General Manager - IT Operations at MTN Nigeria

MTN Nigeria is part of the MTN Group, Africa\'s leading cellular telecommunications company. On May 16, 2001, MTN became the first GSM network to make a call following the globally lauded Nigerian GSM auction conducted by the Nigerian Communications Commission earlier in the year. Thereafter the company launched full commercial operations beginning with Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt. MTN paid $285m for one of four GSM licenses in Nigeria in January 2001. To date, in excess of US$1.8 billion has been invested building mobile telecommunications infrastructure in Nigeria. Since launch in August 2001, MTN has steadily deployed its services across Nigeria. It now provides services in 223 cities and towns, more than 10,000 villages and communities and a growing number of highways across the country, spanning the 36 states of the Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. Many of these villages and communities are being connected to the world of telecommunications for the first time ever. The company\'s digital microwave transmission backbone, the 3,400 Kilometre Y\'elloBahn was commissioned by President Olusegun Obasanjo in January 2003 and is reputed to be the most extensive digital microwave transmission infrastructure in all of Africa. The Y\'elloBahn has significantly helped to enhance call quality on MTN network.

Mission:

• Responsible for the management of the organization's system operations for the Information Systems Group (IS), while ensuring adequate capacity, system availability, application maintenance, and excellent user support are provided for MTN Nigeria.
• Manage the operational services procured from managed services or outsourcing partners for all IT service delivery services.
• Develop and oversee the integration, implementation, and support of the IT service delivery services in line with MTN Nigeria’s business strategy.

Description:

• Design, develop, coordinate, and implement the operational and support strategy for the following critical business services:
• Billing and Charging services,
• Sales and Distribution, Customer Relations, and Customer Experience Services
• Value-Added Services,
• Digital Services,
• Management Information and Business Intelligence Services,
• Subscriber/customer portal and website services,
• Fraud and revenue assurance services
• ERP services
• Campaign Management Services
• Customer Management Services
• ICT Services
• Develop the strategy for the service delivery and enterprise applications division in line with global best practices in order to ensure that the organization is viable both internally and externally and as a social and financial entity.
• Facilitate and guide the processes for identification and justification of the information technology requirements of the various business sectors and coordinate the initiation of project proposals for meeting the requirements.
• Provide leadership and management with the visibility, control, and decision support required to understand and manage the service delivery and enterprise application functions, as well as provide the team with the expertise to build their capabilities in order to drive effectiveness and efficiencies within the team.
• Create an ‘IS blueprint’ that addresses business needs and takes into consideration the Data Architecture, Systems Architecture and Computer Architecture of the organization, and ensure that the business has a reliable 5-year IT roadmap covering potential industry developments as well as ISD initiatives.
• Create and maintain a governance structure for ITSM and processes, and ensure processes and policies are developed, documented, and maintained in accordance with established set /industry guidelines and benchmarks.
• Develop frameworks, policies, standards, methodologies, plans, and procedures to guide IS Services Management operations and enable the division to provide high-quality services and attain the set goals and objectives of MTNN.
• Identify cost-effective solutions and investments of IS products and services, assist in forming procurement strategies to optimize technology spend across the organization, and manage IS vendors.
• Ensure the development, maintenance, and testing of an effective service continuity program.
• Work closely with all MTN Nigeria’s Business Divisions to execute the company’s strategy.
• Provide leadership and direction in the operations, leading the team to deliver on the respective business targets and improve the overall performance of the department.
• Identify, evaluate, and track the development needs and performance of service delivery staff, providing opportunities for staff to build on the company’s investment in their training and improve productivity.

Education:

• First degree in an IT-related field
• A master's degree in business administration or management would be advantageous.
• Professional certification in relevant IT would be desirable.
• Fluent in English and the language of the country is preferable.

Experience:

Minimum 12 years’ work experience, which includes:

• Senior management track record of 3 years or more, with at least 3 years in the relevant sector or industry as per the relevant role
• Experience working in a global or multinational enterprise (understanding emerging markets is advantageous)
• Worked across diverse cultures and geographies.
• 5 years of technical IT experience within an ERP environment
• Senior management experience in strategy formulation, technology forecasting, enterprise architecture, network economics, project management, operations management, strategic planning, and quality control management.

Method of Application