Head of Digital Innovation and Transformation at Sankore Global

Job Opening ID: 211

About the Role

• The Head of Digital Innovation and Transformation is a core product person who drives the development and delivery of cutting-edge products, ensuring alignment with business goals and user needs.
• This role fosters a product-focused culture, emphasizing timely execution, budget adherence, and measurable impact.
• You will collaborate with cross-functional teams to define objectives while managing a high-performing team of developers, product managers, and technical support staff, nurturing innovation and expertise.
• In addition to leading infrastructure and cloud management for scalability and security, the role addresses operational inefficiencies through automation and process optimization.
• With oversight of software development, DevOps, and emerging technologies, the Head of Innovation sets the strategic direction for technological advancement, ensuring the organization remains at the forefront of innovation.
• This role will report to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

Key Responsibilities
Product Development and Delivery:

• Oversee the build and development of innovative products from ideation to deployment, ensuring alignment with business goals and user needs.
• Drive a product-focused culture, ensuring delivery within timelines and budgets.
• Establish and enforce product development frameworks, ensuring cross-functional alignment between product managers, developers, and stakeholders.
• Create clear roadmaps and ensure resource allocation for multiple product lines.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams within the Innovation unit to define product objectives and key performance metrics.
• Own the innovation budget, track expenditures, and ensure cost-effective utilization of resources without compromising quality

Cloud Management and Infrastructure oversight:

• Lead the organization’s general hardware and infrastructure team to ensure optimal system performance.
• Lead software development initiatives, ensuring adherence to best practices and technology standards.
• Drive DevOps practices, ensuring seamless integration and delivery pipelines for products.
• Oversee integration architecture, ensuring interoperability between systems and third-party applications.”
• Monitor emerging technologies to identify opportunities for strategic adoption.
• Manage cloud services, ensuring scalability, security, and cost-efficiency.
• Implement and maintain security protocols to safeguard organizational data and systems.

Team Leadership and Management:

• Manage and support a diverse team of developers, product managers, and technical support staff.
• Foster a collaborative environment that encourages innovation, accountability, and high performance.
• Mentor team members to grow technical and managerial expertise.

Problem Solving and Process Automation:

• Identify and address operational inefficiencies by automating workflows and processes (e.g., Juno systems).
• Analyze complex challenges and provide innovative solutions to improve productivity and outcomes.

AI, Data, and Emerging Technologies:

• Identify strategic opportunities for AI/ML implementation across products and processes.
• Lead the development and integration of machine learning models for automation, analytics, and improved decision-making.
• Promote a data-driven culture by leveraging advanced analytics to enhance product capabilities and operational efficiency.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field.
• At least 10 years of progressive experience in technology-driven roles, with demonstrated leadership in product development, team management, and infrastructure oversight.
• Preferably experienced in the financial services industry or investment firms.
• Highly tech-savvy with hands-on experience in building products and managing diverse, cross-functional teams.
• Proficiency in: Software Development, Familiarity with frameworks and programming languages (e.g., Python, Java, Springboot, JavaScript), Database Management: Experience with SQL and NoSQL systems, Cloud Management: Expertise in platforms like AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud, including tools for infrastructure-as-code (e.g., Terraform, CoudFormation).
• Strong understanding of DevOps practices, including CI/CD pipelines, version control systems (e.g., Git), and containerization technologies (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes).
• Experience with workflow automation tools and process optimization technologies (e.g., robotic process automation).
• In-depth knowledge of system architecture design, API development, and microservices implementation.
• Familiarity with cybersecurity best practices, including implementing security protocols and conducting risk assessments.
• Ability to evaluate and integrate emerging technologies (e.g., artificial intelligence, machine learning, blockchain) to align with business objectives.
• Demonstrated ability to lead, mentor, and manage high-performing, cross-functional teams while fostering innovation.
• Proven experience in driving team performance and delivering results in fast-paced environments.
• Strong analytical skills with critical thinking and proactive problem-solving capabilities.
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional teams, foster innovation, and drive high performance.
• Leadership experience with a track record of managing and mentoring technology teams.
• Strong project management skills with the ability to handle multiple priorities, work under tight deadlines, and deliver results in a fast-paced environment.