Application Operations Director📣 Job Ad

Role Overview

The Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority (ZATCA) is seeking an Application Operations Director to join its team in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This full-time role is crucial for ensuring the effective management, operation, and maintenance of ZATCA’s IT applications, guaranteeing their constant availability and high performance for end users within defined quality standards and timeframes.

Strategic Planning and Financial Management

The Director will play a key role in strategic alignment and financial oversight for Application Operations, contributing to the broader IT strategy.

• Contribute to the development of the IT Operations business plan, ensuring alignment with ZATCA’s overall strategy.
• Develop the operational plan for Application Operations, consistent with the IT Operations business plan and the IT & Digitization strategic plan.
• Provide input to the budgeting process and discuss Application Operations budgeting requirements with top management.
• Ensure effective utilization of the Application Operations budget, reporting accurately on progress and challenges.
• Investigate and propose initiatives that generate positive financial impact and mitigate financial and operational risks for Application Operations.

Application Operations Leadership

This role involves defining and managing the operational model for ZATCA's IT applications to ensure optimal performance and service delivery.

• Define the IT application operations model in line with IT strategy to meet business requirements and objectives.
• Manage the operation of ZATCA IT applications to ensure best-in-class operational performance.
• Validate the daily working plan of ZATCA IT applications.
• Review change requests related to IT applications and provide support during their implementation.

Incident Management and Performance Optimization

A critical aspect of the role is ensuring robust incident management, proactive system health monitoring, and continuous performance improvement.

• Ensure incidents related to applications are properly handled and prioritized based on criticality, recommending corrective actions in coordination with stakeholders within agreed SLAs.
• Manage production outages and escalations, ensuring involvement of correct stakeholders to drive resolution.
• Implement proactive preventive maintenance activities on IT applications to enhance service availability.
• Monitor IT applications health, safety, and performance to minimize potential damage and service outages.
• Recommend performance and hardware improvements, as well as resource optimization, to achieve IT application objectives and KPIs.
• Ensure appropriate communication and reporting of IT application performance to all stakeholders.

Team Leadership and Development

The Director will lead and develop a high-performing team, fostering an environment that promotes ZATCA values and operational excellence.

• Participate in the identification and recruitment of key talent.
• Guide, mentor, and support direct reports to execute duties according to set policies and processes.
• Develop individual performance objectives, provide necessary support, evaluate/appraise the team, and provide regular feedback on performance.
• Establish a high-performance working environment and promote ZATCA values.

Required Experience

Candidates should possess significant experience in application operations leadership to effectively manage the complexities of this role.

• A minimum of 5 to 10 years of relevant experience in application operations or a similar field.