Head of IT – India (Oracle)

Job Description

Location: India

Department: Information Technology

Reports to: VP, Applications (HQ)

Matrix Reporting: Head of India

Role Overview

The Head of IT – India will serve as the senior IT leader for the India site, acting as the primary liaison between local management and the global IT organization. This role is responsible for managing the on-site IT team, overseeing daily IT operations, ensuring high-quality end-user support, and leading the local development (delivery) team. A critical aspect of this position is extensive expertise in Oracle ERP (Fusion), including the ability to guide, support, and manage teams working on Oracle-related development, configuration, integration, and support activities. The Head of IT – India will collaborate closely with HQ on the Oracle roadmap, participate in IT recruitment, and lead various ad hoc IT projects as assigned by HQ.

Key Responsibilities

•  Leadership & Management
•  Manage and mentor the local IT team in India, including infrastructure, support, and development personnel.
•  Oversee, guide, and support teams working on Oracle Fusion Cloud ERP, ensuring alignment with HQ architecture, processes, and standards.
• Function effectively within a matrixed organizational structure, maintaining alignment with functional managers in HQ.
• Act as the primary IT business partner for India site leadership.

IT Operations & Support

• Oversee on-site IT activities to ensure smooth operations and high service levels.
• Ensure compliance with global IT standards, governance, and security policies.
• Drive continuous improvement in system stability, process quality, and support efficiency.
• Oracle ERP (Fusion) Leadership
• Serve as the senior local expert and focal point for Oracle ERP Fusion matters.
• Provide guidance on functional and technical aspects of Oracle modules used by the organization.
• Lead or support Oracle-related development and integration initiatives executed by the India development/delivery team.
• Coordinate with HQ’s Oracle ERP leadership to ensure local activities align with global strategy and timelines.
• Application Development & Delivery
• Lead the local development/delivery team supporting software development, application enhancements, and Oracle ERP integrations.
• Manage work plans, priorities, and performance in coordination with HQ application managers.
• Ensure on-time, high-quality delivery according to the global IT roadmap.

Recruitment & Team Growth

• Participate in hiring IT roles in India, including Oracle ERP developers/consultants, infrastructure engineers, and support staff.
• Support onboarding, mentoring, and skill development of Oracle-focused team members.
• Stakeholder Management
• Serve as the central IT point of contact for India site management and HQ IT teams.
• Facilitate clear communication between India IT teams and global IT departments.
• Act as the escalation point for IT incidents or Oracle system challenges.
• Project Leadership
• Lead ad hoc projects initiated by HQ, including system implementations, Oracle enhancements, integrations, infrastructure initiatives, and IT transformation programs.
• Provide regular updates to HQ on project progress, risks, and deliverables.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or related field.
• 15+ years of progressive IT experience, with at least 4 years in a managerial position.
• Strong, hands-on experience with Oracle ERP Cloud (Fusion), including modules such as Finance, Procurement, SCM, or others used by the organization.
• Proven experience leading Oracle ERP teams (developers, consultants, analysts).
• Experience supporting or implementing ERP solutions in a global or multinational environment.
• Strong communication skills and stakeholder-management capabilities.
• Experience leading teams in a matrixed environment.
• Solid understanding of IT operations, infrastructure, and application development workflows.
• Experience working with global IT organizations across multiple countries.
• Familiarity with Oracle integration technologies (OIC, REST APIs, PaaS).
• Project management experience (Agile, PMP, or equivalent).

Key Competencies

• Strong leadership & team development
•   Deep Oracle ERP (Fusion) knowledge
• Delivery and project management excellence
•  Problem-solving & decision-making
• Stakeholder communication and alignment
• Cross-cultural collaboration
•  Accountability and ownership

Responsibilities (Development Team Leadership)

• Lead, mentor, and manage a team of developers, fostering a high-performance and accountable engineering culture
• Own end-to-end delivery of development initiatives, ensuring quality, scalability, and timely execution
• Drive task prioritization, resource planning, and workload distribution across the team
• Establish clear goals, KPIs, and performance expectations for team members
• Promote best practices in code quality, testing, and continuous improvement
• Collaborate with cross-functional stakeholders (Product, Business, Architecture) to align development priorities with business objectives

Required Knowledge & Experience

• Proven experience in managing and leading software development teams
• Strong understanding of modern software development methodologies (Agile, Scrum, Kanban)
• Hands-on experience with full software development lifecycle (SDLC) practices
• Solid knowledge of development standards, code review practices, CI/CD, and DevOps principles
• Ability to drive architectural discussions and guide technical decision-making
• Strong problem-solving skills and ability to balance technical depth with delivery execution