IT Applications & Governance Lead

We are seeking a dynamic IT Applications & Governance Lead to oversee and support a wide range of business application initiatives across multiple hospitality and leisure properties.

Working closely with the Infrastructure Specialist and under the direction of the Assistant IT Manager, this role focuses on project delivery, vendor coordination, and application lifecycle management, from RFP development through rollout and transition to managed operations.

The ideal candidate will possess a strong understanding of enterprise applications, integrations, and governance, ensuring that business solutions are designed, delivered, and maintained in alignment with the organization's digital roadmap, security standards, and operational objectives.

Job Dimensions

• Direct Reports: None
• Total Reports: None

Key Responsibilities & Performance Standards

1. Application Project Support

• Provide application-level expertise for initiatives including:
• Loyalty platform rebranding and digital transformation
• Customer experience platforms and CRM migration
• Fitness and customer journey reimagining initiatives
• Support creation and review of RFPs, business requirements, and functional specifications.
• Participate in solution design, custom development oversight, UAT, troubleshooting, and go live activities.
• Coordinate with internal IT teams, business stakeholders, and vendors throughout discovery, implementation, and post go live transition.
• Ensure alignment between application designs and infrastructure capabilities.
• Support training, change management, and user adoption initiatives.
• Oversee deliverables from application vendors, system integrators, and managed service providers.
• Ensure quality, compliance, and adherence to SLAs.
• Track application performance, upgrades, and release management.
• Validate and document system configurations, integrations, and dependencies.
• Work with business process owners to ensure applications meet functional and operational requirements.
• Collaborate with Enterprise Architects and IT leadership to ensure governance, security, and integration standards.
• Contribute to digital innovation initiatives and continuous improvement of user experience and efficiency.
• Maintain documentation of application inventory, dependencies, and data flows.

4. IT Governance & Compliance

• Implement and maintain IT governance frameworks, standards, and policies.
• Coordinate IT audits, risk assessments, and compliance reviews.
• Monitor adherence to change management, backup, and data retention policies.
• Support KPI reporting, compliance dashboards, and periodic access audits in coordination with audit and security teams.

Communications & Working Relationships Internal

• Application & Development Teams
• Project Managers and Business Units
• Operations and F&B Teams
• Cybersecurity and Compliance Teams

External

• Managed Service Providers
• System Integrators
• Technology Vendors
• Consultants and Partner Organizations

Selection Criteria A. Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Information Systems, or related field.
• 6-10 years of experience in IT applications within enterprise or multi system environments.
• Experience supporting applications in hospitality, leisure, or retail sectors (POS, CRM, ERP, Loyalty).
• Strong understanding of system integrations, APIs, databases, and application lifecycle management.
• Experience working in multi vendor and managed services environments.
• Proven involvement in governance, architecture, or service delivery oversight.
• Strong communication, vendor management, and analytical skills.
• Exposure to finance, HR, CRM, POS, loyalty, and customer engagement platforms.
• Familiarity with ITIL, Agile, or Waterfall methodologies.
• Certifications in application platforms, ITIL, or PMP (preferred but not mandatory).
• Strong knowledge of enterprise and business applications (POS, CRM, ERP, Loyalty, Customer Platforms).
• Expertise in integrations, middleware, APIs, and data flows.
• Ability to translate business requirements into clear application solutions.
• Strong troubleshooting and structured problem solving skills.
• Excellent stakeholder management and documentation abilities.
• Highly organized, proactive, and capable of managing multiple projects independently.
• Ability to review and challenge vendor proposals constructively.

C. Tools & Technologies

• Applications: POS, CRM, ERP, Loyalty, Customer Management Systems
• Databases & Reporting: SQL based databases, Power BI or equivalent
• Cloud Platforms: Microsoft Azure, AWS, or equivalent
• Security & Governance: RBAC, SSO, COBIT, ISO 27001, ITIL
• Project Tools: Jira, Microsoft Teams, Confluence

Seniority level

• Associate

Employment type

• Full-time

Job function

• Quality Assurance, Information Technology, and Administrative

Industries

• Hospitality, Restaurants, and Golf Courses and Country Clubs

Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates