Head - IT Applications

Role: Head of IT Applications

Location: Pune

Experience: +18 years

Mode: Work from Office

We are seeking a highly skilled and motivated Head of IT Applications to join our EIT team. As the Head of IT Applications, you will be responsible for driving transformation & innovation by leveraging technology, while ensuring stable day-to-day services of JADE applications at a Global Level. You will be leading a team of Application Specialists and be responsible for their growth and skills enhancement. The position is based out of Pune.

About Position: Head of IT Applications responsible for driving transformation & innovation by leveraging technology, ensuring stable day-to-day services of JADE applications at a Global Level, and leading a team of Application Specialists.

1. Strategic Alignment & Business Relationship Management

Act as a strategic advisor to bridge business objectives with IT solutions, driving long-term value.

• Stakeholder Engagement: Establish and cultivate strong relationships with business leaders to serve as a trusted IT advisor and partner.
• Needs Assessment: Collaborate regularly with key stakeholders to understand business objectives, analyze operational challenges, and manage expectations.
• Strategic Planning: Develop and maintain an Integrated Application Roadmap aligned with broader business outcomes and IT capabilities.
• Value Identification: Continually identify technology-driven opportunities to optimize business processes, increase productivity, and maximize ROI.

2. Transformation & Technology Innovation

Lead digital transformation initiatives by leveraging modern technology trends and solutions.

• Emerging Tech Evaluation: Monitor, evaluate, and recommend market trends and emerging technologies to foster innovation across the organization.
• Initiative Execution: Partner with business units to design and implement innovative technology solutions that improve operational efficiency and agility.
• Process Enhancement: Drive organizational change management by identifying outdated workflows and modernizing them through scalable application features.

3. Application Expertise & Service Delivery

Oversee core application platforms to ensure high availability, security, and performance standards.

• Subject Matter Expertise: Serve as the primary point of contact and domain expert for all JADE business applications.
• SLA/KPI Management: Monitor application performance, system availability, and security metrics to consistently meet or exceed established SLAs and KPIs.
• Framework Compliance: Implement and maintain ITIL best practices across all application service management functions.
• Regulatory Compliance: Enforce compliance with relevant industry regulations, corporate governance standards, and data privacy/security frameworks.

4. IT Project Management & Cross-Functional Collaboration

Manage project execution and coordinate across diverse technical teams to ensure seamless service delivery.

• End-to-End Project Delivery: Plan, schedule, and execute application delivery projects while proactively managing project risks, dependencies, and issues.
• Cross-Functional Leadership: Direct and align multi-disciplinary teams—including software development, infrastructure, IT operations, and business partners—to deliver complex IT initiatives.
• Continuous Service Improvement: Develop and execute Continual Service Improvement (CSI) plans to elevate service quality, optimize delivery, and increase stakeholder satisfaction.

5. Incident, Problem & Operational Management

Drive operational excellence through robust support management and root-cause resolution.

• Major Incident Operations: Oversee the incident management lifecycle, leading responses during major incidents to ensure rapid service restoration.
• Root Cause Analysis: Direct problem management activities to isolate systemic root causes, reduce recurring issues, and increase overall stability.
• Operational Readiness: Ensure all ongoing application maintenance, patch schedules, and operational workflows adhere to security and uptime guidelines.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, or a related field.
• MBA degree is desirable.
• Strong analytical skills to assess service performance and make data-driven recommendations.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.

Required Skills

• Strong analytical skills to assess service performance and make data-driven recommendations.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Communicating effectively with stakeholders, including executives, business leaders, and technical teams.
• Excellent People Management skills, develop Talent and growth.
• Up to date with current technology, industry trends, and developments.
• Proactive approach to drive change and improving user experience.

Preferred Skills

• Experience in driving transformation and innovation.
• Exposure to Digital/AI ways of working preferred.
• Has worked in a Global and multi-cultural environment.