Director Information and Communications Technology and Health Information Management, East Africa at Aga Khan University (AKU)

Job Role / Responsibilities:

• Reporting globally to the Chief Information Officer and locally to the Chief Executive Officer / Chief Operations Officer, the Director will oversee ICT and Health Information Management, developing and executing strategies to position the organization for greater success. The role involves leading the next phase of Clinical Systems Adoption, advancing the Electronic Health Records (EHR) system, implementing new and innovative clinical systems, furthering E-learning initiatives, supporting research and academic systems, and defining a comprehensive ICT strategy for East Africa.

Main Duties and Responsibilities:

• Envision, articulate, and plan organization-wide ICT system changes, with a particular emphasis on understanding the impact of advanced multisite ICT systems on patient care, teaching, and research;
• Align ICT initiatives with the overall University strategy;
• Conceive, devise, and develop a regional academic ICT strategy to support teaching and research initiatives;
• Lead business process re-engineering efforts to increase productivity and efficiency while sustaining quality and innovation within the organization;
• Build and manage a team of inspired managers, equipping them with upgraded skills to meet the challenges of an evolving business environment;
• Provide direction for data capture and analytics for Health Services, Education and Research.
• Lead the annual ICT planning and budgeting exercises and ensure cost-effective utilization of resources;
• Collaborate with the University’s Information Security function to ensure cybersecurity and data protection measures are in accordance with global best practices;
• Ensure the institution complies with various ICT-related regulations and standards;
• Devise and lead quality assurance measures to ensure consistent levels of service within and outside the organization;
• Build and maintain relationships with cross-functional peers and senior leadership to deliver high-quality services that meet internal and external customer expectations;
• Manage relationships with ICT-related vendors and suppliers, including participating in technology related contract negotiations;
• Stay current with industry trends and advancements;
• Perform other duties as assigned by management.

Key Requirements:

• A relevant postgraduate ICT-related qualification is required, such as a Master’s in Computer Science or a Master’s in Business Administration with a focus on ICT.
• Relevant ICT certifications such as CISM, PMP, DBA or MCSD will be an added advantage;
• At least ten years in senior positions within academic healthcare institutions, managing health information systems;
• Progressive experience leading major clinical or academic system implementation projects;
• Extensive experience in information management and systems development;
• Ability to support core health and academic services as needed, while also envisioning, articulating, planning, and managing clinical health information and other ICT systems;
• Proficient in leveraging advanced ICT support systems to enhance patient care, teaching, and research in multi-site settings;
• Skilled in devising and developing a regional academic ICT strategy to support teaching and research;
• Adept at leading technical strategies with built-in quality assurance to ensure consistent service levels;
• Capable of aligning ICT systems to support overall organizational requirements.

Desired Attributes:

• Creative problem-solving and decision-making skills;
• Customer-focused approach;
• Strong mentoring skills with a desire to provide growth opportunities to teams;
• Excellent interpersonal, presentation, and negotiation skills;
• Leadership and change management expertise;
• Exceptional executive team player with a strong focus on corporate goals, personal drive for results, and proven project execution credentials;
• Demonstrated ability to provide vision-driven team leadership and influence peers;
• High capacity to collaborate effectively with other senior multidisciplinary team members, supported by highly developed communication and interpersonal skills;
• Excellent understanding of the dynamics of complex, rapidly expanding institutions within multi-faceted relationships;
• Maintains strong ethics and high integrity.