IT Governance Specialist

Job Overview

The IT Governance Specialist will be responsible for developing, maintaining, and ensuring compliance with IT policies and governance frameworks aligned to national and international standards. This role will also focus on risk management, strategic IT alignment, quality assurance, audit readiness, and adherence to digital government standards specific to Sharjah and the broader UAE context.

Key Responsibilities

• Create and revise IT policies, procedures, and standards based on national frameworks and global standards including COBIT, ISO 38500, and ITIL.
• Oversee compliance with IT policies across all departments, providing guidance and corrective action when needed.
• Generate compliance reports periodically for executive leadership review.
• Identify, evaluate, and document IT risks, working collaboratively with Cybersecurity, PMO, and operations teams.
• Design and execute risk mitigation and treatment plans while regularly monitoring risk status and advising on necessary interventions.
• Contribute to the development and reassessment of the IT and Digital Transformation Strategies.
• Assess IT projects to ensure they meet strategic and digital government priorities.
• Help define and uphold policies governing project management, change management, incident handling, asset management, and business continuity.
• Develop key performance indicators to gauge IT governance effectiveness, track IT service levels, and ensure SLA compliance.
• Compile monthly and quarterly performance reports and dashboards for leadership.
• Maintain detailed governance documentation, including policies, templates, procedures, and guidelines.
• Coordinate with internal and external audit teams to maintain audit readiness and address audit findings with process and control enhancements.
• Ensure organizational practices align with Sharjah Digital Government and UAE digital government standards.
• Support teams in sustaining compliance with Digital Government Maturity models and initiatives.

Key Skills and Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related discipline.
• Between 3 to 7 years of experience in IT governance, compliance, or risk management roles.
• In-depth knowledge of COBIT, ITIL, ISO 38500, ISO 27001, and ISO 20000 standards.
• Familiarity with national cybersecurity and digital governance directives such as those from NESA and TDRA.
• Strong analytical capabilities and adept problem-solving skills.
• Proven expertise in drafting IT governance documentation and organizational policies.
• Excellent communication skills, particularly in preparing reports for senior management.

Preferred Certifications

• COBIT Foundation certification.
• ITIL 4 Foundation certification.
• ISO 27001 Lead Implementer certification.
• CGEIT or comparable credentials are advantageous.