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Head of Application Platforms at Dis-Chem Pharmacies
Dis-Chem Pharmacies
October 2, 2026
Full-time
On-site
Job Description
Dis-Chem Pharmacies has an opportunity available for a Head of Application Platforms is accountable for the end-to-end performance, stability, and delivery of Dis-Chem's application platforms across Retail, Customer, Core, and Integration domains.
The role is accountable for the end-to-end health, evolution, and performance of application platforms that support in-store operations, digital customer engagement, head-office functions, and enterprise integration.
The role operates with a platform-as-a-product mindset, ensuring platforms are reliable, scalable, secure, and consumable across business units.
The Head of Application Platforms ensures alignment to enterprise architecture, security guardrails, and governance standards while enabling speed-to-market and reuse.
Requirements
Bachelor's degree in information systems, Computer Science, or related field
10+ years' experience in application or digital technology leadership
Proven delivery and operation of large-scale enterprise platforms
Responsibilities:
Strategy and value delivery
Define and maintain platform strategies and roadmaps across Retail, Customer, Core, and Integration platforms
Ensure platforms deliver reusable capabilities rather than bespoke point solutions
Decide and govern platform ownership models (single-consumer vs multi-consumer) in line with enterprise design principles
Drive simplification, standardization, and technical-debt reduction
Delivery and operations
Accountable for outcomes delivered through platform tribes and squads
Ensure stable, secure operation of applications, including incident, problem, and lifecycle management
Partner with Infrastructure and Security to meet availability, performance, and resilience targets
Coordinate with Integration & Workflow platforms to enable reliable data flow and process automation
Governance and collaboration
Work with Enterprise Architecture to ensure adherence to technology standards and pattern
Partner with IT Demand Management and PMO to prioritize work within fixed capacity
Collaborate with business product owners to define value cases, outcomes, and success metrics
Govern vendor delivery within platform accountability frameworks
Competencies:
Strong product and platform leadership mindset
Experience leading multiple Agile tribes and squads
Ability to manage complex application landscapes and dependencies
Strong stakeholder engagement across business and IT
Lead, coach, and develop Platform Tribe Leads and their teams
Set performance expectations and conduct performance reviews
Manage team capacity, workload allocation, and capability development
Support recruitment, succession planning, and organizational design
Key Performance Indicators
Availability, performance, and resilience of application platforms
Delivery of platform roadmaps and major releases vs plan
Adoption and reuse of common platforms across business units
Reduction of legacy complexity and decommissioning of duplicate systems
Business satisfaction with platform capabilities and time-to-market
Contribution to culture and leadership outcomes, measured through employee engagement, culture index improvements, and adherence to organizational values and leadership behaviours.
Special Conditions of Employment:
South African citizen
MIE, clear criminal and credit
Driver's license and/or own reliable transport
Remuneration and benefits:
Market related salary
Medical aid
Provident fund
Staff account
Closing Date 03 October 2026
Dis-Chem Pharmacies has an opportunity available for a Head of Application Platforms is accountable for the end-to-end performance, stability, and delivery of Dis-Chem's application platforms across Retail, Customer, Core, and Integration domains.
The role is accountable for the end-to-end health, evolution, and performance of application platforms that support in-store operations, digital customer engagement, head-office functions, and enterprise integration.
The role operates with a platform-as-a-product mindset, ensuring platforms are reliable, scalable, secure, and consumable across business units.
The Head of Application Platforms ensures alignment to enterprise architecture, security guardrails, and governance standards while enabling speed-to-market and reuse.
Requirements
Bachelor's degree in information systems, Computer Science, or related field
10+ years' experience in application or digital technology leadership
Proven delivery and operation of large-scale enterprise platforms
Responsibilities:
Strategy and value delivery
Define and maintain platform strategies and roadmaps across Retail, Customer, Core, and Integration platforms
Ensure platforms deliver reusable capabilities rather than bespoke point solutions
Decide and govern platform ownership models (single-consumer vs multi-consumer) in line with enterprise design principles
Drive simplification, standardization, and technical-debt reduction
Delivery and operations
Accountable for outcomes delivered through platform tribes and squads
Ensure stable, secure operation of applications, including incident, problem, and lifecycle management
Partner with Infrastructure and Security to meet availability, performance, and resilience targets
Coordinate with Integration & Workflow platforms to enable reliable data flow and process automation
Governance and collaboration
Work with Enterprise Architecture to ensure adherence to technology standards and pattern
Partner with IT Demand Management and PMO to prioritize work within fixed capacity
Collaborate with business product owners to define value cases, outcomes, and success metrics
Govern vendor delivery within platform accountability frameworks
Competencies:
Strong product and platform leadership mindset
Experience leading multiple Agile tribes and squads
Ability to manage complex application landscapes and dependencies
Strong stakeholder engagement across business and IT
Lead, coach, and develop Platform Tribe Leads and their teams
Set performance expectations and conduct performance reviews
Manage team capacity, workload allocation, and capability development
Support recruitment, succession planning, and organizational design
Key Performance Indicators
Availability, performance, and resilience of application platforms
Delivery of platform roadmaps and major releases vs plan
Adoption and reuse of common platforms across business units
Reduction of legacy complexity and decommissioning of duplicate systems
Business satisfaction with platform capabilities and time-to-market
Contribution to culture and leadership outcomes, measured through employee engagement, culture index improvements, and adherence to organizational values and leadership behaviours.
Special Conditions of Employment:
South African citizen
MIE, clear criminal and credit
Driver's license and/or own reliable transport
Remuneration and benefits:
Market related salary
Medical aid
Provident fund
Staff account
Closing Date 03 October 2026