Director, Strategy and Transformation, Digital Transformation

ROLE OVERVIEW

The Strategy & Transformation (S&T) Team is at the forefront of Hugo’s growth and innovation initiatives. We play a critical role in defining and driving strategic operational improvements across all areas of the organization. At its core, the team operates like an internal consulting group, leading small teams on a range of high-priority projects to design and implement effective, scalable solutions. 

Specifically, the Digital Transformation Lead will work closely with the Global Head of IT, the Head of Product Solutions, and the Chief Information Security Officer to spearhead Hugo’s digital journey.

To be successful you must be a builder. You must be adept at designing the infrastructure to collect data; adept at zooming in on the data collected to draw insights from analysis; and adept at zooming out to develop compelling recommendations and ideas to operationalize. 

Switching from the strategic to the tactical, you should be capable of persuasively communicating your recommendations to other senior team members, then jumping into the trenches to drive construction, implementation and company-wide adoption. 

The ideal candidate is someone who thrives given an open canvas and can successfully bring new ideas to life.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead the development of scalable IT-related processes with clear handover strategies, ensuring smooth transitions to operational owners.
• Collaborate closely with different stakeholders to identify current technological gaps and process inefficiencies related to our technology and IT processes.
• Design and implement solutions to close identified gaps.
• Conceptualize and execute technological advancements within the organization, ensuring that the IT infrastructure is adequate, modern, and capable of supporting a headcount of 2,000-5,000 users.
• Establish a feedback loop with different departments and users to continuously identify opportunities for technological enhancements and to keep the strategy up to date.
• Lead change management initiatives associated with digital transformation, ensuring a smooth transition and fostering acceptance and adherence to new processes and tools.
• Develop comprehensive training programs for the organization, focusing on new technological implementations and IT-related processes to ensure all employees are proficient and comfortable with technology and digital solutions used at the company.
• Partner with other S&T team members to digitalize other S&T solutions.
• Lead in preparing and defending the digital transformation budget before executive leadership and continually assess its effectiveness through pre- and post-implementation reviews.
• Develop and monitor key performance metrics to assess the effectiveness of digital transformation initiatives.

ABOUT YOU

• Self-starter, self-disciplined and target focused
• Entrepreneurial: Satisfied only when an idea is successfully executed
• Resourceful and strategic
• Comfortable working in both intricate details as well as big-picture initiatives.
• Can convey highly technical concepts to non-technical people (service delivery employees, management team, peers)
• Prioritize ruthlessly
• Collaborative

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, information systems or a related field from a globally recognized institution is preferred. 
• A MBA is a big plus.
• 10+ years in progressively responsible leadership roles, in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience leading a team of peers. 
• Proven experience leading and delivering complex IT infrastructure and IT Operations projects at an enterprise scale.
• Entrepreneurial experience including but not limited to launching and scaling a project in an emerging market.
• Excellent knowledge of technology deployments including: automation and workflows, identity management, IT systems architectures, process optimization, etc.
• Knowledge of the latest technological advances that could benefit the company, including information security best practices, industry trends, tools, and change management.
• Strong understanding of emerging technologies, such as AI, RPA, and cloud computing.
• Superior organizational skills, including the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Adept at analyzing large datasets to extract and communicate recommendations and ideas. 
• Strong business acumen and problem solving skills.
• Having worked in consulting projects will serve as an added advantage.

WHAT WE OFFER

• A competitive compensation package.
• A business model that makes sense for Africa. 
• A high-caliber, fun team committed to the continent.
• Large-scale, measurable impact.