Senior IT Manager

Your New Company

Hays’ client is a prominent and diversified investment group within the Retail and Food & Beverage space. They are currently driving a sophisticated digital transformation across a portfolio that includes global franchises, joint ventures, and homegrown brands. This is an opportunity to join a forward-thinking organization where innovation meets scale, focusing on enhancing customer journeys through smart, technology-enabled solutions.

Your New Role

As the Senior IT Manager, you will lead the end-to-end technology function, ensuring that IT strategy directly fuels business growth across all retail and hospitality assets. You will be a strategic advisor to leadership, overseeing:

• Strategy & Architecture: Defining a multi-year digital roadmap and establishing robust frameworks for POS, ERP, CRM, and omnichannel integration.
• Digital Transformation: Identifying opportunities for AI, automation, and data-driven solutions to optimize operations and revenue.
• Infrastructure & Cloud: Managing high-availability hybrid environments (on-prem and cloud) and ensuring ironclad Business Continuity Planning (BCP).
• Cybersecurity: Maintaining a regional and global compliance framework, including PCI-DSS and enterprise risk protocols.
• Data Intelligence: Leading the data strategy to provide real-time insights into customer behavior and retail performance via advanced BI tools.
• Team Leadership: Building and mentoring a high-performing technical team while managing significant CAPEX/OPEX budgets and vendor relationships.

What You'll Need to Succeed

We are looking for a strategic thinker who isn't afraid of hands-on execution. The successful candidate will bring:

• Experience: A minimum of 8 years in IT, with at least 3 years in a senior leadership capacity.
• Sector Expertise: Proven experience within Retail, F&B, or Hospitality is essential, particularly in managing multi-site or franchise models.
• Technical Breadth: Deep knowledge of retail tech, cloud infrastructure, and enterprise application integration (ERP/POS/Loyalty).
• Commercial Acumen: A strong track record in budget management, vendor negotiations (RFPs), and delivering clear ROI on tech investments.
• Education: A Bachelor’s degree in IT or Computer Science; an MBA or Master’s degree is considered a significant advantage.

What You'll Get in Return

You will play a definitive role in shaping the digital future of one of Abu Dhabi’s dynamic retail portfolios. Benefits include:

• Strategic Influence: The autonomy to lead large-scale transformations and JV integrations from the ground up.
• Professional Growth: Exposure to a diverse range of business models, from international franchises to local startups.
• Competitive Environment: A collaborative culture that fosters agility and rewards innovation-driven mindsets.

What You Need to Do Now

If you are a motivated IT leader with a passion for the retail and F&B sectors, click 'apply now' to forward an up-to-date copy of your CV.

Please ensure your application highlights your experience with multi-site operations and specific digital transformation projects you have lead.