Senior Director IT

LEAD TECHNOLOGY. SHAPE STRATEGY. PROTECT DATA.

Senior Director: Information Technology (IT)

Location: Johannesburg

Reporting to: Managing Director

We are seeking an exceptional Senior Director: IT to join our leadership team and play a pivotal role in shaping the future of our organisation in a dynamic, global environment.

This is a strategic executive opportunity for a seasoned IT leader who combines deep technical expertise, strong people leadership, and credible Data Protection Officer (DPO) capability. You will drive enterprise-wide IT strategy, lead transformation, and ensure robust data protection and regulatory compliance across the business.

We are open to

• An experienced IT executive who has successfully led a full IT function, or
• A high-performing senior leader ready to step into their first executive role, with proven impact at senior management level

The Role

You will provide end-to-end leadership of the IT function, ensuring technology enables business growth, operational excellence, and competitive advantage, while independently overseeing data protection governance.

Key Accountabilities

Strategic IT Leadership

• Define and execute a forward-looking IT strategy aligned to business objectives
• Drive innovation through adoption of emerging technologies
• Oversee IT governance, risk, and performance management frameworks

Operational Excellence

• Ensure delivery of reliable, secure, and high-performing IT services
• Manage IT infrastructure, applications, and service delivery at scale
• Lead enterprise-wide projects, ensuring delivery on time, budget, and quality
• Own the IT budget, resource allocation, and vendor partnerships
• Drive value realisation, cost optimisation, and measurable ROI from technology investments

Data Protection & Compliance (DPO)

• Act as Data Protection Officer, ensuring compliance with POPIA, GDPR, and related regulations
• Establish and embed privacy-by-design principles across systems and processes
• Lead data governance, breach response, and regulatory engagement
• Lead cybersecurity strategy, ensuring resilience against evolving threats and effective executive-level risk governance
• Serve as a trusted advisor to executives and the board on data protection risks and obligations

Leadership & Talent

• Build and lead a high-performing IT leadership team
• Develop succession pipelines and future-fit capabilities
• Foster a culture of accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement
• Influence and collaborate across executive leadership and global stakeholders

What We’re Looking For

Qualifications

• Relevant degree
• Postgraduate qualification
• MBA or equivalent executive qualification (advantageous)
• Professional certifications (e.g., ITIL, COBIT, TOGAF, cloud or cybersecurity)
• Formal training in data protection and privacy law (POPIA, GDPR)
• Certifications such as CIPP/E, ISO 27001, or data governance are advantageous

Experience

• Minimum 15 years in IT, with minimum 8 years in senior leadership roles
• Proven experience leading an IT function, large technology portfolio, or major transformation programme in a complex business environment
• Experience operating in complex, matrixed or multinational environments
• Strong track record in data protection, privacy, or information security oversight
• Demonstrated experience supporting business-critical operations
• Experience engaging with executive leadership, boards, regional or global stakeholders, regulators, auditors, and external service providers

Leadership Profile

• Strategic, commercially minded IT leader with the ability to connect technology decisions to business outcomes
• Credible executive presence with the ability to influence at senior management and board stakeholder level
• Strong people leader with experience leading senior managers, technical specialists, and multidisciplinary teams
• Strong communicator
• Collaborative business partner
• Highly accountable, ethical, and governance-oriented
• Future-focused leader who can drive innovation

Technical & Regulatory Expertise

• Deep understanding of IT domains: infrastructure, applications, cybersecurity, service management
• Strong capability as a Data Protection Officer or equivalent governance role
• Knowledge of POPIA, GDPR, and global data privacy standards
• Experience implementing governance frameworks, risk management, and compliance audits

Why Join Us

• Join a globally recognised organisation with a strong brand, purpose-led culture, and international reach
• Play a strategic leadership role in shaping technology enablement for a critical South African and African logistics business
• Work in a complex and high-impact environment where technology directly supports customer experience, operational performance, and business resilience
• Lead both technology innovation and data protection governance at an executive level
• Contribute to a business where speed, trust, resilience, compliance, and service excellence are central to success

Who Should Apply

This opportunity is ideal for a current IT executive seeking broader impact and global exposure. A senior IT leader ready to step into executive leadership, with proven delivery, leadership maturity, and strategic capability

The ideal candidate will be able to balance strategic vision with operational discipline, innovation with governance, and local business needs with global standards. They will be a trusted advisor, a strong people leader, and a commercially astute technology executive who can help DHL Express South Africa remain resilient, compliant, digitally enabled, and future ready.

Ready to Step Into Executive Leadership?

If you are a forward-thinking IT leader with a passion for technology, people leadership, and data protection, we invite you to apply and take the next step in your career.