Jobs in Johannesburg, Nairobi or London at ActionAid for International Head of Information Technology December 2014

ActionAid is an international anti-poverty agency formed in 1972. We are a partnership between people in poor and rich countries working together to end poverty and injustice.

Today we are working with over 15 million of the world’s poorest and excluded people in 45 countries worldwide to secure their rights to a life free of poverty and injustice, and with the support of half a million donors and supporters.

Directorate of Finance and Information Technology

Vacancy: International Head of Information Technology

Location: Johannesburg, Nairobi, London

Base Salary: GBP £54 372 pa (Employment T&Cs may vary by location)

Role Specification: Reporting to the International Director, the Head of Information Technology will be required to set the technical direction for the organisation and to work with Countries, Members and the Secretariat to ensure that technology plays an effective role in helping Action Aid achieve its mission.

He/she will own the design of the overall IT Systems Architecture including data, application and technical architecture and work with the AAI Federation to identify and develop new opportunities for technology to contribute to the Strategy and organisational effectiveness.

He/she will be responsible for the provision of IT shared services, including applications, provide guidance and support to Members for member owned (non-shared service) IT systems, and lead the implementation of the IT strategy that focuses on strengthening governance, project management, business critical system enhancement and development, and further supports country capacity development and effective communication and collaboration.

Key responsibilities will include but not limited to:

Determines technology platforms / applications ActionAid will use, how the organisation will make best use of those technologies and which suppliers, providers and NGO consortia, it will partner with to achieve this.
Determines which aspects of the overall technology and application architecture will be best delivered as shared services and which as member specific solutions.
Owns the overall IT Roadmap guiding the continuing evolution of Action Aid’s IT
Sets the overall IT standards and ensure that all development, whether shared service or member based, contributes to a coherent and effective overall solution to support the new strategy.
Ensure that functionally specific solutions are designed with the overall organisational objectives and needs in mind, both from a technology and Countries, Members and Secretariat design perspective.
Ensures appropriate IT inputs to develop organisational systems for internal communications, sustainability, information and knowledge management
Accountable for the timely delivery of IT development projects that provide the systems that the Countries, Members and Secretariat’s needs within planned budgets.
Ensures that shared applications, platforms and connectivity are effectively maintained and supported.
Accountable for the availability, stability and resilience of all shared systems.
Acts as the overall IT lead for the federation working with Member IT staff to enhance the overall IT effectiveness and supporting them when they face major decisions or issues
Is up-to-date on, and contributes to, the body of knowledge relating to the best use of IT within the INGO sector.
Represents IT within internal forum and Action Aid IT within external forums such as NetHope.

Person specification:

Graduate qualification and IT management experience in a complex environment of multiple systems and underlying architectures.
Customer focused, able to work with the Countries, Members and within the Secretariat functions to understand their objectives and how IT can best support them. Ability to lead a diverse and multi located team
Portfolio management ability, able to achieve long term Countries, Members and Secretariat and IT goals through multiple projects and programs
Negotiation and facilitation skills, able to discuss options with multiple stakeholders and guide collective decision making to the right commercial and technical solution.
Working knowledge of: the not for profit sector; a multi-site international (Europe and developing countries) operation

Application Procedures:

Further information on this position can be obtained from our website at www.actionaid.org/jobs or from the attached role profile.

Applications should be sent with your CV, motivation cover letter and 2 nominated referees to: financeops.jhb@actionaid.org by no later than the 19th January, 2015.

Please clearly indicate the position you are applying for.

Although all applications will be considered on their individual merit, suitably qualified women are especially encouraged to apply.

We value all applications, but only short listed candidates will be responded to.