We are seeking a Chief Digital Officer for one of our esteemed clients in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Job Summary: The Chief Digital Officer acts as the senior executive responsible for driving digital transformation and overseeing the IT function across all entities within the group. And will also lead the strategic planning and execution of digital initiatives to enhance operational efficiency, improve customer experiences, and drive revenue growth.

Key Responsibilities:

IT Infrastructure:

Develop and implement a group-wide IT infrastructure strategy to ensure scalability, reliability, and security, aligned to overall business objectives.
Oversee the evaluation and enhancement of IT infrastructure to support digital initiatives, ensuring scalability, reliability, and performance.
Lead the integration of new technologies into existing systems to facilitate seamless operations and improve efficiency.
Oversee the deployment and maintenance of IT systems, networks, and infrastructure across all entities. Establish and enforce IT governance policies, standards, and best practices.
Establish and maintain relationships with technology vendors and service providers to ensure the organization has access to the latest tools, receives adequate levels of services by way of SLAs, and optimizes its IT costs aligned to its business objectives.

IT Business Systems:

Develop and establish a comprehensive systems architecture framework that aligns with the organization's strategic goals, ensuring that all IT business systems and digital initiatives are integrated, scalable, and interoperable to support future business needs.
Direct the implementation of IT enterprise-wide business systems (ERP, SAP, Oracle, CRM, HR, etc.) that enhance operational efficiency and support digital transformation efforts. Ensure seamless integration of IT systems across entities to enable data sharing and collaboration.
Oversee data governance and management practices to ensure data quality and accessibility across business systems.
Ensure that IT business systems are user-friendly and meet the needs of employees and stakeholders.
Establish metrics and KPIs to assess the Return on Investment (ROI) of IT investments, the effectiveness of IT business systems and make data-driven decisions for improvements.

Business Digital Transformation:

Partner with business leaders to develop and execute digital transformation strategies aligned with overall business objectives, setting priorities and defining relevant technology roadmaps.
Identify opportunities to optimize and streamline business processes using technology, ensuring alignment with digital transformation goals. Oversee the development of new digital products, services, and channels.
Conduct market trend analyses, monitor industry trends and emerging technologies to identify opportunities for digital transformation and competitive advantage.
Lead organizational change initiatives to foster a digital-first culture and ensure employee buy-in for digital transformation.
Establish a culture of innovation and continuous improvement. Drive the adoption of emerging technologies (AI, IoT, blockchain, etc.) to create new value and competitive advantages. Encourage the adoption of innovative digital solutions across all business units to drive growth and enhance customer experiences.

Information Security & Data Protection:

Establish and enforce data governance frameworks to ensure compliance with relevant data protection regulations (e.g., GDPR, CCPA). This includes developing policies and procedures for data handling, storage, and sharing.
Develop and implement an information security strategy and cybersecurity protocols that protects the organizations digital assets and ensure data integrity. This involves identifying potential security risks and implementing measures to mitigate them.
Ensure that personal data is processed in accordance with privacy laws and organizational policies. This includes overseeing data subject rights and managing data breaches effectively.
Conduct regular risk assessments to identify vulnerabilities in data management practices and implement appropriate security measures to address these risks. Work closely with IT and cybersecurity teams to ensure that data protection measures are integrated into all digital initiatives and that security protocols are adhered to across the organization.
Develop and deliver training programs to promote a culture of data protection and security, educate employees on data protection best practices and the importance of information security within the organization.
Establish metrics and reporting mechanisms to monitor compliance with data protection policies and the effectiveness of information security measures.
Ensure the integrity and accuracy of data throughout its lifecycle, implementing processes for data quality management and validation.

Qualifications and Skills:

Experience of 10+ years in a senior IT operations leadership role, preferably in a multi-entity or group structure.
Proven track record of leading successful digital transformation initiatives, and particularly having led the successful implementation of a large-scale ERP program, delivering measurable business impact, high level of user-acceptance and within planned timescales and budgets.
Industry knowledge and management experience within the aviation industry is a plus.
Strong understanding of emerging technologies and their potential applications in various industries.
Successful experience in managing and developing high-performing IT teams.
Strategic thinking and planning to align IT and digital initiatives with business goals.
Strong technical expertise in IT infrastructure, enterprise systems, and digital technologies.
Project management skills to oversee complex, multi-stakeholder initiatives.
Change management capabilities to drive organizational transformation.

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Chief Digital Officer