Head of Information Systems - Short Term Insurance Platform

About the role

A leading financial services company in Cape Town is searching for a Head of Information Systems. The role will lead Business Analysis, Systems Analysis, Data Delivery, Helpdesk, Testing and Desktop Support functions, requiring strong insurance domain knowledge, business analysis expertise, technical architecture capability and vendor management experience.

Key responsibilities

• Develop and execute short‑ and long‑term IT strategy aligned with business objectives and group direction.
• Lead design, implementation and continuous improvement of scalable, secure technology solutions, overseeing the software development lifecycle and system integration.
• Ensure availability, stability and performance of critical business systems, managing incident response and service delivery.
• Establish data governance frameworks, oversee data architecture, quality and reporting to support analytics and regulatory reporting.
• Provide executive oversight of cyber security, risk management, disaster recovery and compliance with regulatory requirements.
• Manage IT budget, vendor relationships and service agreements to optimise technology investments.
• Lead, develop and mentor the IT team, fostering a culture of accountability, innovation and continuous improvement.

Required profile

• Bachelor’s degree in Information Systems or a related field.
• Minimum five years of experience in a senior IT leadership role within a complex, automated environment.
• Proven experience presenting to MANCO/EXCO and managing technology vendors and service providers.
• Experience in regulated financial services environments is advantageous.
• Strong analytical, problem‑solving and stakeholder‑influence abilities.

Required skills

• Cloud computing environment experience.
• Infrastructure and system integration knowledge.