IT Program Director (ACRN) - Harare or Johannesburg

Location: Harare or Johannesburg South Africa - On site at one of these locations 

Hours: Full Time 

Reports to: Chief Technology Officer – Africa Clinical Research Network 

Our Mission:  

The African Clinical Research Network (ACRN) is an African-led and African-driven clinical research organisation. Our work not only promotes and supports a vibrant life sciences ecosystem but also profoundly impacts Africa's health and economic development. By facilitating sustainable, innovative, collaborative, and community-oriented research, ACRN is poised to transform healthcare and improve lives across Africa, inspiring a new era of clinical research.  

We provide high-quality data, harmonise regulatory processes to improve timelines, support capacity building within the existing ethics and regulatory systems, and enhance community trust and research participation. These are some of the first key steps to making Africa more competitive in the global life sciences industry, a goal we are proud to contribute to.  

The ACRN drives clinical research excellence by connecting researchers to opportunities, enhancing research capacity in existing facilities, implementing high-quality trials and research, and leveraging a robust digital infrastructure.    

We are committed to fostering the community's understanding of research. Through our community engagement network, we significantly increase stakeholder buy-in of clinical results, thereby enhancing the transparency and credibility of our research.

Job Summary: 

As our IT Program Director, your role is to drive the successful implementation of an integrated Oracle software solution within a dynamic Clinical Trials, start-up environment. This requires balancing speed, scalability, and operational efficiency while ensuring seamless adoption by the team.

Key Responsibilities: 

Strategic Implementation & Execution

Develop a detailed implementation roadmap, outlining key phases, milestones, and timelines.

Define clear success metrics to measure adoption, system performance, and business impact.

Ensure alignment of the software deployment with the company’s long-term IT and business strategy.

Stakeholder Engagement & Change Management

Work closely with executive leadership, department heads, and key users to ensure the technology meets business needs.

Manage change resistance by developing a structured communication and training plan to drive user adoption.

Serve as the primary liaison between the technology vendor, internal teams, and external consultants.

Team Coordination & Resource Management

Assemble and manage a cross-functional team of IT specialists, business analysts, and end-users.

Prioritise workloads and allocate resources effectively to avoid bottlenecks and implementation delays.

Ensure that the internal IT team is adequately trained to support and maintain the new system post-launch.

Risk Management & Problem Resolution

Identify potential technical, operational, and compliance risks early in the implementation process.

Develop a robust risk mitigation plan to address system downtime, data integrity issues, and security concerns.

Act as the escalation point for troubleshooting major systems issues during and after deployment.

Process Optimisation & Integration

Ensure seamless integration of the new technology with existing tools and workflows.

Optimize processes by leveraging automation, data migration strategies, and API configurations.

Conduct post-implementation audits to refine system functionalities and address gaps.

Training & User Adoption

Design and implement a training program tailored to different user roles and skill levels.

Establish a feedback loop with the users and the training manager

Providing on-demand resources and ongoing support.

Performance Monitoring & Continuous Improvement

Track software usage, system performance, and business impact through data analytics.

Establish a continuous improvement framework to enhance system functionality based on user feedback.

Provide regular progress updates to leadership, ensuring transparency on key outcomes.

Qualifications: 

Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Health Informatics, or a related field.

Experience:

Minimum of 9+ years of experience in IT, with several years in managerial or leadership roles. Experience should include both project and program management.

Prior experience managing large, complex IT programs and overseeing multiple related projects.

Proven ability to lead and mentor teams, manage stakeholders, and navigate organisational challenges.

Hands-on experience with IT project management, from inception to completion.

Work Environment: 

This position can be based in Zimbabwe or South Africa, with occasional travel to other office locations as necessary. The role may require flexible working hours to support remote teams and ensure systems are running smoothly across time zones. 

Please apply online providing a covering letter specifically highlighting how your existing skills and experiences within healthcare IT Program Management Implementation support fulfilling the responsibilities of this role.