General Manager - IT Delivery and Solution Architect.DataCo

MTN Group; Roodepoort; On-site; ZAR 900 000 - 1 200 000; Full time

Job summary

A leading telecommunications company in South Africa is seeking a General Manager: IT Delivery & Solution Architect. The role involves strategic leadership, managing IT delivery squads, and ensuring data governance in a fast-paced environment. Candidates should have over 10 years of experience in IT delivery and a strong background in cloud-based solutions. They will drive the integration of modern DevOps practices and oversee the development of high-performance data platforms. Competitive compensation and a vibrant workplace culture await motivated applicants.

Benefits

Innovative work environment

Career development opportunities

Qualifications

• Minimum 10 years’ experience in IT delivery or solution architecture roles.
• At least 5 years in senior management with hands-on experience.
• Strong background in cloud-based product delivery environments.

Responsibilities

• Establish and execute a technology roadmap aligned with DataCo’s strategy.
• Lead and manage IT Delivery Squads for various platforms.
• Ensure robust data governance and compliance.

Skills

Strategic Thinking

Solution Architecture

Cloud Infrastructure Management

Agile Delivery Leadership

Problem Solving

Education

4-year Academic Degree in Computer Science or related field

MBA or Master's in Technology Management

Certifications in Cloud Architecture

Tools

Cloud Platforms (Azure, AWS, GCP)

Job description

Global Influences / Industry Considerations

• Accelerated growth in enterprise demand for data-driven insights, location intelligence, and advanced analytical solutions
• Emergence of new monetisation pathways such as Data-as-a-Service (DaaS), API marketplaces, and ecosystem licensing models
• Extremely high emphasis on data quality, execution agility, speed to insight, compliance assurance, integration of new technologies, and cross-functional execution

Organization Values

At MTN we believe that understanding our people’s needs and aspirations is key to creating experiences that delight you at work, every day. We are committed to fostering an environment where every member of our Y’ello Family is heard, understood, and empowered to live an inspired life. Our values keep us grounded and moving in the right direction. Most importantly, they keep us honest. It is not something we claim to be. It is in our DNA.

As an organisation, we consider it our mission to create an exciting and rewarding place to work, where our people can be themselves, thrive in positivity and ignite their full potential. A workplace that boosts creativity and innovation, improves productivity, and ultimately drives meaningful results. A workplace that is built on relationships and achieving a purpose that is bigger than us. This is what we want you to experience with us!

Our commitments go beyond an organisational promise. It is in our leadership and managerial ethos to meaningfully partner with our employees, customers, and stakeholders with a vision to realise our shared goals.

Our values dubbed, LIVE Y’ello, are the cornerstone of our culture.

Lead with Care

Can-do with Integrity

Collaborate with Agility

Serve with Respect

Act with Inclusion

The General Manager: IT Delivery & Solution Architect (DataCo)

will be accountable to achieve the following objectives :

1. Strategic Leadership

• Establish and execute a technology roadmap aligned with DataCo’s monetisation strategy and product portfolio.
• Drive integration with Group Technology, ensuring alignment of infrastructure standards, security frameworks, and DevOps practices.
• Foster agile delivery practices, continuous integration / continuous deployment (CI / CD), and modern DevOps culture across squads.

2. Solution Architecture

• Design, deliver, and maintain scalable architectures to support high-volume telco data processing and external data products.
• Provide technology input into commercial and product engagements, ensuring feasibility, scalability, and alignment to client SLAs.
• Collaborate with product and business teams to define, estimate, and deliver technical capabilities for DataCo’s external offerings.

3. Delivery Management

• Lead and manage DataCo’s IT Delivery Squads responsible for cloud infrastructure, APIs, data pipelines, geospatial data processing, and analytics platform delivery.
• Oversee software development lifecycle (SDLC) for all data monetisation platforms and ensure timely, high-quality delivery.
• Implement and monitor cloud cost optimisation (FinOps), performance engineering, and infrastructure resilience initiatives.
• Measure and report on delivery velocity, system uptime, and client delivery KPIs to the Executive : DataCo.

4. Team Management and Development

• Mentor and develop Solution Architects, IT Delivery Managers, and Engineering Leads to enhance delivery maturity.

5. Governance and Compliance

• Ensure robust data governance, API security, and regulatory compliance in collaboration with Legal, Privacy, and InfoSec teams.

Key Deliverables

• Platform uptime >
• 99.5% across DataCo environments
• On-time delivery of monetisation platform releases and product enhancements
• Cloud cost efficiency (FinOps) targets achieved within 10% variance
• Data pipeline latency maintained within defined SLAs for ADR generation and analytics delivery
• High availability of APIs powering external clients and OpCos
• Reduction in time-to-market for new DataCo data products

Education

• Minimum 4-year Academic Degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, or a related technical field
• MBA or Master’s in Technology Management advantageous
• Relevant certifications in Cloud Architecture (Azure / AWS / GCP), Agile Delivery, and Solution Architecture preferred

Experience

• Minimum 10 years’ experience in IT delivery, data engineering, or solution architecture roles
• At least 5 years in senior management and direct, hands‑on delivery of highly scalable, secure by design / default / deployment, resilient, and high‑availability, high‑performance, large‑scale data platform and analytics environments, using ultra‑modern design technologies and methods. Proven experience managing multi‑disciplinary engineering teams (cloud, data, DevOps, architecture)
• Strong background in telco, analytics, or cloud‑based product delivery environments

Competencies

• Strategic Thinking and Execution
• Solution Architecture and Systems Integration
• Cloud Infrastructure and FinOps Management
• Agile Delivery Leadership
• API and Data Platform Design
• Stakeholder Influence and Vendor Management
• Problem Solving, Innovation, and Continuous Improvement
• Commercial and Technical Acumen