Head of Digital Strategy - Group_IS: Digital Lab at Discovery Limited

About Group Information Services - The Digital Lab

Working in a high performance organisation that prides itself in attracting the finest talent, we challenge ourselves to find solutions that make a difference in the world. Our environment is always buzzing with energy and smart, motivated people working on finding the best way to move forward.
Discovery Group Information Services provides the common foundations and capabilities required by the Business Information Services in each Discovery Product House (Health, Life, Insure, Invest, Bank, Vitality), across Discovery Primary Markets (South Africa and the United Kingdom) and in support of Discovery Partner Markets worldwide.
The GIS Digital Lab champions the use of digital approaches and technologies across Discovery, designing and delivering the organisational roadmap for digital transformation, in order to achieve market leading customer experience, employee satisfaction and operational efficiency.

Key Purpose

The Head of Digital Strategy in the Digital Lab works closely with Discovery’s Group CIO and Chief Digital Officer in analysing important issues across Group Information Services and Discovery, designing and leading the delivery of a portfolio of digital transformation initiatives involving the dimensions of people, process and technology in order to develop and augment Discovery’s technology strategy and business model.
The ideal candidate is entrepreneurial, practical, self-driven and passionate about technology; with strong analytical, problem solving and communication skills; and able to hit the ground running and to take responsibility for developing a strategy and delivering business outcomes across multiple initiatives.

Areas of responsibility may include but not limited to

• Working closely with the Group CIO and Chief Digital Officer to support the development and delivery of Discovery’s digital transformation strategy and roadmap.
• Building strong relationships with senior business and technology stakeholders across Discovery, and developing a deep understanding of their strategic objectives and challenges.
• Understanding the evolving technology market to identify opportunities to augment Discovery’s business strategy.
• Developing a vision and roadmap of selected digital transformation initiatives aligned to the organisational strategy, and leading the delivery of the roadmap.
• Championing the vision and roadmap across the business by gaining buy-in from stakeholders at all levels, based on a clear understanding of the outcomes they are trying to achieve.
• Agreeing the value to be delivered by the roadmap and measuring delivered value; monitoring, optimising and reporting key value outcomes.
• Demonstrating breadth of understanding across multiple content / functional areas.
• Providing leadership in handling complex/political client situations with positive outcomes.
• Showing sophistication in scoping and managing projects to mitigate risks.
• Overseeing large complex projects with minimal support, and with numerous virtual team members (who may not be direct reports) to successful outcomes.
• Leading, mentoring and coaching team members in cross-functional teams, who may or may not be direct reports.
• Able to bring out best in team members by empowering them and supporting them as needed; eliciting active participation and creative contributions from team members.
• Helping teams identify key problems - including directional changes to the project if needed - guiding them to useful and time-efficient approaches for analysing the problem, and pushing beyond the obvious.
• Ensuring soundness of analyses, findings and practicality of recommendations for implementation.
• Delivering presentations and facilitations effectively, adapting to different audiences and handling difficult situations effectively.
• Ensuring the quality of written communications, including clarity, succinctness, accuracy and appropriateness for audience.
• Providing timely and appropriate guidance to team members; working effectively as a team with project stakeholders.

 

Personal Attributes And Skills

• An understanding of the evolving digital world on both the demand side (how people/ companies are using technology) and the supply side (emerging technologies).
• An understanding of the frameworks and methodologies to enable new ways of work (including Lean, Agile, Human Centred Design and others), and their application at an enterprise scale.
• Excellent analytical, strategic thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Strong relationship building, influence and negotiation skills.
• Ability to effectively lead people, process and technology change in a dynamic and complex operating environment.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, including the ability to explain digital concepts and technologies to business leaders, as well as business concepts to technologists.
• Experience analysing and interpreting data, presenting that data and executing necessary improvements, and monitoring and evaluating KPIs and digital metrics.

 

Education And Experience

• 5+ years of related professional experience required.
• Strategy consulting experience advantageous.
• Bachelor’s degree required; post-graduate qualifications advantageous.
• A track record of outstanding academic qualifications and professional performance essential.