Group Head of IT

Jibu · 4 days ago
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Location
Kampala
Employment Type
Full time
Applications Received
9
Closes On
30 Jun, 2026

Job Title: GROUP Head of IT

Department: IT

Duty Station: Jibu Office

Job Level: Management level

Reports To: Chief Operations Officer

Type: Full Time

Note: Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

Job Purpose

The Group Head of IT is accountable for all technology that powers Jibu's franchise network and corporate operations across East and Central Africa. The role spans four interconnected domains: product ownership of core IT systems, infrastructure and security, data governance, and strategic IT leadership.

The successful candidate will own the entire technology stack — from the ERPNext-based franchise platform and NetSuite ERP, through to production monitoring (RMS), the Jibu customer-facing website and POS systems, helpdesk (FreshDesk), and cloud data infrastructure. They will lead a small internal IT team while managing a portfolio of external vendors and implementation partners.

The Group IT Products Manager will identify needs, articulate what success looks like for a given IT solution, develop or support development of the products, and rally the teams to turn that vision into a reality.

Duties & Responsibilities

1. IT Strategy & Leadership

  1. Own and execute the annual IT strategy and roadmap, aligned to the enterprise business plan and direction.
  2. Prepare, manage and report on the annual IT budget; track software licenses, renewals and vendor spend.
  3. Develop and enforce IT governance policies, data security standards, and acceptable-use policies.
  4. Lead regular IT review meetings with the COO and senior leadership.
  5. Lead, coach and grow the internal IT team.

2. Product Ownership — Core IT Systems

  1. Own the end-to-end product lifecycle for all Jibu IT systems, defining vision, roadmap, success metrics, and ROI.
  2. Lead the ERPNext Unified Franchise Platform roll-out: requirements, configuration, data migration from legacy POS, franchise onboarding, and hypercare.
  3. Oversee the NetSuite ERP — including relationship with the implementing partner, support to users (Jibu staff), license management and platform enhancements.
  4. Manage the Jibu POS system used by franchise outlets; ensure uptime, training and continual improvement.
  5. Own the Jibu website ecosystem.
  6. Oversee the FreshDesk helpdesk and support function; define SLAs and drive ticket resolution quality.
  7. Iterating products over time and solving problems as they pop up to keep the product relevant.
  8. Evaluate and execute system retirements and replacements.

3. Infrastructure, Security & Domain Management

  1. Own all cloud and on-premise infrastructure including Google Cloud Platform, Proxmox servers, and VPS environments.
  2. Maintain and renew all domain registrations.
  3. Administer Google Workspace: user accounts, email groups, storage, security settings.
  4. Actively monitor IT security across all platforms; respond to and remediate incidents promptly.
  5. Manage the office network and connectivity across Jibu office locations.
  6. Maintain system health checklists and routine maintenance schedules for all platforms.
  7. Provide troubleshooting support for IT tools used by Jibu staff in all countries.

4. Data & Analytics

  1. Own data architecture and the group analytics stack.
  2. Ensure data is captured accurately and consistently across all systems; define and enforce data standards.
  3. Produce clear IT performance and ROI reports for the COO, country managers and other senior leaders.

5. Vendor & Stakeholder Management

  1. Manage all technology vendor relationships.
  2. Negotiate contracts and support agreements; escalate issues and manage SLA compliance.
  3. Serve as the primary IT point of contact for the Jibu leadership team.
  4. Collaborate with Training to develop user-friendly product training and admin handbooks for all systems.

6. New Products & Project Delivery

  1. Manage all IT projects end-to-end using structured project methodologies.
  2. Prioritizing product features and capabilities.
  3. Empowering and supporting JibuCo teams to succeed in implementing the new products and building sustainable decentralised structures that allow every OPCO to independently manage and administer the product.
  4. Maintain a prioritised project backlog; track scope, timeline, and budget for simultaneous workstreams.
  5. Continuously improve tools after implementation.
  6. Create leverageable collateral, FAQs, presentations to support product adoption across various stakeholder groups.
  7. Closely collaborate with the Training function to develop relevant, understandable and effective training modules for both the users and administrators of the product.
  8. Close out active projects with proper documentation, training handovers, and acceptance certificates.

Supervision Received

This position works highly autonomously. Receives general supervision from the Chief Operations Officer, with limited technical supervision. Expected to show high levels of initiative within the role. Accountable for functional area results.

Education

  1. Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, or a related field (required).
  2. Relevant professional certifications (e.g. PMP, Prince2, AWS/GCP, ITIL) are an advantage.

Experience

  1. Minimum 4 years of IT experience, with at least 1 year in a senior or management role.
  2. Proven track record managing ERP implementations — ERP Next and/or NetSuite experience strongly preferred.
  3. Experience managing multi-country or multi-site IT environments.
  4. Demonstrated success delivering IT projects on time and within budget.
  5. Experience operating in a franchise, FMCG, or fast-growth SME environment is an advantage.

Technical Skills

  1. Hands-on knowledge of cloud platforms: Google Cloud Platform / BigQuery (required); AWS or Azure (advantageous).
  2. Comfortable with web technologies: DNS management, WordPress/Strapi/Vercel, Cloudflare.
  3. Working knowledge of data integration and ETL concepts (Airbyte or similar tools).
  4. Programming or scripting ability (Python, JavaScript, or similar) is a plus.
  5. Data analytics and dashboard development experience is a plus.
  6. Familiarity with cybersecurity principles, access management, and IT security frameworks.

Soft Skills & Competencies

  1. Strategic thinker who can translate business needs into practical IT solutions.
  2. Exceptional written and verbal communication in English; able to explain technical concepts clearly to non-technical audiences.
  3. Strong project management discipline — organized, detail-oriented, and deadline-driven.
  4. High degree of initiative and ownership; comfortable working autonomously with minimal supervision.
  5. Collaborative leader who can build trust with remote teams, franchise partners, and external vendors.
  6. Fluency in East African languages (Swahili, Kinyarwanda, French) is an advantage.

How to Apply

Interested candidates should submit a CV and cover letter detailing their relevant experience, including specific examples of ERP implementations or IT systems they have owned. Applications should be sent to Jibu HRMS.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

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