Senior Manager: Programme Delivery & Digitalisation

SUMMARY:
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POSITION INFO:

Sector: Logistics | Express | Supply Chain | Technology & Digitalisation

Management Level: Senior Leadership

Role Context

This role sits at the intersection of technology, operations, and business transformation, with a strong focus on delivering strategic digitalisation initiatives and leading the rollout of critical systems across the Southern Africa region, including South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho and Eswatini.

The successful candidate will play a key leadership role in enabling business performance through technology, driving operational efficiency, and ensuring alignment between regional objectives and global strategy.

Purpose of the Role

The Senior Manager: Programme Delivery & Digitalisation will be responsible for leading the delivery and implementation of key technology programmes and digital transformation initiatives across the Southern Africa region, including South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho and Eswatini.

The role focuses on:

• Driving the successful rollout and optimisation of business-critical systems
• Leading digitalisation and automation initiatives
• Ensuring alignment between business requirements and IT solutions
• Enhancing operational performance, efficiency, and service delivery

This position requires a commercially aware, technically strong leader who can operate across multiple stakeholders and deliver complex programmes within a dynamic, high-performance environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Programme Delivery & Systems Implementation
  • Lead the delivery, implementation, and rollout of functional applications across the regional network, ensuring alignment to global standards and sustainable business performance
  • Manage end-to-end programme execution, ensuring delivery within scope, time, and budget
  • Coordinate with in-country teams to ensure successful adoption, training, and handover of systems
  • Maintain clear oversight of programme delivery plans, milestones, and risks
  • Act as the key interface between country operations and regional functional leadership
  • Lead training, user enablement, and adoption strategies to ensure successful implementation and sustained system usage
• Digitalisation & Business Transformation
  • Drive digitalisation strategy across the region, identifying opportunities for automation and process optimisation
  • Analyse business operations and data to identify accelerated digitalisation opportunities
  • Support the development of business cases for automation, robotics, and technology-led initiatives
  • Partner with cross-functional teams to implement digital solutions that enhance operational efficiency and customer outcomes
  • Drive application landscape simplification through reduction of local systems and alignment to global platforms
  • Translate global digitalisation strategy into regional execution plans aligned to country-specific requirements and constraints
• Stakeholder Engagement & Business Alignment
  • Engage with senior stakeholders across IT, Operations, Commercial, and Country Leadership teams
  • Ensure business requirements are clearly defined, validated, and translated into technology solutions
  • Facilitate alignment between regional strategy and local execution
  • Communicate effectively on programme progress, risks, and performance
  • Own business requirements governance, ensuring structured validation, prioritisation, and representation into regional IT governance forums
• Operational Performance & Continuous Improvement
  • Drive performance improvement initiatives across systems, processes, and workforce productivity
  • Implement structured continuous improvement methodologies to enhance quality, efficiency, and performance
  • Promote best practice knowledge sharing across the regional network
  • Act as the escalation point for major system or service failures, ensuring rapid resolution and proactive stakeholder communication
  • Institutionalise continuous improvement through structured root cause analysis and long-term issue eradication
• Customs Systems & Integration
  • Lead the implementation and optimisation of customs-related systems and integration solutions, ensuring alignment with regulatory requirements and operational efficiency
  • Support EDI integration, system configuration, and data flow alignment across platforms
  • Ensure systems support regulatory compliance and operational efficiency within customs environments
• Leadership & People Management
  • Build, lead, and develop a high-performing team aligned to business objectives
  • Ensure effective resource allocation across programmes and projects
  • Drive a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous learning
  • Support talent development, succession planning, and capability building

Minimum Requirements

• Education
  • Degree or postgraduate qualification in Information Technology or a related field

• Experience
  • Minimum 8+ years’ experience in customs systems, software design, or related environments
  • Minimum 6 years’ experience in a senior leadership or management role
  • Proven experience in delivering complex technology programmes or digital transformation initiatives
  • Strong experience in EDI integration, system configuration, and data mapping
  • Experience within logistics, supply chain, or international trade environments

• Certifications
  • ITIL certification
  • Agile Project Management certification

Advantageous Experience

• Experience with EDIFACT / VDA messaging and integration frameworks
• Exposure to automation, robotics, or advanced digitalisation initiatives
• Experience working within multinational or large-scale operational environments

Key Competencies

• Programme & Project Leadership
• Digital Transformation & Innovation
• Stakeholder Engagement & Influence
• Business & IT Alignment
• Process Optimisation & Continuous Improvement
• Analytical Thinking & Problem Solving
• Change Leadership
• Team Development & Performance Management

Employment Equity

All suitably qualified candidates will be given fair consideration.

Remuneration

• A competitive total target compensation package is offered, aligned with the seniority and scale of the role.