Role Summary The IT Manager is the owner of the Group's IT function. Based in our Dubai regional hub, this person is accountable for end-user technology, network and infrastructure, cybersecurity and data protection, IT asset and inventory management, and vendor management across all Group offices. The role reports into the Group CEO and works closely with Finance, HR, and Business heads. This is a hands-on management role. The successful candidate will build and operate a lean IT function — directly handling Dubai office requirements, while coordinating regional managed service providers and country-level support partners to deliver consistent service across the Group. Key Responsibilities End-user IT and equipment Own the full lifecycle of laptops, desktops, mobile devices, printers, and peripherals across the Group — from procurement and provisioning through to retirement and secure data wipe. Run the IT helpdesk function (in-house or outsourced), with clear SLAs for ticket resolution, escalation, and user satisfaction. Set and enforce hardware and software standards to balance user productivity, cost efficiency, and security. Manage IT components of employee onboarding and offboarding in coordination with HR — equipment issuance, account creation, access revocation, and asset recovery. Network and infrastructure Operate and improve office network, Wi-Fi, VPN, and connectivity infrastructure across all locations, working with local ISPs and telcos. Administer cloud productivity and collaboration platforms (Microsoft 365 / Google Workspace), identity management, file storage, and backup. Maintain the Group's server, virtualisation, and storage estate where applicable, including patching, monitoring, and disaster recovery readiness. Partner with Finance, HR and Operations to support business systems (ERP, CRM, HRMS, inventory, accounting) — owning the IT layer beneath these applications. Cybersecurity and compliance Implement and maintain the Group's cybersecurity posture — endpoint protection, email security, MFA, access controls, vulnerability management, and incident response. Develop, document, and enforce IT and information security policies; run regular awareness training for staff. Ensure compliance with applicable data protection regimes across our footprint, including the UAE PDPL, Singapore PDPA, and GDPR (where African or European data is processed). Flag jurisdiction-specific gaps and engage external counsel where required. Lead internal IT audits and respond to customer or partner security questionnaires and due diligence requests. IT asset and inventory management Maintain a single source of truth for all IT assets across the Group — make, model, serial number, assigned user, location, warranty status, and lifecycle stage. Track software licences and subscriptions; right-size renewals and prevent shadow IT spend. Run periodic physical audits across offices and reconcile against the asset register. Produce monthly IT asset and consumption reports to Finance for cost allocation and capex planning. Vendor and budget management Manage the IT vendor portfolio — MSPs, telcos, ISPs, hardware suppliers, SaaS providers, and security vendors. Negotiate commercial terms and SLAs. Own the Group IT budget: forecast, track spend, and report variances to the CEO and Finance. Run vendor selection and procurement processes for new IT investments, including business case, RFP, and contract review (with Legal). Drive consolidation and standardisation of vendors across regions to improve cost and service quality.