Senior IT Governance & Operations Specialist

About the role

The incumbent will provide independent oversight of the Scheme’s outsourced IT environment, ensuring technology‑related risks, controls, governance practices and assurance activities comply with regulatory and industry standards. The role supports senior executives, the Board and governance committees in safeguarding the confidentiality, integrity, availability and resilience of the Scheme’s information assets.

Key responsibilities

• Draft and maintain the Scheme’s IT strategy and governance framework in line with King V and best‑practice standards.
• Design and operate a combined‑assurance framework that integrates Scheme and administrator controls.
• Manage the IT risk register, compliance checklists and contribute to the IT risk appetite.
• Oversee the Administrator’s performance against contractual IT obligations, security, disaster‑recovery and business‑continuity policies.
• Lead response to IT risk incidents and coordinate with internal audit, external audit and compliance monitoring.
• Provide strategic guidance on emerging technologies, including AI, and develop governance policies for their ethical and secure use.

Required profile

• 6‑8 years of post‑qualification experience in IT functions or IT audit, with at least 3‑4 years focused on IT governance, risk, compliance and general IT controls.
• Bachelor’s degree in IT, Computer Science, Information Systems or related field; postgraduate qualification in IT governance, risk management or cyber security is preferred.
• Professional certifications such as CGEIT are desirable.
• Valid Code 8 driver’s licence and own transport; ability to work extended hours.

Required skills

• Knowledge of IT governance frameworks: COBIT, ITIL, NIST, ISO.
• Experience with general IT controls, cyber security and IT risk management.
• Familiarity with system development lifecycle methodologies: Agile, Waterfall, DevSecOps.
• Understanding of AI concepts and their governance.
• Awareness of South African regulatory environment (King V, POPIA).