Strategy, Planning, and Mgmt. Reporting
- Provide expert advice and support to the Head of Technology and Operations and other Singapore Operations Department heads in relation to the Branch’s IT strategy and operational functions
- Formulate a comprehensive Branch IT strategy covering IT policies and procedures, security, architecture, business solutions and operational functional requirements
- Keep abreast of developments and innovations in the FI IT landscape
- Provide mentorship, support and guidance to subordinates, share information and facilitate problem solving
- Ensure staffing is maintained at level required and that staff are trained in skills needed to complete their job and have a career plan clearly outlined and communicated per Bank PA assessment related processes. Arrange training where necessary to fill out gaps in training due to turnover or new areas of knowledge.
- Co-ordinate the yearly budgeting for IT expenditures and investments.
- Co-ordinate, compile and table Mgmt. reports to update on IT status (SG ITSC, RIMC, SRC, SG MANCO)
IT Operations
- Manage Branch-wide IT operations and infrastructure and minimize unscheduled downtime
- Oversee performance monitoring of systems to ensure outstanding operational effectiveness at low operating costs
- Ensure prompt and efficient provision of IT support
- Oversee contingency plans and ensure their adequacy
- Ensure IT assets are protected and secure
- Ensure timely renewal of digital certificates and proper lodgment with IT security team.
- Ensure IT operations run in a manner consistent with high score from audit, risk, compliance assessments. The following to be operationalized as standard procedure against all IT asset components:
- Administrative Accounts – All admin accounts lodged into PAM solution per group IT Security guidelines and MAS notice 655 point 4.1
- Patching – Patch notification process established with vendors and patch calendar updated, upon patch release assessment and implementation as needed Per patching guidelines and MAS notice 655 point 4.2
- Hardening - Per component definition and enforcement against SG security standard and Group IT Security guidelines and SG addendum/s and MAS notice 655 point 4.3
- Network Perimeter Defense – Network traffic and segments, firewalls, proxies, dns, vpn access setup in secure manner per group IT security guidelines and MAS notice 655 4.4
- Malware – IT Security consulted and all required IT security protections installed on IT assets per MAS notice 655 point 4.5
- Multi-factor Authentication – MFA, where applicable implement MFA of administrative and internet accounts with access to customer information using PAM per MAS notice 655 point 4.6
- Logging and Monitoring – Security, Capacity, Downtime, Audit
- Capacity Mgmt. – Pre-emptive monitoring (via monitoring), planning and execution of capacity upgrades as needed
- EOL/EOS Upgrades – Per group guidelines. Track and execute upgrades and/or do risk assessment and deviation approval.
- Housekeeping – scripted clean-ups and truncations of logs and temp files after necessary archives executed
- Backups – Required backup strategy per backup guidelines operationalized to central Backup Platform. Recurring scheduled backup validation activities scheduled and performed ongoing to ensure backups working per need.
- Work with system stakeholders to ensure proper classification of system criticality and ensure design and architecture can meet the assessed criticality needs:
- MAS 644 defined Critical system – Ensure DR setup and working and can achieve RTO within 4 hours, RPO within 2 hours and maximum unplanned downtime of not more than 4 hours per rolling 12 months;
- MAS 644 defined non-critical system – Ensure HA/DR per stakeholder requirement.
· Review and Approve/Reject production change requests as part of CAB committee
· Deviation request review and approval for any deviations that do not violate Group IT Security guidelines.
· Ensure and maintain adequate test environments in good working order to support enhancements and new projects;
· Define and enforce SDLC for both in-house and 3rd party solution platforms.
· Ensure CAB in place to regulate changes to production environment and veto any approvals as necessary
· Ensure the setup, integrity and ongoing improvements to the AWS Landing zone.
- Track IT related spend against budget.
- Ensure memo process adhered to authorize procurements and deviation approvals
- Review and concur memos
Application and Systems Development / New Platform Acquisition
- Explore, evaluate and priorities investments in innovative technologies that generate ROI that exceed hurdle rates
- Oversee the implementation of new systems, including interfacing with end-users to understand needs
- Oversee the deployment and implementation of applications to run on Cloud for existing systems based on end-user needs and business rationale
- Define, modernize and enforce project management practices for both in-house and 3rd party solution platforms.
- Ensure credible committee papers written and tabled to committees as required to get new systems and/or platforms, or major refreshes approved.
- Ensure memo process adhered to authorize procurements and deviation approvals
- Review and concur memos
Regulatory and Procedural Expertise
· Keep up to date and refreshed on required reading related to guiding how IT must be run in a regulated Financial institution. Minimum read list:
- MAS Technology Risk Management Guidelines (TRMG)
- MAS Notice 644 – Technology Risk Management.
- MAS Notice 655 – Cyber Hygiene
- MAS Outsourcing Guidelines
- RHB Group IT Security Guidelines and SG addendum/s
- SG Patching Guidelines
- SG Backup Guidelines
- SG Technology Department Operational Manual (OM)
- SG IT Standard Operational Procedures (SOP), and System Manuals (SM)
- SG Procurement Operational Manual (OM)
- Ensure Staff are trained to the equivalency in regulatory and procedural expertise.
Other Responsibilities
· Conduct daily Leads and Seniors Huddle, Bi-weekly Leads Meeting, and Monthly Technology Department meetings.
· Champion the usage of department issue and work tracking.
- Ensure technology department system manuals / standard operating procedures (SOP), operational manuals, and knowledge base maintained and kept up to date.
