Chief Technology Officer at Babban Gona

Babban Gona is a high-impact, financially sustainable and highly scalable agricultural social enterprise that is part-owned by the farmers we serve.  In recognition of the impact it has achieved thus far, it is the first for-profit social enterprise in history and the first Nigerian organisation to receive the prestigious Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship. The Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship is considered the equivalent of the Nobel Peace Prize in the Social Entrepreneurship industry.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Chief Technology Officer

Location: Nigeria

About the role

• Babban Gona seeks to hire an experienced and highly qualified Chief Technology Officer (CTO) with a proven track record of leading and managing technology teams within medium-sized or large dynamic organizations.
• The selected individual is expected to lead our core IT teams of Software Development, Product Management, Data Science & Analytics, Business Intelligence and IT Security & Infrastructure.
• S/he will own the strategic plan for Technology development, deployment and management.
• The individual will also drive the creation and lead execution of a strategic technology roadmap across all parts of the business.
• The CTO is a key contributor to BG’s planning process responsible for both IT operations and digital /product innovation.
• As a member of the senior leadership team, the CTO will also be responsible for all technology systems and processes as well as for recruiting and developing high performing teams.

Responsibilities
IT Strategy:

• As a member of the senior management team, make a key contribution to the formulation of the company’s business and technology strategies.
• Proactively advise the senior management team on the emerging technologies and digital trends that are most relevant to the company's goals and evolving needs.
• Help determine investment parameters, priorities and risks for company-wide IT initiatives to maximize the return on investment.

Technology Operations:

• Oversee all operations including but not limited to Engineering, Product Innovation, Data Science, Security & Infrastructure and Business Intelligence.
• Develop and lead a collaborative and agile software development approach that improves velocity, while maintaining a strong focus on both quality and scalability.
• Direct the design, planning, implementation, and maintenance of the computing infrastructure that supports the company’s operations and business applications.
• Establish metrics for managing IT effectiveness and for measuring IT impact on the business.
• Establish a comprehensive enterprise information security program to ensure the integrity, confidentiality and availability of relevant data.
• Identify emerging technology trends and ensure the company is leveraging them when appropriate to increase efficiency, reduce costs, and drive value.
• Establish and enforce IT policies, processes, portfolio management, development standards and methodologies.

Leadership and Team Development:

• Ensure, on an ongoing basis, that current and planned technical architecture, investments and solutions are aligned with company business objectives.
• Prepare and monitor IT operational budgets that meet prevailing objectives and constraints.
• Develop and execute an analytics program that will allow company business leaders to make data-based decisions.
• Hire, develop, evaluate and retain a highly-qualified team of IT professionals.
• Foster a culture of innovation, transparency and accountability in IT.
• Ensure that the organization has strong systems analysis and project management skills, and the ability to execute business-critical projects within agreed deadlines.
• Develop and maintain a plan that provides for succession and continuity in the most critical IT management positions.
• Partner with business leaders to create robust solution roadmaps that are integrated with architecture and operations.
• Lead and manage the Software Development and IT teams to deliver software, infrastructure and architecture that meets the needs of our users.
• Create, implement and maintain a continuous improvement plan for software development and IT infrastructure, while supporting the product teams to meet current and future user needs.

Requirements
Must-haves:

• Bachelor's degree from a reputable university in Computer Science, Data Science, Engineering, Information Management, Mathematics or any other related field.
• 10+ years of experience in Software Development, Product and Engineering-related roles.
• Experience with and thrives in a fast-paced, start-up environment with dynamic business priorities.
• Highly analytical mindset with excellent problem-solving skills and strong business acumen.
• Strong software development, project management, process development and resource management expertise.
• Experience developing and supporting mission-critical applications and complex business technology solutions.
• Deep expertise employing SDLC methodologies including agile and scrum.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills (both oral and written) with an ability to articulate ideas to both technical and non-technical audiences.

Preferences:

• An advanced degree in a technology or analytics-related field is highly desirable.

Characteristics:

• A passionate, driven individual who achieves results through team-work and collaborative approaches.
• An entrepreneurial mindset coupled with a customer-service orientation.

Application Closing Date
Not Specified.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online