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KFML Holdings — the group behind Spec-Savers South Africa and a portfolio of approximately 15 companies — is recruiting a Group Chief Technical Officer to lead one of the most commercially consequential technology reset opportunities in South African retail healthcare.
This is not a traditional CTO role.
This is not a “keep the lights on” environment, nor a pre-packaged digital transformation programme. This is a mandate to critically reassess a complex, established technology landscape and make clear, evidence-based decisions on what should be rebuilt, retained, replaced, outsourced, or retired.
The Challenge:
The successful candidate will inherit a large-scale franchise-driven ecosystem spanning:
- 450+ optometry locations
- 72 audiology stores
- Distribution and warehouse technology environments
- Ecommerce, loyalty, analytics, operational and customer platforms
- Significant legacy investment and technical debt
- A partially developed next-generation practice management platform requiring urgent strategic direction
Minimum Requirements
- Relevant tertiary qualification in Information Technology, Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Systems, or a related technology discipline.
- Minimum 10 years’ experience within senior technology leadership roles, with exposure to complex, multi-system operational environments.
- Proven experience conducting enterprise-wide technology or architectural assessments within established and complex business environments.
- Demonstrated experience leading technology operating model resets, platform rationalisation initiatives, presenting technology strategy, investment recommendations, and operational risk considerations at Executive Committee, Board, or shareholder level.
- Strong commercial and strategic technology acumen.
- Demonstrated practical experience implementing AI-native tooling, AI-assisted development practices, or modern engineering workflows within a technology function.
- Experience leading geographically distributed or functionally diverse technology and development teams across multiple systems, platforms, or operational areas.
- Evidence of materially improving development velocity, delivery capability, engineering effectiveness, or operational performance through modern software delivery practices.
Duties and Responsibilities
The measures of success:
Within the first 90 days, this leader will be expected to evaluate one of the business’s most important technology decisions: Continue, redirect, or replace the current core practice management ecosystem.
We are specifically looking for a commercially astute technology executive who:
- Thinks clearly under ambiguity
- Understands franchise and distributed operating environments
- Can challenge sunk-cost thinking with credibility and evidence
- Has personally embedded AI-native ways of working into technology delivery
- Can materially improve development velocity and operating effectiveness
- Is capable of influencing executive, board, and franchise stakeholders alike
If your experience is primarily vendor management, ERP administration, or high-level AI strategy presentations, this role is unlikely to be the right fit.
This role is for someone who can walk into complexity, make difficult calls, and lead a genuine operating model reset.
C1TO
