Manager: IT Business Relations x2

Sars; Pretoria; On-site; ZAR 1,200,000 - 1,600,000; Full time

Job summary

SARS is seeking a dynamic Manager: IT Business Relations to steer the IT business relations practice, lead a multidisciplinary team, and align IT initiatives with business objectives. You will drive strategic partnerships with senior leaders, deliver scalable technology solutions, and foster continuous improvement across the organization.

The role demands strong analytical acumen, stakeholder management, and a track record in overseeing business analysis that delivers measurable outcomes.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree or Advanced Diploma (NQF 7) in Taxation, Commerce, Business, or ICT/IT with 8–10 years’ experience in a business tech or operations environment, incl. 3–4 years at junior management.
• Senior Certificate (NQF 4) with at least 15 years’ experience in Business Systems or Operations, incl. 3–4 years at junior management.

Responsibilities

• Build a knowledge base of each client's business, systems and objectives and align technology solutions with business strategies.
• Communicate with clients to identify needs and evaluate technical solutions.
• Develop products/services to help the customer achieve business objectives.
• Improve service and relationships with customers and monitor effectiveness.
• Define requirements for process and system improvements and create viable specs.
• Ensure service level management is documented and auditable for effectiveness.

Skills

Stakeholder management

Leadership

Business analysis

IT-business alignment

Strategic planning

Cross-functional leadership

Education

Bachelor's Degree or Advanced Diploma (NQF 7) in Taxation, Commerce, Business, or ICT/IT

Senior Certificate (NQF 4) with 15+ years in Business Systems/Operations

Job description

Career Opportunities: Manager: IT Business Relations x2 (10839)

About the Position

Are you an accomplished leader with a passion for innovation and a proven ability to drive strategic change in IT and business relations? Do you excel at building collaborative partnerships, leading teams, and delivering robust solutions that align with organizational goals? If so, we invite you to explore this opportunity.

SARS is seeking a dynamic Manager: IT Business Relations to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of our technology landscape. We are looking for an individual with strong analytical acumen, excellent stakeholder management skills, and a track record of successfully overseeing business analysis functions that deliver impactful results.

In this key leadership role, you will:

• Formulate and execute tactical strategies for the IT Business Relations practice area, ensuring alignment with business objectives.
• Lead and mentor a multidisciplinary team responsible for analyzing, documenting, and improving business processes and information flow.
• Act as a strategic partner to senior leaders, facilitating informed decision-making and supporting the integration of IT solutions within the broader business context.
• Drive the design and implementation of innovative, scalable, and future‑ready technology solutions.
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement, collaboration, and agile thinking across the organization.

This is a unique opportunity to make a meaningful impact by enabling business success through effective IT‑business alignment. If you are ready to lead, influence, and deliver transformative results,

Job Purpose

To formulate tactical strategy and associated delivery plans related to a single practice area for Business Relations, by managing the analysis function that conducts the methodical investigation, analysis and documentation of all or part of a business area in terms of business functions and processes, and the information customers/clients use, ensuring practice integration and operational implementation through the achievement of Business Relations objectives.

Education and Experience

Minimum Qualification & Experience Required

Bachelor's Degree or Advanced Diploma (NQF 7) in Taxation, Commerce, Business, or ICT/IT with 8–10 years’ experience in a business technology or operations environment, of which 3–4 years at junior management level.

ALTERNATIVE #

Senior Certificate (NQF 4) with at least 15 years’ experience in Business Systems or Operational Environment of which 3 - 4 years at a junior management level

Job Outputs:

Process

• Build a knowledge base of each client's business, systems and objectives and ensure alignment technology solutions with business strategies.
• Communicate effectively with clients to identify needs and evaluate alternative technical solutions.
• Co-operate with those responsible in the organisation for developing products and services that will help the customer organisation to achieve its business objectives.
• Develop the means of improving service to, and relationships with, customers, and monitor the effectiveness of such measures.
• Ensure definition of requirements for improving aspect of the processes and systems, and the creation of viable specifications in preparation for the construction of information systems.
• Ensure that the service level management is well documented and audited for effectiveness, efficiency and compliance on a regular basis.
• Facilitate customers' involvement in the continuous improvement of the products and services supplied to them.
• Identify and assess options for the implementation of new or improved business processes and present them with recommendations, to decision makers at senior management level.
• Identify appropriate tools to monitor, analyse and report on actual performance in comparison to SLA requirements in a manageable and meaningful format.
• Maintain the level of customer satisfaction, at regular intervals or after each significant delivery of product or service.
• Manage exceptions, slippage and issues of priority, and initiates extra activities wherever gaps in the programme are identified.
• Manage the process of continual improvement in the provision of services, instigating remedial actions whenever necessary.
• Manage the processes that drive value out of the ICT investment and ensure ROI by being a bridge between the functional business area and information systems development.
• Partner with service provider and user management to undertake major reviews of SLAs, production and agreement of new SLAs and extensions to existing SLAs.
• Proactively identify interconnected problems, determine its impact and use to develop best fit alternatives, implementing best practice solutions.
• Provide advice on the selection of appropriate application strategies, policies, standards, methods and tools for business analysis.
• Provide technical direction for the development, design, and systems integration for client engagement from definition phase through implementation.
• Work with user management to establish the contribution that can be made to business, drawing up requirement specifications, conducting feasibility studies, producing high level and detailed models, oversee development and implementing solutions.
• Act as the bottom‑line drivers of tactical implementation within the context of business unit excellence and performance improvement.
• Direct, control, coordinate and optimise budgeted resources to meet specific objectives and deliver agreed results and productivity requirements.
• Ensure the development and implementation of a practice in alignment with operational policy and procedural frameworks.
• Implement tactical strategy and delivery plans through the development of operational activities, ensuring the achievement of operational targets.
• Plan for handling work outputs, pull together interdependent activities and specify priorities, standards and procedures to ensure tactical implementation.
• Provide periodic reports on performance against plan & progress on short‑term initiatives & use to realign tactical plan and objectives appropriately.
• Recommend changes to optimise processes, systems, policies and procedures, and execute the implementation of change and innovation initiated by the organisation.
• Timeously communicate top‑down policy modification, objective achievement progress and critical success factors to impacted stakeholders.
• Use the insights gained through integrated business reports to measure success and realign tactical strategy implementation objectives appropriately.

Governance

• Implement governance, risk and compliance policy in own practice area to identify and manage governance and risk exposure liability.
• Manage and or advise on the translation and application of policy in a specific functional area.

People

• Develop and implement appropriate people capacity plans in line with delivery and efficiency targets, on budget and in partnership with specialised area.
• Plan and implement enhanced organisational efficiency by identifying and addressing development requirements and providing tools for people resources.
• Translate performance expectations into specific metrics and goals to identify and provide effective services, solve problems and achieve objectives.

Finance

• Draw up a budget aligned to tactical delivery plans, monitor planned vs. actual, minimise expenditure and report on cost efficiency.
• Implement and monitor financial control, management of costs and corporate governance in area of accountability.

Client

• Build strong relationships and implement service level agreements that promote SARS with internal and external stakeholders.
• Develop and ensure implementation of practices which builds service delivery excellence and encourages others to provide exceptional client service.
• Manage an integrated service excellence culture, which builds rewarding relationships and provides opportunity for feedback and exceptional service.
• Accountability
• Fairness and Transparency
• Honesty and Integrity
• Problem Solving and Analysis
• Respect
• Trust
• Ability to translate strategy into execution
• Concern for Impact of own behaviour on others
• Develops teams and nurtures interdependency
• Inspires others to Positive Action
• Nurtures Future Talent
• Stewardship and Service Orientation
• Strong Results Orientation
• Values and Manages Diversity
• Business Acumen
• Business IT Systems
• Change Management
• Effective Business Communication

Compliance Competency

• Configuration Management Infrastructure (IT) Proficient in - (Applied theory)
• GOC Confidential

Employment Equity

The Employment Equity policy of SARS will be considered as part of the recruitment and selection process and Persons with Disabilities are encouraged to apply. Successful candidates will be required to undertake an oath of secrecy, pre‑employment screening, case study, pre‑assessment, psychometric assessment and or vetting, and a declaration of private interest. The appointment is also subject to appropriate reference(s) and security clearance where applicable.

Advert Closing Date : 16 October 2026

Position Reports to: Area Head Business Relations: Tax Product and Process