[11683]IT & Digital Transformation Manager (m/w/d)

The Company

• Sector: Civic & Social Organisation
• Location: Belgium, Brussels 

Since 1924, the “Foundation against Cancer” (“FAC”) has been one of the major actors in the field of cancer control in Belgium at national level. The Foundation is a national and independent organization and, as a center of expertise, able to approach the situation with a broad and impartial view and to identify priorities and effective actions. Not only is the Foundation present in all regions of the country, it is also part of an extensive international network. 

The missions of the Foundation against Cancer are: 

• First of all, financially supporting the best research teams. In order to overcome cancer, scientific research is needed which gradually turns hope into reality. By finding treatments that increase the survival rate and quality of life of patients. 
• Secondly, to act itself when necessary, in particular by funding psychosocial projects that help improve the quality of life of people affected by cancer and that of their loved ones.
• Thirdly, mobilizing all actors, because working together allows for greater efficiency and to make progress even faster.
• And lastly, informing by increasing general knowledge about cancer, the mechanisms behind the disease and its treatments; translating the research results into information that is accessible and understandable to the general public.

It is only thanks to the benevolent support of its donors that “FAC” is able to be an important player in the fight against cancer in Belgium. The financial resources come almost exclusively from donations from private individuals and corporations and bequests (gifts via will). Hence fundraising and its follow-up is an important activity for “FAC”. Other income is coming from events such as “Relay for Life” and government subsidies (e.g. in the context of Tobacco Stop).

In anticipation of the retirement of the incumbent and in support of its steep ambitions to be more prominent, visible and increase its impact as well as to improve the donor (customer) journeys and internal operations, “FAC” has decided to search for an IT and Digital Transformation Manager.

The Role

As the IT and Digital transformation Manager, reporting to the CEO and as true Business Partner, you will be responsible for the strategic leadership and operational management of the IT department, for developing and implementing the digital ICT strategies and ensuring that “FAC” is and remains innovative, performant and future-proof in the field of IT and digitization. And, in doing so, making an important contribution to the realization of “FAC’s” business strategies and objectives.

During the first year, your focus will be on:

• “operational excellence” and “getting the house in order”;
• building and organizing the team including recruitment of the budgeted new hires;
• identification and realization of quick wins;
• developing the longer term roadmap including the enterprise architecture;
• regaining the trust of the Business and improving the Business/IT alignment;
• establishing a clear cooperation and management framework with the external IT service providers, so that their priorities are well defined and they can deliver the expected results.

As from the second year your focus will be on:

• instilling the cultural change towards a more digital and data driven organization;
• on the innovative use of new technologies to:
  • improve the effectiveness and agility of “FAC”;
  • improve the donor (customer) journeys;
  • support the branding and positioning;
• further improving the :
  • Business/IT alignment;
  • harmonization and efficiency of the back office processes;
  • the maturity of the IT organization in terms of people, processes and tools.

Key Responsibilities

More precisely, you will be responsible for:

• managing and coaching the ICT team in order to make optimal use of and develop and grow its competencies, skills and know-how and to work as a well-functioning team;
• managing and stimulating innovation and the digital transformation within the organization;
• developing and implementing the digital & ICT strategies and ensuring a high-performance IT organization in line with the organizational objectives;
• staying up-to-date and assessing the evolutions and developments in the field of ICT and digitization to guarantee the future-proofing of the organization;
• coordinating and organizing the various activities of the IT department in order to provide an efficient and effective service that meets the needs and quality requirements of the organization;
• translating the strategy into a concrete business plan, action plans, KPIs and objectives;
• developing the annual capital and operational budget and monitoring and reporting on performance;
• ensuring that the required regulatory processes are implemented (cyber security …);
• being the driving force behind demand management, service management, customer success and innovation;
• determining ICT needs within the organization and translating them into concrete projects to offer IT and digitization solutions that increase the efficient functioning of the organization;
• continuously promoting and stimulating the development, adaptation and improvement of ICT processes and tools to ensure optimal service;
• monitoring and improving overall ICT performance (hardware/software and working environment);
• promoting the various ICT tools and supporting employees in implementing or adapting processes;
• ensuring appropriate ICT support for all users;
• optimizing the scope and cost effectiveness of service: through the right mix of internal and external resources; the proactive evaluation of and search for partners and the negotiating and monitoring of SLA’s;
• participating in the strategic, tactical and operational development of “FAC”.

Required Experience and Qualifications

Ideally the candidate should have:

• a minimum of 3 years experience in a similar or other relevant management role in IT and/or digital transformation;
• experience in technology enabled process improvement and successful project (portfolio) management of important improvement/digital transformation initiatives. Preferably PMI or Prince 2 certified;
• experience with application deployment in a hybrid model transitioning to cloud only (MS Azure);
• the necessary IT training, knowledge and experience in order to be able to adequately translate business requirements into Enterprise – and IT architectures, processes and applications (experience in Agile development, RPA and/or Low coding is a plus);
• solid change management expertise and solid presentation, workshop facilitation -, and stakeholder management skills (certification is a plus);
• successful experience in leading and supervising teams (Direct and Indirect management) and in developing and motivating employees;
• demonstrated experience and track record in implementing COTS. Preferably with CRM and with enhancing the customer experience through digitization and personalization of the interaction and engagement;
• demonstrated experience in selecting, negotiating with and management of external service providers;
• familiarity with new digital technologies such as big data & analytics; artificial intelligence; machine learning, simulation; cloud computing; RPA, cross company data integration…;
• experience in applying Lean Management philosophies and in instilling an operational excellence and continuous improvement culture as a plus;
• fluent in either Dutch or French with professional proficiency in the other language;
• a Master’s degree in Information Systems or Engineering, preferably combined with an MBA. Or equivalent by experience.

Candidate Profile

Our client is looking for an outstanding individual who is/has:

• passionate about new digital technologies and their use as a strategic value driver and to enhance the customer (donor) experience and to make operations smarter, more self-driven and more performant;
• visionary and ambitious in setting aspirations while being pragmatic and able to deal with the day-to-day realities of the business and to understand the impact of decisions on the organization as a whole;
• an empathic and effective people-manager and leader; highly motivated and motivational; able to create excitement for “step” changes in performance and in coaching teams to success;
• a proven ability to communicate and interact and negotiate effectively at all levels with all stakeholders, to give persuasive advice and to build strong business relationships;
• able to work on his/her own initiative with other departments towards a common result and with a view to continuous improvement;
• a flexible, entrepreneurial and change management mindset, with proven ability to adapt and manage and “getting things done” in culturally different environments; with SME experience as a plus; 
• committed/responsible and resistant to stress, with high pro-activity, strong determination, results focus and lots of energy;
• excellent organisational, planning and project management skills and able to work at times under  pressure and to strict deadlines;
• pragmatic, with hands-on attitude and with a real “can-do” mindset;
• with solid business acumen and judgement, able to: (i) understand the impact of decisions on the organization as a whole; (ii) to balance strategic and tactical issues and (iii) to balance the content (hard) and people (soft) aspects of change initiatives;
• open and enthusiastic for innovation and able to inspire his team to experiment, learn and develop;
• open for suggestions, respectful of others and honest about mistaken and proactively seeking and providing feedback.

The Role Offers

This is an exciting opportunity and challenge for entrepreneurial candidates looking to apply their IT and Digital Transformation management skills and experiences and passion for the innovative use of digital technologies to create societal impact.  

In short, the role will offer a fair amount of independence and opportunities for personal development and for someone with the right entrepreneurial spirit, initiative and drive, the possibility to play a major role in the realization of the vision and to help shape the future,   growth and impact of “FAC”.
 

• A full-time contract of indefinite duration with flexible hours and the possibility of teleworking for 2 to 3 days a week.
• An attractive salary with extra-legal benefits that can be adjusted according to your needs
• Up to 46 days off per year.

Contact

We are looking forward to receiving your online application with a cover letter and CV to tom.asselberghs@eoexecutives.com or pierre.melis@eoexecutives.com. For further information, please call +32 (0) 477 305 558.

Please feel free to forward this brief to an acquaintance should this not be of interest to you.