Strategic Governance & Business-IT Alignment Manager

Context

Following an audit within ICT, which also examined the interfaces between Business and IT, the organization wants to structurally strengthen its Business-IT governance, transparency, and control. Therefore, a Strategic Governance & Business-IT Alignment Manager is sought, who will report directly to the CEO. In the first phase, the position combines the follow-up of audit recommendations with concrete operational improvements. In the longer term, the role supports the evolution towards a service-oriented ICT organization, with a strong relationship with the Business, clear governance, financial control, and professional supplier management.

Responsibilities

Short term: initial assignment until end of 2026, part-time 3 days per week

• Monitor the implementation of the ICT audit recommendations, safeguard progress, and transparently report to the CEO and relevant governance bodies.
• Control the financial outsourcing of ICT and contribute to the prioritization and follow-up of IT budget consumption.
• Implement operational improvements in the areas of governance, financial control, and supplier management, based on the identified audit findings and recommendations.
• Act as a liaison between Business and ICT, with the aim of improving collaboration, clarifying expectations, and providing more transparency on priorities, budgets, services, and progress.
• Define concrete actions, owners, decision points, and reporting arrangements, so that the follow-up is demonstrable and auditable.

Long term: structural assignment

• Help implement a fully-fledged service-based ICT model, with clear IT services, service ownership, service agreements, and a strong structural relationship with the Business.
• Further develop financial control and reporting on ICT expenditure, budget consumption, outsourcing, and supplier performance, and report to the competent governance bodies.
• Contribute to the continuous improvement of Business-ICT governance, including roles, responsibilities, decision rights, escalation paths, and follow-up mechanisms.
• Maintain the structural link with Internal Audit, CISO, DPO, and other relevant organization-wide roles, respecting their independent responsibilities.
• Provide strategic advice to the ICT manager and other competent stakeholders on IT strategy, governance, service delivery, sourcing, and prioritization.
• Further professionalize Service Management and act as a joint escalation point for suppliers when structural relationship or collaboration issues arise.
• Promote collaboration between Business, ICT, Finance, Procurement, and suppliers, with a focus on value creation, transparency, service delivery, and risk control.

Skills

The candidate preferably possesses the following skills:

• Strong understanding of IT governance, Business-IT alignment, Service Management, financial management, and supplier management.
• Ability to translate audit findings into feasible improvement actions, with clear priorities, owners, milestones, and reporting.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills at executive, business, and ICT levels.
• Independent, diplomatic, and connecting attitude, combined with sufficient decisiveness to safeguard progress and decision-making.
• Strong analytical ability and experience with management reporting, risks, budgets, KPIs, and decision files.
• Ability to pragmatically organize governance and control, without creating unnecessary bureaucracy.
• Good knowledge of common frameworks and practices regarding ICT governance and Service Management, such as COBIT and ITIL, is a significant asset.
• Experience with sourcing, contract and supplier relationships, including handling escalations and following up on improvement plans.
• Coaching and facilitating skills to sustainably anchor collaboration and continuous improvement.

Experience

• Extensive relevant experience in a senior position within ICT governance, Business-IT alignment, ICT Service Management, ICT control, CIO Office, or a comparable governance and transformation environment.
• Demonstrable experience with following up and implementing audit or improvement programs within a complex organization.
• Experience with financial management of ICT, budget monitoring, outsourcing, and supplier management.
• Experience with designing or improving governance bodies, reporting models, roles and responsibilities, and decision-making processes.
• Experience with building a service-oriented ICT organization and with the collaboration between Business and ICT.
• Experience in a public, regulated, or highly controlled environment is an advantage.
• Sufficient seniority to work directly with CEO, executive management, ICT management, Business, Internal Audit, CISO, DPO, Finance, Procurement, and external suppliers.

Languages

The native language can be Dutch or French, and the candidate must have an excellent oral and written command of the second language (FR or NL).

An initial part-time assignment of 3 days per week until the end of 2026, with the possibility of extension depending on the structural long-term assignment.