Lead: Operations Transformation & Automation

• EXCO
• Systems
• Operations

CipherWave, a Johannesburg based Internet Service Provider that offers Connectivity, Cloud, Voice & Security products is looking to hire a Lead, Operations Transformation & Automation individual to join the CW team.

This is a high-impact, senior-level role designed to act as the strategic bridge between our Innovation (CINO) and Operations (COO) divisions. We are seeking a transformative leader whose primary objective is to drive a step-change in operational performance by placing automation at the front and centre of our business.

Reporting to the CINO, you will be the designated expert for re-imagining and re-engineering our ‘Lead to Service’ lifecycle. You will partner daily with the COO and their leadership team to identify systemic friction, bottlenecks, and manual-effort drains.

You will then leverage your deep expertise in business analysis, Agile, ITIL, and automation to design and deploy intelligent, scalable solutions. This role is not just about maintaining systems; it’s about fundamentally re-architecting our operational processes for the future, ensuring all initiatives align with both the CINO’s technology roadmap and the COO’s efficiency targets.

The ideal candidate is a hybrid: a strategic systems thinker, a hands-on automation champion, and a skilled change agent who thrives on translating executive vision into operational reality.

1. Automation Strategy & Execution (Core Focus)
   • In close partnership with the CINO and COO, develop, own, and execute the company’s operational automation roadmap.
   • Proactively identify, model (ROI), and champion high-impact automation opportunities (e.g., RPA, API integrations, workflow automation, AI/ML models).
   • Lead the cross-functional design and implementation of automation solutions to eliminate manual tasks, reduce error rates, and accelerate service delivery.
   • Serve as the business-side product owner for our automation platforms and tools.
2. Strategic ‘Lead to Service’ Re-engineering
   • Act as the chief process architect for the end-to-end “Lead to Service” journey, working with the COO to deconstruct and rebuild workflows for maximum efficiency and customer experience.
   • Translate the COO’s operational challenges and the CINO’s innovation goals into a single, unified, and prioritised systems backlog.
   • Lead strategic business analysis workshops, requirements documentation (e.g., User Stories), and process mapping (BPMN) for all major operational change initiatives.
3. Executive Stakeholder Management & Reporting
   • Serve as the primary systems and automation advisor to the COO, attending operational leadership meetings as the CINO’s representative.
   • Develop and present a “single source of truth” operational dashboard for the executive team, focusing on automation impact (e.g., hours saved, cost reduction) and ‘Lead to Service’ KPIs.
   • Translate complex technical concepts and system dependencies into clear business implications and strategic recommendations for C-level decision-making.
4. Agile & ITIL Governance
   • Lead the Agile portfolio management for operations systems, ensuring the backlog is transparent and strategically prioritised to balance innovation (CINO) with stability and urgency (COO).
   • Govern the ITIL framework for operational systems, serving as the senior escalation point for systemic, high-impact problems and driving a robust root cause analysis (RCA) culture.
5. Technology & Innovation Scouting
   • Act as the CINO’s ‘eyes and ears’ within operations, identifying emerging technologies (e.g., Generative AI, new platforms) that can be applied to solve key operational problems.
   • Lead proof-of-concept (PoC) projects for new automation tools and platforms to validate their potential impact.

• Experience: 7+ years of experience in senior-level roles such as Senior Business Analyst, Systems Manager, or Operations/IT Lead, with a clear progression of responsibility.
• Industry: Direct experience within an ISP, telecommunications, or managed technology service provider is essential.
• Stakeholder Management: Proven experience managing C-level stakeholders and navigating a matrixed environment (e.g., reporting to one function while being embedded in another).
• Automation Expertise: Expert-level understanding and a proven track record of designing and leading intelligent automation initiatives from concept to production.
• Process Expertise: Expert-level knowledge of “Lead to Service” (or “Order to Cash”) processes and associated OSS/BSS platforms (e.g., CRM, Quoting, Provisioning, Billing).
• Agile & ITIL: Deep practical experience leading initiatives within both Agile (Scrum/Kanban) and ITIL environments. 4 years ITIL experience.
• Reporting: Advanced skills in data analysis and visualization (e.g., Power BI, Tableau) and presenting data-driven strategic narratives.