Technology Lead

We are seeking a Technical Lead for Publicis Groupe Africa (PGA) to report into the Head of Operations (HOO) in defining the technical strategy and driving innovation within our organisation. The Technical Lead must possess a strong technical background, strategic mindset, and proven leadership experience in implementing transformative technology solutions. As a key member of the future Operations & Technical team, the Technical Lead will play a pivotal role in shaping our technology roadmap, fostering a culture of innovation, and driving digital transformation initiatives across South Africa and Africa.

Job Description

Technology Strategy:

• Develop and execute a comprehensive technology strategy aligned with business objectives for Publicis Groupe Africa.
• Identify emerging technologies and trends to drive innovation and maintain a competitive advantage in the African market.
• Collaborate with executive leadership to prioritize technology investments and initiatives.
• Building tech vendor relationships (with the typical media owners like Meta, Google, Tik Tok, but also with technologies like Adobe, Salesforce, Microsoft etc) that will allow Publicis Groupe to take exclusive and future facing solutions to local and regional clients.
• Developing and responding to local and regional pitch RFI and RFPs, as well as client requests where Data and Technology plays a role. It's important that this role isn't just an internal role, and also plays a client facing role.

Team Leadership:

• Lead and mentor a high-performing technology community across the group in the agencies, fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement across South Africa and Africa.
• Become the technical guru of the group driving a culture of technology & innovation.
• Provide guidance and direction to staff, ensuring alignment with organisational goals and objectives.
• Establish clear goals and performance metrics for the Groupe, driving accountability and excellence.
• Work and partner with the finance & operational teams to support on projects.
• Define a structure that will be required [within budget and reason] to deliver on projects.

Project Delivery & Management:

• Oversee the planning, execution, and delivery of technology projects, ensuring adherence to timelines, budgets, and quality standards.
• Oversee the planning, execution, and delivery of key client projects to ensure maximum delivery.
• Define project scopes, objectives, and success criteria, and monitor progress to ensure successful outcomes.
• Serve as a key stakeholder in major technology initiatives, including the implementation of a Live Dashboarding Platform and Automation/AI projects.

Infrastructure and Operations:

• Partner and work alongside Re:Sources and GSO
• Develop a strong relationship with key Re:Sources leads.
• Evaluate and optimize the IT infrastructure to support scalability, security, and performance requirements across South Africa and Africa.
• Implement best practices for IT operations, including incident management, disaster recovery, and cybersecurity.
• Ensure compliance with relevant regulatory requirements and industry standards.

Innovation and Research:

• Partner with the HOO to foster a culture of innovation within the organization, encouraging experimentation and exploration of new technologies across South Africa and Africa.
• Conduct research and evaluation of emerging technologies, assessing their potential impact on our business and industry.
• Identify opportunities for strategic partnerships, acquisitions, or investments to enhance our technology capabilities in the African market.

Security Risk Assessments:

• Conduct regular security risk assessments to identify vulnerabilities and potential threats to the organization's technology infrastructure.
• Develop and implement strategies to mitigate security risks, ensuring the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of sensitive data and systems.
• Collaborate with internal teams and external partners to establish and maintain robust cybersecurity protocols and defences.

Cost Wastage Identification:

• Analyze technology expenditure and operational costs to identify areas of inefficiency and potential cost savings.
• Develop strategies to optimize resource allocation, streamline processes, and reduce unnecessary expenses while maintaining high-quality service delivery.
• Implement cost-saving initiatives, such as cloud migration, automation, or renegotiating vendor contracts, to maximize the value of technology investments and improve financial performance.

Additional Information

Publicis Groupe, the second largest communications group in the world, employing over 100 000 talented minds, across 100 countries. Publicis Groupe has made a name for itself by putting its people first. We, at Publicis Groupe Africa, are no different. With over 60 agencies across 36 countries on the continent, theres no better place to grow a rewarding career in media, communications, marketing or advertising in Africa.

Publicis Groupe Africa is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and prohibits any forms of discrimination or harassment. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all our employees in line with our Employment Equity Plan. All appointments will be based on qualifications, experience and best fit, but preference will be given to all candidates from designated groups. Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Should you not hear from us within two weeks after submitting your application, please consider your application as unsuccessful. For more information and other vacancies, visit PublicisGroupeAfrica.com.