IT Executive: Group Functions

Old Mutual South Africa; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 2,400,000 - 3,600,000; Full time

Job summary

Old Mutual South Africa seeks an IT Executive: Group Functions to act as a strategic technology advisor to the Group Functions leadership, driving value through technology, data and digital transformation. The role owns the end-to-end technology portfolio for these business areas, ensuring alignment with strategy and priorities.

Reporting to the Chief Technology and Data Officer, you will lead governance, risk, and platform delivery, directing sizeable budgets and modernization programs to

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Engineering or related field.
• Postgraduate qualification (MBA, MCom, MSc or equivalent) preferred.
• 15+ years experience in Information Technology.
• 10+ years leading enterprise-scale technology portfolios.
• Experience partnering with executive leadership teams.
• Proven technology transformation and modernisation experience.
• Experience in financial services or a regulated industry.
• Experience managing significant technology budgets and vendor ecosystems.

Responsibilities

• Own the portfolio budgeting across projects, platforms and services.
• Lead technology investment planning, prioritisation and funding decisions.
• Ensure investments deliver measurable business value and ROI.
• Monitor expenditure and cost of ownership while optimising spend.
• Track value realisation and benefits across the portfolio.
• Ensure compliance with governance standards and regulatory requirements.
• Oversee information security, cyber risk management and technology risk mitigation.
• Drive data governance and financial reporting technology controls.
• Manage and report portfolio risk within enterprise risk frameworks.
• Define and execute the Group Functions Technology roadmap and operating model.
• Ensure platforms meet service levels, resilience and performance requirements.
• Lead platform modernisation and simplification initiatives.
• Enable data, analytics, AI and automation to improve outcomes.
• Build a future-fit organisation aligned to agile delivery models.

Job description

Let's Write Africa's Story Together!

Old Mutual is a firm believer in the African opportunity and our diverse talent reflects this.

Job Description

The IT Executive: Group Functions serves as the strategic technology advisor to the Group Functions (Group Finance, Group Risk and Group Corporate Affairs and Marketing) leadership community and is accountable for enabling business value through technology, data, digital transformation and operational excellence. The role owns the end-to-end technology portfolio for these business areas, ensuring alignment between business strategy and Group Technology priorities.

Working in partnership with Business Executives and Group Technology leaders, the incumbent drives transformation and modernisation initiatives, optimisation of technology investments, and delivery of resilient, secure and scalable platforms. The role is accountable for both change and run activities, ensuring technology solutions deliver measurable business outcomes while maintaining strong governance, risk management and regulatory compliance.

This role reports into the Chief Technology and Data Officer.

Budget Control

• Accountable for the portfolio budget across projects, platforms and services.


• Lead technology investment planning, prioritisation and funding decisions.


• Ensure technology investments deliver strategic business value and measurable outcomes.


• Monitor portfolio expenditure and total cost of ownership while optimising technology spend.


• Track value realisation, ROI and benefits delivery across the portfolio.

Governance, Risk and Compliance

• Ensure compliance with Old Mutual governance standards, regulatory requirements and technology policies.


• Accountable for audit findings, remediation plans and control effectiveness across the portfolios.


• Oversee information security, cyber risk management and technology risk mitigation.


• Drive data governance and financial reporting technology controls.


• Manage and report portfolio risk in accordance with enterprise risk frameworks.

IT Service Delivery Management

• Own the end-to-end group functions technology service landscape and delivery performance.


• Define and execute the Group Functions Technology roadmap and operating model.


• Ensure platforms meet agreed service levels, resilience and performance requirements.


• Lead platform modernisation and simplification initiatives.


• Enable data, analytics, AI and automation capabilities to improve business outcomes.


• Ensure alignment with Group Technology architecture and engineering standards.

Executive Leadership

• Provide strategic leadership to Group Functions Technology teams and leaders.


• Build a future-fit organisation aligned to agile and engineering-led delivery models.


• Develop succession pipelines and critical technology capabilities.


• Drive a culture of innovation, accountability, inclusion and continuous improvement.


• Lead organisational change associated with portfolio technology transformation.

Business Partnering

• Act as trusted technology advisor to executive leadership.


• Translate business strategy into technology investment priorities and roadmaps.


• Influence executive decision-making on technology, data and transformation initiatives.


• Build strong stakeholder relationships across Group Functions business areas.


• Manage competing priorities and ensure delivery of agreed business outcomes.

Strategy Development and Execution

• Develop and execute the Group Functions Technology strategy.


• Lead large-scale transformation programmes.


• Ensure alignment between Group Functions, Data, AI and Technology strategies.


• Drive innovation, digitisation and operational excellence.


• Measure and report business value generated through technology-enabled transformation.

IT Thought Leadership

• Maintain awareness of emerging technologies and industry trends.


• Provide guidance on cloud, AI, automation and platform modernisation opportunities.


• Identify opportunities to simplify and optimise the Group Functions technology estate.


• Drive adoption of technology best practices across the organisation.

Strategic Accountabilities

• Own the Group Functions Technology strategy, roadmap and operating model.


• Lead business specific transformation programmes within Group Functions and across OML.


• Accountable for Group Functions systems availability, resilience and performance.


• Drive cloud, AI and platform modernisation initiatives.


• Create an engineering-led culture focused on reliability and automation.


• Ensure Group Functions platforms remain secure, compliant and scalable.


• Build a high-performing talent pipeline and future-ready workforce.

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Engineering or related field.


• Postgraduate qualification (MBA, MCom, MSc or equivalent) preferred.


• 15+ years experience in Information Technology.


• 10+ years leading enterprise-scale technology portfolios.


• Experience partnering with executive leadership teams.


• Proven technology transformation and modernisation experience.


• Experience in financial services or a regulated industry.


• Experience managing significant technology budgets and vendor ecosystems.

Leadership Competencies

• Strategic Thinking


• Executive Stakeholder Management


• Financial Acumen


• Change Leadership


• Talent Development


• Innovation and Digital Transformation


• Influencing and Negotiation


• Governance and Risk Management

Skills

Action Planning, Adaptive Thinking, Change Management, Current State Assessment, Customer Value Management, Executing Plans, Negotiation, Oral Communications, Policy Development, Presenting Solutions, Professional Presentation, Strategic Planning

Competencies

• Balances Stakeholders


• Builds Effective Teams


• Builds Networks


• Business Insight


• Collaborates


• Communicates Effectively


• Drives Vision and Purpose


• Ensures Accountability

Education

NQF Level 9 – Masters

Closing Date

24 September 2026 , 23:59

The appointment will be made from the designated group in line with the Employment Equity Plan of Old Mutual South Africa and the specific business unit in question.

The Old Mutual Story!