Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer

The Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer (CSIO) exists to drive the continuous development and strategic alignment of IT Co's core technical service capabilities across areas such as IT/AI/Data/EA/Cloud Strategy, Data Engineering, Data Governance, Business Intelligence, Enterprise Architecture, Geographical Information Systems, Digital Experience, and Data Science. This position is paramount in ensuring IT Co possesses the cutting-edge technical expertise required to develop and offer a comprehensive suite of solutions to Axian Telecom's clusters and external clients. The CSIO plays a critical role in evaluating and integrating technically competent partners to augment IT Co's delivery capacity, directly influencing the effectiveness of pre-sales engagements and contributing to significant client wins. Ultimately, the CSIO is responsible for ensuring the efficient, profitable, and high-quality delivery of IT Co's services, thereby enabling the organization's strategic growth and maintaining its competitive edge in the market.

The Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer (CSIO) for IT Co is responsible for building, maturing, and strategically leading the development of IT Co's core technical service capabilities. This involves overseeing the teams responsible for IT/AI/Data/EA/Cloud Strategy, Enterprise Architecture, Data Engineering, Data Governance, Business Intelligence, Digital Experience, and Advanced AI/Data Science. The CSIO will ensure that IT Co possesses the technical competencies to deliver a comprehensive suite of services to Axian Telecom's clusters and external clients. This role is also critical in vetting potential technical partners for their capabilities, collaborating with them and internal teams to ensure seamless service delivery, and enabling business growth by translating internal capabilities into market-ready service offerings.

RESPONSIBILITES

ACTIVITIES / TASKS

Lead Strategic Capability and Service Portfolio Development

• Define and drive the strategic roadmap for IT Co's service capabilities across IT Strategy, AI Strategy, Data Strategy, EA Strategy, Cloud Strategy, Business Roadmap, Business Case Design, and IT/Digital Transformation Office (TMO) services.
• Oversee the development and maturation of expertise in Enterprise Architecture (Transformation, Governance, Reviews, Integration Services, Blueprint Generation, Application Rationale, IT/Tech standards, Reference Architecture) to ensure robust and scalable client solutions.
• Direct the build-out and enhancement of Data capabilities including Data Governance (Consulting, Stewardship, MDM, Policies, Compliance, Ethics, Quality, Lifecycle Management), Data Engineering (Data lakes, Enterprise DWs, Integration Pipelines, Real-time streaming, Scalable Data Operations), and advanced AI/Data Science (Ideation, Use Case Validation, Product Development, Model Development, MLOps, Agentic AI, Data Insights, Computer Vision, Language Technologies).
• Guide the development of Digital Experience offerings covering Experience Design, Design Systems, Digital Product Advisory, Search Optimization, Experience Analytics, Digital Product Management, and AI-Driven Design.
• Lead the growth of Business Intelligence capabilities including Analysis & Design, Deployment, Dashboarding, Data Modeling, KPI Definition, Self-service BI, and Advanced Analytics.

Foster Technical Partner Alliances for Delivery

• Vet potential technology vendors and service partners for their technical competencies and alignment with IT Co's service delivery requirements, collaborating closely with the Chief Alliance Officer.
• Work with selected technical partners and IT Co's internal teams to integrate their capabilities into service delivery frameworks, ensuring efficient and high-quality solutions for clients.

Drive Service Growth and Market Enablement

• Translate IT Co's developed technical capabilities into compelling, market-ready service offerings that can be presented to clients.
• Collaborate with the sales and client engagement teams to articulate IT Co's technical value proposition, support pre-sales activities, and ensure successful service delivery to Axian Telecom's clusters and external clients.

Drive Pre-Sales Effectiveness and Solutioning

• Lead and actively participate in pre-sales engagements, ensuring the technical capabilities of IT Co are effectively presented and tailored to client needs.
• Contribute significantly to flagship wins, ensure a balanced portfolio of opportunities across IT Co's diverse service offerings, and maximize the percentage of wins out of the total pipeline.

Ensure Delivery Excellence and Profitability

• Oversee the strategic aspects of service delivery, ensuring that projects leveraging IT Co's capabilities are executed efficiently and meet client expectations.
• Drive the optimal utilization and profitability of billable resources across all service offerings, ensuring sustainable and financially healthy project delivery.

Ensure Innovation and Market Competitiveness

• Monitor industry trends, technological advancements, and client needs across all IT Co's service domains to ensure offerings remain innovative and competitive.
• Champion continuous improvement and innovative approaches within IT Co's capability development and service delivery models.

LEVEL OF EDUCATION:

• Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, Business Administration (with a strong IT/Digital focus)

LEVEL OF EXPERIENCE:

• More than 15 years of progressive experience in the IT/Telecom industry, with at least 8-10 years in senior leadership roles directly managing technical strategy, innovation, solution architecture, or product development within an IT service provider.
• Demonstrable experience in leading and building high-performing, multi-disciplinary technical teams (e.g., data scientists, data engineers, enterprise architects, digital experience designers).
• Proven track record in successful pre-sales activities, including solution design, value proposition articulation, and winning significant "flagship" projects (e.g., projects in excess of $1 million or strategically critical initiatives).
• Significant experience in driving the profitability and utilization of billable resources within a service delivery context.

INTERPERSONAL SKILLS REQUIRED :

• Spirit of Initiative & Entrepreneurial Mindset : Proactively identifies opportunities, drives new ventures, and champions innovative solutions with a strong bias for action.
• Creative and Innovative : Ability to conceptualize novel approaches to IT service delivery, problem-solving, and capability development, challenging existing norms to deliver unique value.
• Data-Driven & ROI-Driven : Makes strategic decisions based on robust data analysis, clearly linking initiatives to measurable business outcomes and return on investment.
• Focused on Results : Possesses a strong orientation towards achieving tangible business outcomes, measured by pre-sales wins, resource profitability, and capability maturity.
• Change Management Expertise : Skilled in leading organizational change, influencing stakeholders across all levels, and fostering adoption of new strategies and processes within a dynamic environment.
• Excellent Communication Skills : Exceptional ability to articulate complex technical concepts and strategic visions clearly and persuasively to diverse audiences (C-suite, technical teams, clients, partners).
• Ability to Work with Diverse and Multicultural Teams : Fosters an inclusive environment, leverages global talent, and collaborates effectively across different cultural backgrounds, especially relevant in a pan-African/Middle East context.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Computer tools :
• Enterprise Architecture Frameworks : Practical knowledge of the value of TOGAF, Zachman, or similar.
• Cloud Platforms : Strong understanding of AWS, Azure, GCP principles and services.
• Data & AI Ecosystems : High level strategic understanding of modern data platforms, big data technologies, ML frameworks (TensorFlow, PyTorch), and MLOps.
• BI & Analytics Tools : Familiarity with leading BI platforms (e.g., Tableau, Power BI) and advanced analytics.
• Digital Experience Technologies : Awareness of UX/UI principles, design systems, and digital product management tools.
• Solution Architecture & Design Patterns : Expertise in designing scalable, secure, and resilient enterprise solutions.
• Project Management Methodologies : Strong understanding of Agile, Scrum, Kanban, and Waterfall.
• CRM/ERP Systems : General understanding of core business system functionality and integration and their value on being able to effectively run a profiitable business unit in an IT Services environment.
• Pre-sales/Solutioning Tools : Familiarity with tools for proposal generation, presentation, and technical demonstration.

• Language skills :
• Essential : Fluent in English (written and verbal).
• Desirable : French is a significant plus, given the potential geographical footprint and the current sample's indication.

• Others :
• Deep Knowledge of the Middle East and Africa Ecosystem : Understanding of regional market dynamics, regulatory landscapes, and cultural nuances in the telecom and IT sectors.
• Very High Availability and Geographical Mobility : Willingness and ability to travel extensively across different clusters and international locations as required by the business needs and client engagements.
• Leadership of Complex Technical Programs/Projects : Proven ability to lead strategic initiatives with significant budget implications and cross-functional dependencies, potentially exceeding $50 million in strategic value or investment. This demonstrates the ability to operate at a C-level strategic execution capacity.