and values. Procedure Development: Translate policies into actionable procedures and guidelines that detail specific steps and processes for implementation. Collaborate with subject matter experts to document best practices and standardized workflows for key business processes. Ensure procedures are documented in a clear and accessible format, such as manuals, process maps, or online portals. Incorporate feedback from end-users to refine procedures and improve usability and effectiveness. Quality Assurance Implementation of the quality assurance standards/ measures to meet both internally set standards and the requirements of external bodies Risk management Provide risk reporting Implement plans for identified risks Oversee the identification and avoidance of all risk elements in the Directorates activities Safety, Health and Environmental Management Ensure compliance with SHE policies and procedures Resource Management: Human Resources Lead, manage and develop direct reports Review structures for its appropriateness to assist the Secretariat section in achieving its strategic priorities Develop the Sections workforce plans together with HR to ensure adequate resource planning, budgeted and are aligned to transformation targets Provide oversight in the recruitment and selection process for direct reports Support the achievement of equity targets and the transformation of the institutional culture Oversee the induction and probation of all new staff Drive performance contracts and regular reviews for all staff. Provide oversight in the training of all staff on performance management process and system Implement performance contracts for all staff and ensure regular reviews. Drive the staff development conversations and development plans Develop a training budget for training needs Drive and promote sound employment relations Ø Human resource administration Manage staff leave as per SPU policy Sign off relevant documentation needed Develop the Sections Budget and provide sound financial management Prepare and report on: Annual staffing and operating budget and capex Manage expenditure according to the approved annual budget Asset management Drive the effective implementation of reporting systems Monitor organisational health indicators, identify problem/ concern areas and communicate to relevant stakeholders Identify trends and issues in Portfolio Areas and communicate to relevant stakeholders Develop relevant operational and strategic reports as and when required Enquiries can be made via email at spurecruit@spu.ac.za Assumption of duties: As mutually agreed to upon acceptance of the appointment. The University reserves the right not to make an appointment. This position may be subject to assessments. Women and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply. Note: Sol Plaatje University (SPU) is dedicated to meeting its Employment Equity targets.

Location: Kimberley, Northern Cape, ZA

Posted Date: 8/15/2025