IT Operations Regional Lead - KZN

Dis-Chem Pharmacies has an opportunity available for a Regional IT Operations Squad Lead (Retail) who will be responsible for ensuring the stability, availability and performance of all IT systems and services supporting retail operations within the assigned region. The role ensures uninterrupted store trading, effective IT service delivery, and alignment between technology operations and business objectives, while leading regional IT support teams and third-party service providers.

Minimum Requirements

Essential:

• A+ N+
• Prince2
• ITIL Foundation (or higher)
• Retail industry experience strongly
• Experience with large multi-site
• Understanding of cyber security best practices in retail

Responsibilities

Operational Leadership & Management

• Lead and manage regional IT operations teams, including technicians, field engineers, and service partners.
• Oversee day-to-day IT service delivery across all sites within the region, and manage Vendors/Service Partners

Store & Retail Technology Support

• Ensure high availability and performance of critical store systems:
• Drive rapid issue resolution to minimize operational downtime and impact on customers.

Incident, Problem & Change Management

• Act as the regional escalation point for major incidents and
• Ensure controlled and documented execution of change activities in the region

Vendor & Service Provider Management

• Coordinate and manage third-party field support
• Monitor service performance against SLAs and drive continuous improvement
• Oversee hardware lifecycle management and logistics within the region

People Leadership

• Mentor and develop a high-performing regional IT
• Support capacity planning, workforce scheduling, and skills

Competencies

Essential:

• 8+ years relevant IT experience, with at least 3–5 years in a retail operations or field support management role.
• Strong understanding of retail IT systems (POS, EFT, network, mobile devices).
• Experience managing geographically distributed
• Solid experience with ITIL processes (Incident, Problem, Change).
• Knowledge of network fundamentals, hardware, and store
• Ability to manage vendors and service partners
• Strong communication, stakeholder management, and leadership
• High Availability is required outside of operating hours

Key Performance Indicators

• Store System Availability
• Contribution to culture, accountability, engagement, and continuous improvement
• Incident Response and Resolution
• SLA Compliance (Internal & Vendor)
• Ticket Volume & Efficiency

Ways of working (Agile & squad-based)

• Lead a cross-functional Regional Operations squad using Agile delivery principles
• Operate with clear platform ownership and accountability
• Promote reuse, standardization, and continuous improvement

Special Conditions of Employment:

• South African citizen
• MIE, clear criminal and credit
• Driver’s license and/or own reliable transport

Remuneration and benefits:

• Market related salary
• Medical aid
• Provident fund
• Staff account

ONLY SUCCESSFUL APPLICANTS WILL BE CONTACTED. IF YOU HAVEN`T BEEN CONTACTED WITHIN TWO WEEKS AFTER THE CLOSING DATE CONSIDER YOUR APPLICATION AS UNSUCCESSFUL.

Dis-Chem Pharmacies is an equal opportunity employer. Dis-Chem’s approved Employment Equity Plan and Targets will be considered as part of the recruitment process aligned to Dis-Chem’s Employment Equity & Transformation Strategy. Dis-Chem actively supports the recruitment of People with Disabilities.