Head of Business Applications

SUMMARY:
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POSITION INFO:
Overview: An exciting opportunity exists for an experienced and strategic Head of Business Applications to lead the governance, optimisation, and transformation of a complex enterprise applications environment. This role is responsible for driving the strategic roadmap of business applications, ensuring seamless integration between enterprise systems, operational technology, and digital platforms while delivering measurable business value. The successful candidate will lead application modernisation, optimise technology investments, and oversee a high-performing team within a highly regulated operational environment. Key Responsibilities: Strategic Application Architecture & Roadmap Develop and drive a long-term business applications roadmap aligned to organisational objectives. Oversee enterprise application architecture and integration across ERP, billing, operational systems, and digital platforms. Evaluate and implement emerging technologies including AI\/ML, cloud, and mobile solutions to enhance business value. Ensure scalable and future-ready application ecosystems. Application Portfolio & Vendor Management Take ownership of the full business applications portfolio across multiple business functions. Drive application rationalisation and optimisation to improve operational efficiency and cost effectiveness. Manage vendor relationships, contracts, licensing, and SLA performance. Implement robust Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) frameworks and governance. Digital Transformation & Solution Delivery Lead enterprise-wide digital transformation initiatives and system modernisation programmes. Oversee proof-of-concept to production implementation for new technologies and business applications. Champion agile delivery methodologies and cross-functional collaboration. Support operational automation and integration between enterprise technology and operational systems. Governance, Risk & Compliance Establish governance frameworks aligned to regulatory and compliance requirements. Maintain risk registers, business continuity planning, and disaster recovery capabilities. Ensure application environments remain audit-ready and aligned to best practices. Drive incident, change, problem, and knowledge management capabilities. Budget & Stakeholder Management Manage multi-million Rand budgets (CAPEX\/OPEX) for business applications. Build business cases and ROI-driven investment strategies. Engage executive stakeholders to translate operational requirements into scalable technology solutions. Lead and mentor high-performing internal and external teams. Minimum Requirements: BSc Degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or a related field. Minimum 8–10 years’ experience in software engineering and application management. At least 5 years’ experience in enterprise architecture or solution architecture roles. Proven experience in complex, regulated environments such as healthcare, mining, manufacturing, or pharmaceuticals. Experience integrating ERP systems with Operational Technology (OT), instrumentation systems, or industrial\/laboratory systems. Demonstrated experience managing multi-million Rand application budgets and driving cost optimisation. Strong people leadership and stakeholder management experience. Preferred Qualifications \/ Certifications: Digital Transformation Strategy certification TOGAF \/ Enterprise Architecture certification ITIL Foundation Agile \/ Scrum certifications Honours or Master’s degree in Business Administration (Technology focus) or Software Engineering advantageous.

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