Digitalisation Manager

Location: Gauteng
Role Focus: Digital Transformation, Manufacturing ERP, Business Systems, Data Governance and Technology Leadership

Position Overview

A leading organisation within the manufacturing and engineering industry is seeking an experienced and strategically driven Digitalisation Manager to lead its Group-wide digital transformation and business systems portfolio.

The successful candidate will be responsible for ensuring that Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems, business intelligence platforms, integrations, automation technologies and approved Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools are reliable, secure, standardised and aligned with measurable business objectives.

This senior management position requires extensive experience in manufacturing ERP systems, Material Requirements Planning (MRP), Bills of Materials (BOMs), production processes, business intelligence, data governance, digital project management and business process improvement.

The role will lead the Group's business systems portfolio in collaboration with Finance, Operations, Engineering and relevant IT and cybersecurity stakeholders.

The ideal candidate will combine strong technical expertise with strategic leadership, project delivery capabilities and commercial awareness to drive sustainable digital improvements across the organisation.

Key Responsibilities

Digital Transformation Strategy & Leadership

• Lead the Group's digitalisation and business systems portfolio.
• Develop and implement digital transformation initiatives aligned with business priorities and operational requirements.
• Establish clear technology priorities that support measurable business outcomes.
• Identify opportunities to improve operational efficiency, productivity and business performance through digital solutions.
• Drive the standardisation and optimisation of business systems across the Group.
• Collaborate with Finance, Operations, Engineering and IT stakeholders to identify digital improvement opportunities.
• Evaluate emerging technologies and recommend practical, commercially viable solutions.
• Ensure digital initiatives are supported by appropriate governance, resources and accountability.
• Balance innovation with security, operational reliability and long-term sustainability.
• Provide strategic direction and leadership for digitalisation activities.

Manufacturing ERP & Syspro Governance

• Govern the manufacturing ERP environment across the organisation.
• Oversee ERP functionality relating to:
  • Material Requirements Planning (MRP).
  • Bills of Materials (BOMs).
  • Manufacturing routings.
  • Inventory management.
  • Production planning and processes.
  • Procurement.
  • Sales.
  • Finance interfaces.
• Ensure ERP systems support manufacturing operations and business requirements.
• Oversee ERP access controls, configurations and application security requirements.
• Manage ERP upgrades, maintenance and application lifecycle activities.
• Identify opportunities to improve ERP functionality, reliability and efficiency.
• Support standardised ERP processes and consistent system usage across business units.
• Coordinate ERP support activities with internal resources and external service providers.
• Ensure appropriate controls are maintained throughout the ERP environment.
• Support continuous improvement in manufacturing ERP capabilities.

Data Governance & Information Protection

• Implement and maintain the Group's data governance plan.
• Establish and enforce data ownership and accountability requirements.
• Implement appropriate data classification standards.
• Govern approved data storage, transfer, access and sharing practices.
• Ensure appropriate data retention, backup and recovery controls.
• Protect organisational information through effective confidentiality and security measures.
• Establish data quality monitoring and governance procedures.
• Ensure appropriate escalation of data-related incidents and risks.
• Collaborate with business process owners to improve data management practices.
• Promote consistent data governance standards across business systems and operational functions.

Data Accuracy, Integrity & Master Data Management

• Implement and maintain master data standards.
• Establish appropriate data validation rules and controls.
• Monitor data accuracy, completeness and consistency across business systems.
• Implement integration controls and reconciliation processes.
• Develop exception reporting mechanisms to identify data discrepancies.
• Establish data quality monitoring and improvement processes.
• Identify recurring data integrity issues and recommend corrective actions.
• Collaborate with business process owners to address source data quality concerns.
• Ensure business process owners retain accountability for source data accuracy, definitions and approvals.
• Support reliable information for operational, financial and management reporting.

Artificial Intelligence & LLM Governance

• Implement and administer the organisation's approved AI and Large Language Model (LLM) governance framework.
• Maintain approved AI tool and use-case registers.
• Ensure AI technologies are used only following appropriate approval.
• Enforce permitted data usage and information protection requirements.
• Ensure AI-generated outputs undergo competent human review.
• Maintain appropriate evidence retention and monitoring controls.
• Establish incident escalation procedures relating to AI and LLM usage.
• Govern AI-enabled automation through clearly defined authority and action limits.
• Ensure AI automation includes appropriate exception handling, change control and rollback arrangements.
• Implement and test suspension mechanisms for AI-enabled processes.
• Ensure human accountability remains in place for AI-assisted decisions and activities.
• Evaluate AI opportunities based on business value, risk, security and operational requirements.
• Support controlled implementation of approved AI initiatives.

Digital Project & Portfolio Management

• Lead multiple concurrent digitalisation and business systems projects.
• Manage projects from initial concept and business case development through implementation and post-implementation review.
• Define project objectives, scope, requirements and deliverables.
• Develop project plans, timelines and resource requirements.
• Control project priorities, budgets, dependencies and risks.
• Coordinate project activities across internal teams and external service providers.
• Oversee solution design, testing and implementation activities.
• Ensure projects are supported by appropriate change management and user training.
• Monitor project performance against approved objectives.
• Track business benefits and implementation outcomes.
• Conduct post-implementation reviews to identify improvement opportunities.
• Escalate project risks and delivery constraints where required.

Business Process Improvement & Automation

• Work with business process owners to map and assess existing operational processes.
• Identify inefficiencies, duplicated activities and unnecessary manual work.
• Evaluate process control gaps and improvement opportunities.
• Recommend appropriate workflow and automation solutions.
• Implement approved business process improvements.
• Ensure automation initiatives support operational efficiency and control requirements.
• Collaborate with business stakeholders to standardise processes where appropriate.
• Monitor the effectiveness of implemented process improvements.
• Promote continuous improvement through practical digital solutions.

Business Intelligence, Reporting & Data Integration

• Govern Power BI or equivalent business intelligence platforms.
• Oversee the development and maintenance of dashboards and management reports.
• Ensure reporting solutions use approved business definitions and data sources.
• Establish controls over data models, calculations and reporting logic.
• Ensure calculations and reporting outputs are traceable and accurate.
• Govern data integrations and interfaces between business systems.
• Implement appropriate source-to-report controls.
• Ensure reporting access is appropriately controlled.
• Collaborate with Finance and operational teams to improve reporting accuracy and usefulness.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen business intelligence and management information capabilities.

Change Management, Release Control & User Adoption

• Govern changes to ERP systems, integrations, reporting platforms, AI tools and system configurations.
• Ensure system changes are appropriately requested, assessed and approved.
• Oversee testing and validation before implementation.
• Maintain change documentation and release records.
• Ensure appropriate rollback arrangements are established.
• Coordinate system cut-over and implementation activities.
• Develop and support user training initiatives.
• Promote effective adoption of new systems and digital processes.
• Monitor user adoption and identify additional support requirements.
• Ensure technology changes are implemented in a controlled and sustainable manner.

Cybersecurity, Access Control & IT Risk Management

• Maintain appropriate cybersecurity and technology risk governance across business systems.
• Oversee access control requirements and security-related business system controls.
• Support vulnerability management and compliance activities.
• Ensure segregation of duties is incorporated into system design and access arrangements.
• Monitor formally approved access and control exceptions.
• Collaborate with designated IT and cybersecurity teams to implement security requirements.
• Coordinate relevant security assurance activities with internal teams and external providers.
• Identify technology risks and recommend appropriate mitigation measures.
• Ensure security responsibilities remain aligned with formally assigned IT and cybersecurity ownership.
• Support compliance with applicable organisational policies and regulatory requirements.

Business Continuity & Disaster Recovery

• Ensure critical business systems are supported by documented business continuity and disaster recovery arrangements.
• Oversee appropriate backup and recovery procedures.
• Coordinate periodic testing of recovery arrangements.
• Identify weaknesses in business continuity capabilities and recommend improvements.
• Ensure recovery requirements are aligned with operational priorities.
• Prioritise incidents affecting manufacturing operations, payroll, financial close processes and Group reporting.
• Collaborate with relevant technical teams and service providers during major system incidents.
• Support continuous improvement of system resilience and recovery readiness.

Vendor, Licensing & Application Lifecycle Management

• Manage external technology vendors, implementation partners and software service providers.
• Monitor vendor performance against contractual obligations and Service Level Agreements (SLAs).
• Ensure service providers meet agreed security, cost and delivery requirements.
• Oversee software licensing and renewal processes.
• Monitor application ownership, supportability and lifecycle requirements.
• Identify technology obsolescence and associated operational risks.
• Develop appropriate application support and exit planning arrangements.
• Manage vendor-related risks and escalations.
• Ensure external service providers remain accountable for agreed deliverables.
• Promote cost-effective and sustainable vendor relationships.

Team Leadership & Capability Development

• Lead and develop internal digitalisation and business systems resources.
• Allocate work and establish clear responsibilities.
• Monitor team performance and delivery outcomes.
• Provide coaching, guidance and professional development support.
• Ensure appropriate cross-cover and continuity of critical responsibilities.
• Address performance and delivery concerns where necessary.
• Promote accountability, collaboration and knowledge sharing.
• Build sustainable internal technical and business systems capabilities.
• Ensure delegated work includes documented deliverables, review points and escalation procedures.
• Maintain management accountability for the performance and outcomes of the Digitalisation function.

Innovation & Emerging Technology

• Evaluate emerging technologies, including AI, automation and advanced analytics.
• Assess proposed technologies against business value, security, data protection and integration requirements.
• Consider operational supportability, governance and total cost of ownership.
• Identify opportunities to pilot approved technology solutions.
• Ensure pilot initiatives have documented safeguards and measurable success criteria.
• Monitor the effectiveness of implemented innovations.
• Promote responsible technology adoption and continuous improvement.

Minimum Requirements

• Relevant degree or diploma in Information Systems, Information Technology, Industrial Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Finance Technology, Business Systems or a related discipline.
• Equivalent relevant experience demonstrating the required ERP, business systems and leadership capabilities may be considered.
• Typically 7+ years of experience in ERP, business systems or digital transformation.
• At least 3 years of experience leading projects, internal teams or external service providers.
• Strong manufacturing ERP experience – essential.
• In-depth understanding of:
  • Material Requirements Planning (MRP).
  • Bills of Materials (BOMs).
  • Manufacturing routings.
  • Inventory management.
  • Production processes.
  • Manufacturing operations.
• Experience delivering digital projects from concept through implementation.
• Proven experience in business process mapping and requirements analysis.
• Experience coordinating testing, change management, training and user adoption.
• Ability to manage concurrent projects, priorities, scope, timelines, budgets and risks.
• Experience with Power BI or equivalent business intelligence solutions.
• Knowledge of dashboards, data integrations and master data management.
• Experience implementing data quality and validation controls.
• Working knowledge of cybersecurity, access control and IT risk management.
• Understanding of business continuity and disaster recovery principles.
• Knowledge of AI and LLM governance requirements.
• Strong leadership, stakeholder management and communication capabilities.
• Excellent analytical, organisational and problem-solving skills.

Advantageous Qualifications & Experience

• Relevant postgraduate qualification.
• Project management qualifications.
• Data governance certifications.
• Cybersecurity qualifications.
• Change management qualifications.
• Experience working with Syspro ERP.
• Exposure to electrical manufacturing or engineering environments.
• Experience implementing enterprise-wide digital transformation initiatives.
• Experience managing complex manufacturing system integrations.
• Experience developing and implementing AI governance frameworks.
• Experience managing enterprise software vendors and application lifecycles.

Please note: Syspro experience is advantageous. Candidates with comparable manufacturing ERP experience must demonstrate the ability to develop Syspro capability. An IT qualification combined with electrical experience is not mandatory.

Apply now by submitting your updated CV.

Only candidates meeting the essential technical and experience requirements will be considered.

Should you not be contacted within two weeks, please take your application as unsuccessful