Head Service Portfolio - COID and Social Insurance

Job Description

The Head:
Business Service Portfolio reports to the Divisional CIO and is accountable for the end-to-end technology-enabled service portfolio supporting COID, Statutory Insurance, and AIT Administration. The role serves as the primary interface between business leadership and IT delivery teams, ensuring prioritisation, governance, and value realisation of all technology-enabled initiatives.

• Enterprise Business Service Portfolio Ownership
  • Accountable for the strategic governance and executive oversight of end-to-end service portfolios for COID, SI, and AIT, ensuring alignment to enterprise priorities, statutory obligations, and Group CIO strategy.
  • Portfolio strategy approved and maintained at Exco/governance level, aligned to organisational objectives.
  • Prioritisation of initiatives based on strategic value, risk exposure, and regulatory impact.
  • Executive stakeholder confidence in portfolio transparency, governance, and decision-making.
• Demand Management & Business–IT Alignment
  • Provides executive governance for translating business demand into structured, prioritised service initiatives and investment decisions.
  • Proportion of business demand assessed, prioritised, and allocated within approved governance timelines.
  • Reduction in reactive or non-strategic work across enterprise service portfolios.
  • Business and executive satisfaction with clarity, predictability, and effectiveness of IT engagement and decision-making.
• Delivery Oversight & Value Realisation
  • Ensures enterprise-level oversight of service delivery, with accountability for quality, timeliness, and measurable benefits realisation.
  • Initiatives delivered in line with approved scope, schedule, and budget.
  • Demonstrable achievement of business outcomes, including efficiency gains, compliance, and service improvements.
  • Benefits realisation is systematically tracked, reported, and assured post-implementation.
• Service Assurance and Performance Management
  • Ensures effective operational performance of business services, with accountability for availability, stability, and delivery in line with contracted SLAs.
  • Service availability, stability, and performance are consistently maintained and assured.
  • Service delivery meets all agreed SLA commitments.
  • Service and performance escalations are addressed promptly and effectively on behalf of Business Partners.
  • Regular service reviews are conducted to ensure transparency, performance tracking, and alignment.
  • Proactive problem management is executed to minimise disruption and prevent reoccurrence.
  • Continuous service improvement initiatives are identified, implemented, and monitored to enhance overall service quality.
• Regulatory, Risk & Service Governance
  • Acts as executive risk and compliance owner for all portfolio services, ensuring alignment with regulatory, audit, and statutory requirements.
  • Zero critical audit or regulatory findings attributable to portfolio services.
  • Compliance with statutory, regulatory, and data governance frameworks.
  • Effective identification, mitigation, and escalation of material operational and regulatory risks.
• Stakeholder, Vendor & Partner Leadership
  • Provides executive-level leadership of internal and external stakeholders, ensuring alignment, accountability, and delivery performance.
  • Vendor and partner performance delivered within agreed SLA / contract terms.
  • Effective enterprise coordination across business units, IT, and external partners.
  • Positive feedback from business and partner executives regarding engagement, alignment, and outcomes.

• Bachelor’s Degree in Information Technology, Business Management, or related field (NQF Level 7 or higher)
• 5–8 years’ experience in business service management, portfolio management, or IT/business relationship roles
• 5–10 years’ experience within insurance, statutory administration, or regulated financial environments
• Strong exposure to governance, compliance, and audit-driven delivery environments

Demonstrates deep understanding of COIDA, Statutory Insurance, and AIT Administration…