IT Manager

Are you a strategic IT professional ready to lead the digital transformation for our South African affiliate?

IT Manager to serve as a critical business partner, aligning our applications, infrastructure, cybersecurity, and data analytics with both global standards and local commercial objectives. This is a leadership role, responsible for driving operational excellence, implementing cutting-edge technologies (including AI and automation), and ensuring robust compliance with data governance regulations (POPI Act). This is a leadership role, responsible for driving operational excellence, implementing cutting-edge technologies (including AI and automation), and ensuring robust compliance with data governance regulations (POPI Act).

About Virbac

Experiencing together a unique human adventure Animal health is key to the health of the planet.

Working at Virbac means taking part in a unique human adventure in which the engagement of each individual contributes to its evolution.

Encouraging internal mobility between positions and countries, offering individual development plans and building a partnership based on trust between managers and employees are as many perspectives of motivation for our teams.

We also offer them a work environment conducive to exploring new territories and balancing their professional and personal lives.

Finally, fostering their engagement to animal health also means listening to them and helping them to acquire new skills, preparing them for the challenges of tomorrow and encouraging them to contribute to an ever more responsible approach to our business.

Virbac provides numerous career opportunities, thanks to the diversity of its jobs and their international dimension.

Joining Virbac means joining dynamic teams ambitious for success.

Add Your Talent to Ours!

Responsibilities

• Infrastructure & Business Continuity: Establish the local IT infrastructure strategy (cloud/hybrid), manage the annual IT budget (OPEX/CAPEX), and maintain rigorous Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery plans to ensure maximum system availability.
• Lead the implementation of cybersecurity frameworks (e.g., NIST/ISO 27001), oversee Managed Security Service Providers (MSSPs), manage Identity & Access Controls (IAM), and ensure full technical compliance with the POPI Act .
• Act as the primary liaison between IT and business functions (Sales, Marketing, Finance), driving the local
• Data & AI Strategy , leading the Project Portfolio Management (PPM) lifecycle, and ensuring high user adoption of new systems through effective Change Management.
• Coach and develop two direct IT reports toward a "DevSecOps" mindset, manage the Service Desk framework, and ensure high-quality, proactive IT support for all internal business units.
• A robust, audited security environment with zero high-risk vulnerabilities and full POPI Act compliance.
• 90%+ of projects delivered on-time and within agreed scope, with documented ROI.
• 90%+ of Service Desk tickets resolved within agreed Service Level Agreements (SLAs).
• Application of modern security frameworks, advanced identity and access management, and robust rapid recovery protocols.
• Strategic alignment of technology roadmaps with commercial growth objectives and demonstrated return on investment (ROI).
• Advanced optimization of PowerBI and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems to generate predictive business insights.
• Demonstrated mastery of both Agile and Waterfall methodologies to ensure transparent and on-time project delivery.
• Oversight and strategic management of Managed Security Service Providers (MSSPs) and global technology vendors.
• The ability to effectively balance daily operational support with the execution of high-impact strategic projects.

Requirements

• BSC degree in Information Technology (NQF 7) Diploma in Project Management (NQF 6 or higher)

Certification with a major

• Platform (AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner or similar) AI Literacy Certification A minimum of ten years of requisite professional experience is mandatory for this position.
• System Resilience: Maximized IT capability with critical application downtime not exceeding three working days annually.
• Group IT Environment Mastery: Comprehensive understanding of the group's IT strategy and business-specific core operating models.
• Expertise in identifying, integrating, and deploying AI-driven workflows and Generative AI (GenAI) solutions.
• Proficient management of Azure/AWS cloud environments and seamless integration of Software as a Service (SaaS) applications.
• The capability to deconstruct complex digital scenarios and accurately forecast systemic impact.
• Demonstrating decisiveness and sound judgment during periods of rapid technological transition or critical infrastructure events.
• Promoting and enabling team-based experimentation with emerging technologies to achieve measurable, practical business outcomes.
• A commitment to the continuous upskilling and professional development of team members and fostering cross-functional expertise.
• Proficiency in translating complex technical risks and opportunities into comprehensible terms for non-technical senior leadership.
• Ensuring local affiliate technological needs are effectively aligned with and compliant with Global Headquarters standards.

Technical Data Governance Compliance

Implementation of technical controls to ensure adherence to the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPI Act) and broader data sovereignty requirements.