Chief Information Officer - Western Africa

About Us:
Network International is the largest Financial Technology company in Middle East and Africa. Payments is our core business where we provide services in more than 50 countries – UAE, Jordan, South Africa, Egypt are some of our key markets. Apart from payments, we provide services on Data and Insights, Lending, Insurance, Risk Solutions, etc. Our core customers are businesses at every scale and segment, though recently we are growing in direct to consumer card segment as well.
Our EVP:
At Network International, we always stay ahead. . In the fast-paced world of financial services, we thrive on innovation, agility, and purposeful collaboration. We invest  first in our people, empowering you to make bold decisions, learn fast, and grow your expertise alongside industry leaders. Here, solving complex problems means more than using cutting-edge technology; it’s about creating meaningful value for our customers, together. We foster a culture where trust, accountability, and achievement go hand in hand—because success isn’t just a goal; it’s how we work, every day, as one team.
About The Role:

We are looking for Chief Information Officer, West Africa to; Develop the tech strategy and architecture roadmap; Develop and deploy technology for all stakeholders; Accelerate product / service delivery; Innovate and implement technology solutions at optimized costs; Manage the functions and workings of the IT department in West Africa (20-25 FTEs); Handle the day-to-day operations, Service Delivery, People Management and Customer Delivery; Manage all customer-facing and internal applications and enterprise planning resources; Manage the infrastructure supporting the West Africa business and any associated Vendor partners & Engage fully as a member of the West Africa Management Team and Support the MD at all times.

Key Responsibilities:

Ownership & Accountability:

• Be the Senior IT Manager in West Africa, be part of the Management Team and represent the wider Global IT Team in West Africa.
• Lead and direct the IT Team in West Africa.
• Lead IT delivery projects and programs, including the design and deployment of new IT systems and services in West Africa.
• Ensure all SLAs and KPIs are met by the IT Team related to the IT Services we offer to our Clients 24X7.
• Lead the Service Delivery Team in West Africa and act as an escalation point for Incident and Problem management activities.
• Manage all of the IT Assets in West Africa to ensure optimum return on investment including availability, quality, performance, capacity management, etc.
• Monitor performance of information technology systems to determine cost and productivity levels, and to make recommendations for improving the IT infrastructure.
• Plan and forecast the Capex, Opex and Head Count budgets for West Africa.
• Manage the MIS and presentations to the West Africa leadership team, Regulators and Clients for project and program governance.
• Help define IT infrastructure strategy, architecture, and processes.
• Analyse business requirements by partnering with key stakeholders across the organization to develop solutions for IT needs
• Assess vendors and develop test strategies for new hardware and software.
• Troubleshoot hardware and software issues related to internal IT.

Strategic Leadership:

• Develop the company’s strategy for using technological resources, aligned to business goals.
• Prepare businesses to react, adapt and evolve with resilience and success.
• Create the right culture of technology and innovation to attract and retain outstanding talent.
• Ensure the organization is on an ‘always future-ready’ technology mode.
• Strong domain knowledge and business acumen to ensure company’s technologies are used appropriately.
• Communicate technology strategy to partners and investors.

Development & Deployment of Technology: 

• Ensure technologies are used efficiently, profitably and securely.
• Evaluate and implement new technologies, systems and infrastructure for competitive advantage.

Acceleration of Product/Service Delivery:

• Understand customer domain and needs and the right technology and products to outperform on customer requirements.
• Translate highly complex technical concepts and ideas to a nontechnical audience.
• Ensure that technical teams have the right technology and tools to support business teams to succeed with customers.
• Supervise system infrastructure to ensure functionality and efficiency.
• Build quality assurance and data protection processes.
• Monitor KPIs and IT budgets to assess technological performance.
• Manage global compliance across all payment platforms.

Innovation & Implementation of Technology Solutions:

• Manage all technology assets with the right teams to ensure optimum return of investment using the right framework including: availability, quality, performance, capacity management, financial management, change management, risk management, incident and problem management and license management.
• Build payments landscape, upgrade plan /roadmap to support business growth and innovation 
• Proactively seek and use stakeholders’ feedback to implement improvements and adjustments to technology.

Key Requirements:

• BSc / BA in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field.
• MBA or other relevant graduate degree is a plus.
• 10+ years of proven experience as a CIO or similar leadership role.
• Knowledge of technological trends to build strategy.
• Strong understanding of budgets and business-planning.
• Excellent interpersonal, leadership and team working skills.
• Excellent communication skills – verbal and written.
• Proven track record of:
  • Conducting technological analyses and research.
  • Leadership and organizational abilities.
  • Strategic thinking.
  • Analytical and problem-solving skills.
  • Financial acumen and cost tracking of technology business unit

Network International is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome and encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds, nationalities, and experience levels. We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace where innovation, diversity, and performance thrive.