Head of ICT ( Microfinance)

Role Overview

This role leads the organisation’s entire ICT function, ensuring all technology systems remain secure, reliable, and aligned with business objectives. Day to day, the Head of ICT oversees infrastructure resilience, cybersecurity measures, digital transformation projects, and internal support operations, directly enabling smoother service delivery across departments. The position matters because it translates technology investments into tangible operational gains, particularly in a financial services environment where system uptime, data protection, and regulatory compliance are non-negotiable.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and execute a multi-year ICT strategy that directly supports the company’s growth plans, including automation, customer-facing digital tools, and operational efficiency improvements.
• Oversee the entire IT infrastructure stack – hardware, networks, cloud services, communication systems – ensuring high availability, scalability, and cost-effective performance.
• Implement and enforce a comprehensive cybersecurity programme: threat detection, incident response, penetration testing, and business continuity/disaster recovery drills.
• Manage relationship with external vendors, negotiate procurement contracts, and oversee system upgrades and patch cycles to keep core platforms current and secure.
• Lead the internal helpdesk and support team to deliver timely resolution of IT incidents, while maintaining thorough documentation of system configurations, change logs, and recovery procedures.
• Conduct regular IT governance reviews, internal audits, and compliance checks against data protection laws, industry regulations, and internal policies.
• Drive digital product development efforts (mobile apps, customer portals, CRM enhancements) in collaboration with business stakeholders, ensuring user adoption and measurable value.
• Coordinate staff training programmes to raise digital literacy across the organisation, enabling teams to fully utilise existing and new systems.

Requirements & Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, or a closely related field. A Master’s degree in IT, Data Science, Cybersecurity, or Business is an added advantage.
• Minimum 7–10 years of progressive ICT experience, including at least 3 years in a leadership or head-of-department role.
• Proven background in financial services – specifically microfinance, Tier III banking, or credit/fintech operations – is mandatory. Candidates must demonstrate direct work experience in that industry.
• Deep technical knowledge of ICT infrastructure (networking, cloud platforms, servers), database management (SQL, Oracle), and core business applications (ERP, loan management systems, CRM).
• Solid understanding of cybersecurity frameworks, risk management methodologies, and data protection regulatory requirements (e.g., GDPR-like local data protection acts).
• Demonstrated track record of managing full-cycle IT projects – from needs assessment and vendor selection to implementation and post-launch support.
• Strong leadership and people management skills, with the ability to guide a technical team, set performance standards, and foster continuous improvement.
• High professional integrity, confidentiality, and the ability to handle sensitive data and regulatory scrutiny.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management abilities – capable of translating complex technical concepts for non-technical executives and board members.

What We Offer / Why Join

This is a senior leadership opportunity to shape the technology backbone of a growing financial institution. You will have the authority to drive meaningful digital transformation, influence strategic decisions, and build a resilient ICT environment from the ground up. The role offers exposure to cutting-edge fintech developments and the chance to directly improve customer experience and operational efficiency across the organisation.