Head of IT Partnerships & Communications, APAC (AL-FNC241217 004/01)

The Head of IT Partnerships & Communications will focus on partnership strategy, business development, internal brand management, and thought leadership. This role involves developing strategies that align IT with business goals, managing vendor relationships to convert them into profitable partnerships, and enhancing the brand identity of IT within the organization.

Candidates for the Head of IT Partnerships & Communications position should have a Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Business Administration, or a related field, with a Master's preferred. A minimum of 15 years of experience in a similar role is essential, preferably in a large organization, along with strong skills in business development, communication strategy execution, and a proven ability to bridge IT and business teams.

In this role, the Head of IT Partnerships & Communications contributes by approaching key vendors with solid value propositions, converting vendor relationships into profitable partnerships, and managing the entire sales cycle to ensure compliance and successful long-term contracts.

Internal brand development is important as it helps create a consistent narrative about IT’s critical role in business innovation and digital transformation. The Head of IT Partnerships & Communications is responsible for communicating the business impact of IT initiatives and increasing the visibility of the IT department's contributions throughout the organization.

Crucial skills include exceptional written and verbal communication, strong business acumen, leadership capabilities, and a deep understanding of IT trends and digital transformation. The ability to identify opportunities within vendor relationships and create compelling content for various audiences is also vital.

When addressing this question, highlight your previous roles that required strategy development, focusing on how you aligned IT and business goals, and the outcomes of your partnerships.

Discuss your method for evaluating vendors, negotiating contracts, and building long-term relationships. Give examples of how you increased mutual benefits.

A good approach is to define key performance indicators (KPIs) that reflect both IT and business objectives, and describe previous instances where you've successfully measured partnership success.

Share your experience in creating communication plans that inform stakeholders about IT initiatives, including the tactics you used for engagement and awareness.

Discuss your methods for continuous learning, such as attending industry conferences, following thought leaders, and engaging in relevant online communities.

Provide a specific example that shows your ability to translate IT language to business terms, which created better understanding and collaboration between departments.

Emphasize the importance of transparent communication in leadership. You might mention how effective communication fosters trust, teamwork, and aligns team objectives.

Answer by outlining strategies such as producing regular updates, hosting showcases of IT projects, and creating engaging content that tells the IT story in a compelling manner.

Talk about your analytical approach to understanding vendors' business objectives and how you've historically used relationship-building skills to uncover new opportunities.

Share a concrete example of a communication strategy you created, detailing its goals, the stakeholders involved, and the results achieved.