Head, Technology

What are we seeking?
Sannam S4 continues to grow, a relentless focus on customer service, efficiency, discipline and planning ahead of growth is going to be critical for the business achieving its ambitious plans. We are therefore seeking to recruit an executive to design, build and lead the overall technology solutions at Sannam S4.

Why apply?
This role provides a unique opportunity to design, build and lead your own team, leveraging your previous experiences and implementing a strategy based on your vision for what a world class operation should look like in 2020 and beyond. You will join a respected, entrepreneurial and highly ambitious company. As part of the India Leadership team you will be working closely with Board of Directors in India and will take on additional responsibilities within the group as your skills and interest dictate.

Our partners and stakeholders
Sannam S4 places tremendous value on its strategic partnerships and close affiliations with respected organizations which include a formal Strategic Partnership with the U.S. International Trade Administration (ITA) U.S. Department of Commerce, the UK Department for International Trade (DIT) and close working relations with the governments of Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Ireland. We work very closely with the Embassy of India in Washington D.C. and with the federal and state government(s) in India.

Sannam S4 leads and collaborates in thought leadership and policy discussions via close working relationships with the U.S. India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) and the U.S. India Business Council (USIBC), American Chamber of Commerce in India (AMCHAM), British Business Group (BBG), Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) amongst others.

What drives us?
At Sannam S4 we are committed to building the world’s leading and most respected international market entry and expansion services business. We have built our business in a space between traditional global consultants, accountants, law firms and government agencies. We do not only consult, but we implement on our research and advice; a combination of skill sets which our clients regularly tell us that stands us apart.

Our success is entirely built on our ability to drive our clients’ success. This symbiotic relationship supports long term relationships and very high client retention. Sannam S4’s largest office in New Delhi holds the distinction of being certified against the ISO 27001:2013 standard, demonstrating our commitment to adhering to international standards and the importance of securing our clients’ data.

What we look for at Sannam S4
Whilst we perform daily tasks for our clients, through successful implementation of these projects, we have the ability to positively impact many thousands of people’s lives across the world. We aspire to hire entrepreneurial talent, people with an energy and enthusiasm for our mission.

We look for professionals who relish being given responsibility and who seek to design, own and lead their own strategies and impact within our business.

As a rapidly expanding firm we look for new members of the team who can take on executive responsibilities as we scale the business and expand in India and beyond.

We hire team players who share our passion for international cross border business and collaboration and who give our clients and partners the confidence, solutions and support they need to explore, enter and expand worldwide.

We love hiring people who are enthusiastic, who recognize opportunities, can help realize them and who thrive from being part of a vibrant, energetic and highly ambitious international team.

Role summary
As Sannam S4 continues to grow, a relentless focus on customer service, efficiency, discipline and planning ahead of growth is going to be critical for the business achieving its ambitious plans.

As a new role within the organisation, the Head of Technology will lead all aspects of Technology within the business. Recognising the importance of this role, it will form part of the senior management team of the business and reports to Managing Director, APAC.

The individual will be responsible for the overall technology architecture of the business and all enabling software (including cloud based services), hardware and the associated services (including desktop and server support) to the business and clients. Importantly, this will include foreseeing the changing needs of a growing organisation and work with business stakeholders to craft and implement solutions that will enhance the way in which we work and. To anchor these objectives, the individual will participate in the development of the long-term strategy / roadmap for the future direction of the technology within the business.

The key focus of this role will be technology intervention in all the departments/service lines to maximize resource utilisation, ease of use, and efficiency of employees. This should be achieved by having a well-defined change management strategy.

• Strategy:
oWorking closely with senior management, you will develop and present next 3-year technology strategy to the Board within 90 days of joining Sannam S4. To include roadmap for the existing technology architecture;
oMaintain Information Technology & Management strategy in line with stakeholder needs and in keeping up with current best practice in the field of IT;
oFuture planning - forward planning to ensure that Sannam S4’s IT infrastructure remains fit for purpose.

• Technology operations
oResponsible for all software, hardware and associated cloud based services within the business (including all network infrastructure and computer systems) to ensure optimal performance;
oResponsible for the provision of day to day IT support to users within the business (within India and outside India);
oResponsible for the day to day operations of IT systems and services - ensure that planning, end-user impact, change management, training, quality management are properly addressed and monitored to ensure that deadlines, budgets and service levels are met and results delivered;
oResponsible for the service management framework and ensure it is adequate; service design (service catalogue, service level management, availability management, capacity management, continuity management, supplier management and security management), service operation (core processes such as service desk, incident management, event management, problem management etc.) and service transition (see later point on change management). Where required, enhance (to drive greater levels of control, efficiency, responsiveness etc.).

• Technology driven business transformation
oWorking with operational leaders in the business to pinpoint issues that can be addressed by technology (service, cost efficiency, control, repeatability and scalability), analyse business requirements and identify suitable technologies to drive improvements in;
oSupport operational managers in implementing improvements;
oFor major changes, work hand in glove with the Head, Operations and team to support structured business transformation (using techniques such as Lean, Six Sigma etc.) to drive improvements.

• Application development and / or introduction / change relating to existing or new technology solutions / services.
oWhere application development is required, identify suitable resources (in-house or external) to provide support;
oEnsure standard policies, disciplines and processes (e.g. SDLC vs Agile etc.) are defined / followed to ensure a controlled process for technology build / introduction and change.

•Change management
oBringing to bear professional expertise to ensure all changes to Sannam S4’s technology are made using industry standard change management disciplines and standards in order to avoid introducing unnecessary levels of risk into the business. In particular:
i. To ensure proper communication and change management plan is drafted and followed. This should follow standard change management practices (i.e. out of hours changes where possible, roll-back plans in place etc.);
ii. To ensure training is provided on any new tools that may be introduced;
iii. To monitor take up and use by staff and stakeholders;
iv. To provide remedial support where necessary.

• Governance
oTo ensure IT and management are in-line with agreed strategy and the policy is in compliance with government legislation and standards;
oOwnership of the Disaster Recovery plan for the business. Ensure this is kept up to date and is tested in line with the plan and that the results of these tests are communicated to management;
oEnsure compliance with all licensing requirements;
oEnsure adequate levels of inspection and audit take place to provide comfort to management on the integrity of technologies associated processes (the control environment). Support all audit activity (whether internal or client driven) and ensure requests are met in a timely manner;
oProvide regular reporting to management on the performance of the Operations function (including quarterly board paper submissions for the areas this role is responsible for).

• Information Security
oOwnership of company’s approach to Information Security and Data Protection, ensuring Sannam S4 remains compliant with ISO 27001 requirements (and expands the footprint of the existing certification to all areas of the business);
oIdentify security vulnerabilities and eliminate them with strategic solutions that increase data safety;
oEnsuring compliance with all relevant data protection and privacy regulation via implementation of policies, processed and technology solutions. This includes the EU GDPR legislation;
oWill be designated CISO (Chief Information Security Officer) and DPO (Data Protection Officer) for the business.

• Line management of the technology function – this will include:
oPeople management (objective setting, coaching, performance management etc.);
oBudget definition and management;
oWorkload and sourcing for the technology function.

• Vendor Management
o Manage relationships with vendors and suppliers, ensuring contracts and service levels are negotiated in line with strategic aims and financial constraints and ongoing service is in-line with agreed terms;
o Ensuring identification of new vendors and suppliers follows the company’s procurement process.

• Stakeholder engagement
oRegular face-to-face meetings particularly with senior leadership and other types of communication in order to ensure a) strong personal relationships are developed with colleagues, b) stakeholders concerns are well understood and addressed and c) change management activity is fully integrated with the teams responsible for operational delivery. In particular, this role will need to work closely on this with the Head of Operations.

• Documentation
oEnsuring written documentation is created and maintained, to include user and system manuals, license agreements and all documentation relating to modifications and upgrades;
oIn line with the ‘service design’ activity under Technology operations, ensuring that all relevant documentation is in place (IT policies, processes, SLAs etc.) and that it is regularly reviewed for suitability (and updated where required).