IT Director (Technology, Data & Digital Platforms)
Reports To: Chief Operating Officer
Job Type: Full-Time
Location: UK / South Africa
About TM Forum
TM Forum is the global industry member alliance for telco and tech companies with over 800 communication service providers, vendors, hyperscalers, consultancies and system integrators, including the world’s top ten CSPs and top three hyperscalers. We aim to return the telco sector back to growth, through a move to AI-enabled agility and efficiency delivered by our three industry Missions: Composable IT & Ecosystems, Autonomous Networks, and AI and Data.
Our Missions are delivered through a flywheel of capabilities: Insight, Innovate, Collaborate, Educate and Scale, which are all brought to live through a global, year round program of digital and in person events.
Role Purpose
Own and lead TM Forum’s technology, data and digital platforms — combining clear strategic direction with strong operational delivery.
This role is accountable for:
- Defining and executing a coherent technology, data and platform strategy
- Delivering member-facing digital experiences alongside Marketing
- Building and running a modern, secure, scalable platform estate
- Establishing practical data and AI foundations that are used daily
This is a leadership role with close proximity to delivery. You will lead a high-impact team, set direction and priorities, and stay sufficiently close to architecture, delivery and decision-making to ensure pace, quality and outcomes.
Success requires the ability to balance strategic thinking, delivery accountability and pragmatic decision-making in a resource-constrained environment.
Key Responsibilities
1. Technology & Platform Strategy
- Define and evolve a coherent technology, data and digital platform strategy
- Align investment and priorities to member value and organisational goals
- Balance short-term delivery needs with long-term scalability and sustainability
2. Digital Platform & Delivery
- Own and deliver TM Forum’s web and digital platform roadmap, from backlog to production
- Set clear priorities, outcomes and success measures
- Ensure delivery pace and quality by staying close to key decisions, risks and dependencies
- Provide direction on architecture and approach where needed
- Partner with Marketing to enable high-quality digital experiences
- Ensure platforms are secure, reliable and cost-efficient
3. Technology & IT Operations
- Lead engineering, DevOps and IT operations to ensure services are reliable and effective
- Simplify and rationalize systems into a practical, maintainable architecture
- Provide leadership on complex technical and operational challenges
- Drive automation, tooling and continuous improvement of delivery capability
- Manage vendors pragmatically with a focus on value and outcomes
4. Data & Analytics
- Establish trusted, usable data that supports real decision-making
- Implement practical governance and data standards
- Enable self-service analytics and clear data ownership
- Ensure data platforms are actively used and deliver measurable value
5. Governance, Prioritisation & Risk
- Own transparent prioritisation and trade-offs across technology, data and digital
- Implement lightweight, visible governance aligned to delivery needs
- Provide clarity on backlog, BAU vs change decisions and trade-offs
- Manage risk across security, resilience, cost and delivery confidence
6. AI Platforms & Enablement
- Build and evolve AI-ready platforms and technical foundations
- Translate AI strategy into practical, working capability
- Support delivery of AI enablement and agents
- Ensure AI solutions are secure, governed and scalable
7. Leadership & Team
- Lead a high-performing team with clear direction and accountability
- Build capability to deliver independently at pace and quality
- Stay close enough to support and challenge without creating dependency
- Foster a pragmatic, outcome-focused and low-ego culture
- Oversee the technology budget and vendor portfolio
Key Profile
What we are looking for
- Proven experience operating across strategy and execution in technology leadership roles
- Ability to set direction and ensure delivery through teams
- Strong grounding in cloud, SaaS platforms, integration and web technologies
- Track record of delivering platforms and outcomes, not just managing programmes
- Comfortable engaging in detail when required without relying on personal execution
- Experience balancing cost, speed, quality and risk in decision-making
- Able to operate effectively in a lean, fast-moving and evolving environment
What may not work in this role
- Leaders who rely heavily on large teams or complex structures to deliver outcomes
- Candidates uncomfortable operating in a lean, fast-moving environment
- Individuals who focus on strategy without accountability for execution
Diversity & Inclusion at TM Forum
At TM Forum, we’re building a workplace where everyone can belong, feel respected, supported and able to do their best work. We welcome talent from all walks of life to join our global community, which is made stronger by the different perspectives, backgrounds and experiences each person brings. We hire based on skills, potential and values, never on assumptions about who someone is or where they come from. We actively work to ensure our recruitment and people practices are fair, inclusive and free from bias.
Skills Required
- Proven experience operating across strategy and execution in technology leadership roles
- Ability to set direction and ensure delivery through teams (leadership and delivery accountability)
- Strong grounding in cloud, SaaS platforms, integration and web technologies
- Track record of delivering platforms and measurable outcomes (not just programme management)
- Experience leading engineering, DevOps and IT operations; building secure, scalable platform estates
- Experience establishing data governance, data standards and enabling self-service analytics
- Experience translating AI strategy into practical, secure and governed AI platform capabilities
- Experience managing vendors, budgets and prioritisation across technology, data and digital
- Ability to operate effectively in a lean, fast-moving environment and balance cost, speed, quality and risk
What We Do
TM Forum is a global, nonprofit alliance representing more than 800 organizations across the connectivity ecosystem, including communication service providers, hyperscalers, network equipment providers, vendors, consultancies, and system integrators. It provides a collaborative environment for members worldwide to innovate, develop practical guidance, and deliver lasting change, renewed value, and a more sustainable future for telecommunications and related connectivity industries.
