Technology Governance Specialist

Job Title: Principal Specialist: Technology Governance

Location: Cape Town, South Africa
Duration: 12 Months

Role Purpose:

The Principal Specialist: Technology Governance play a crucial role in ensuring that technology operations, processes, and controls are reliable, compliant, and aligned with the organisation's strategic objectives. This role acts as a bridge between technology, audit, risk, and compliance teams — driving framework adoption, providing independent assurance that technology services are well-governed, risks are managed proactively, and value is delivered consistently to the business. In addition, the Principal Specialist will play a pivotal role in aligning technology investments, vendor relationships, and portfolio performance with strategic objectives.

Key Responsibilities:

Governance & Risk Oversight

• Lead reviews on critical technology services, programs, and vendors.
• Track technology related performance and put in place measures to correct problem areas
• Evaluate adherence to IT governance frameworks (e.g., COBIT, ISO 27001, ITIL).
• Identify key technology risks, control gaps, and operational vulnerabilities.
• Partner with Risk and Compliance teams to define mitigation and remediation plans.
• Work closely with technology leaders, risk owners, and external auditors to align on control effectiveness and audit readiness.
• Promote awareness of governance, risk, and compliance principles across the organisation.
• Continuously review governance frameworks and propose improvements for efficiency and transparency.
• Work closely with the Cyber Security and Legal teams to ensure data protection, contract security, and policy compliance.
• Lead technology resilience programmes

Policy & Control Management

• Ensure the establishment and maintenance of an effective Technology Controls Environment
• Support the implementation and continuous improvement of IT policies and control frameworks.
• Ensure all technology domains (infrastructure, applications, data, cybersecurity, and vendor management) have effective control coverage.
• Track and report control performance metrics and compliance scores.

Governance Reporting & Insights

• Prepare governance dashboards for executive and board-level review.
• Translate complex assurance findings into clear, actionable insights for leadership teams.
• Maintain a transparent pipeline of open audit, risk, and assurance items.

Portfolio Governance, Financial and Vendor Management

• Lead and track the delivery of key governance programmes and iniatives
• Partner with Finance to maintain a transparent view of OPEX and CAPEX utilisation, ensuring spending aligns with business value and technology strategy.
• Implement portfolio dashboards for visibility across demand, spend, risk, and performance metrics.
• Maintain technology vendor dashboard, and ensure service reviews, tracking KPIs and performance, in place for key technology vendors.
• Identify and mitigate financial and operational risks arising from vendor dependencies or governance gaps.

Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor's Degree in Information Systems, or related field.
• 9+ years' experience in technology governance, assurance, delivery, vendor management, or portfolio management, preferably in financial services or telecoms.
• Proven experience managing large multi-vendor ecosystems and technology transformation portfolios.
• Deep experience in Technology Governance, either from an assurance perspective or from a delivery perspective
• Experience in setting up and maintaining an effective Technology Control Environment
• Deep understanding of OPEX/CAPEX management, contract governance, and vendor performance frameworks.
• Strong commercial acumen and negotiation skills.
• Familiarity with ITIL, COBIT, ISO 27001, and financial governance standards.

Key Competencies:

• Analytical & Critical Thinking: Ability to dissect complex issues and identify root causes with clarity.
• Strong Governance Acumen: Deep knowledge of technology control frameworks, risk management, and compliance standards.
• Communication & Influence: Skilled in engaging senior stakeholders and translating technical assurance concepts into business value.
• Integrity & Independence: Able to deliver objective assurance while maintaining collaborative relationships.
• Continuous Improvement Mindset: Passion for using governance as a tool for driving operational excellence and innovation.
• Stakeholder Leadership: Influential communicator with a partnership mindset, capable of navigating complex ecosystems.