Assistant Director Technology & Digital Transformation, IFMR Centres

Job Description:

Position: Assistant Director – Technology & Digital Transformation, IFMR Centres

Reporting to: President, IFMR

Work Location: Chennai

IFMR is looking to appoint a Senior Technology Leader to provide technology leadership, governance and digital transformation support across its research and knowledge centres, including LEAD, J-PAL and other affiliated centres.

The role involves working with Centre Heads, senior leadership and functional teams to ensure that technology is secure, well-governed, scalable, cost-effective and aligned with the objectives of the institution and individual centres.

The ideal candidate will establish and maintain a common technology governance framework across the centres, while considering their different operating models, technology environments and requirements.

This is a Technology Leadership and transformation role, rather than a conventional IT operations or support role.

Key Responsibilities

1. IT Governance, Maturity & Policy

• Assess the technology maturity of each centre across infrastructure, applications, cybersecurity, data, processes and governance.
• Assess each centre against the IFMR Master IT Policy, identify gaps and risks, and develop prioritised remediation plans.
• Develop and maintain centre-specific IT Policy Addendums where business requirements require deviations from the master policy.
• Establish technology governance, reporting and review mechanisms across centres.

2. Cybersecurity & Technology Risk

• Provide oversight of cybersecurity and information security across the centres.
• Assess and strengthen network, endpoint, identity, cloud, application and data security.
• Establish practices for vulnerability management, security monitoring, incident response, backup and recovery, and business continuity.
• Maintain a technology and cybersecurity risk register and track remediation of significant risks.
• Periodically review the security posture of critical technology vendors and service providers.

3. Technology Strategy, Architecture & Standards

• Develop a technology strategy and roadmap for the IFMR centres aligned with institutional priorities.
• Establish technology architecture principles, standards and best practices across the centres.
• Review significant technology investments, applications and infrastructure for business value, security, scalability, interoperability and cost effectiveness.
• Provide guidance on cloud adoption, SaaS platforms, integration, identity management and other technology decisions.
• Identify opportunities to consolidate redundant applications, platforms and technology services and achieve economies of scale.
• Provide technology leadership for significant technology procurements and vendor decisions.
• Monitor strategic technology vendors and managed service providers and address performance or service issues.

4. Digital Transformation & Automation

• Identify processes that are manual, fragmented or dependent on spreadsheets and email.
• Work with centre leadership and functional teams to simplify, digitise and automate these processes.
• Develop and implement a prioritised digital transformation and automation roadmap.
• Evaluate the use of workflow platforms, analytics, AI and other technologies to improve efficiency, controls and user experience.

5. Data & AI Governance

• Establish practices for data ownership, classification, access, protection, retention and disposal, including appropriate controls to support DPDP compliance.
• Identify opportunities to improve reporting and decision-making through data and analytics.
• Establish principles and governance for the responsible use of AI and generative AI across the centres, with focus on confidentiality, data protection, intellectual property and research-related risks.

6. Continuous Improvement & Capability Building

• Benchmark IFMR's technology practices against relevant universities, research institutions, think tanks and similar organisations.
• Promote adoption of technology best practices across centres.
• Build technology awareness and capability among centre leadership and staff.
• Track emerging technologies and assess their relevance to IFMR.
• Establish a culture of continuous improvement rather than one-time compliance.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's or master's degree in computer science, Information Technology, Engineering, Information Systems or a related discipline.
• 15+ years of progressive experience in technology, including significant experience in senior technology leadership, enterprise architecture, IT governance, cybersecurity and/or digital transformation. Experience working across multiple business units, organisations or geographies would be highly desirable.
• Strong experience in technology strategy, IT governance, cybersecurity, enterprise architecture and digital transformation.
• Demonstrated experience leading technology transformation and automation initiatives.
• Strong understanding of cloud, enterprise applications, networks, identity and access management, cybersecurity, data protection and technology risk.
• Experience managing technology vendors, strategic partners and external service providers.
• Strong stakeholder-management and communication skills, including the ability to work with senior non-technical leadership.

Experience in higher education, research organisations, think tanks, NGOs, development organisations or other mission-driven institutions would be an advantage, but is not essential. Experience in technology companies, IT services, consulting, systems integration or large enterprise technology organisations would also be highly relevant.