Specialist Developer

SUMMARY:
Our client, a leading Financial Institution is looking for a Specialist Developer to join their dynamic team.

POSITION INFO:
Job Purpose/ Job Summary
To use domain knowledge and experience to provide specialist insight into enterprise-wide technology-based challenges and solutions and so contribute to the achievement of the strategic priorities.

Minimum requirements for Job

Minimum Qualification

• Degree / Honours in IT

• 10-12 years having delivered IT applications and systems with specific technology certifications, financial services experience is strongly preferred.

• Contribute to crafting of IT Application Management (or Infrastructure Management) business plan to ensure delivery of focus areas for the year in support of IT strategy and the Enterprise strategy (Improve Technology within the organisation).
• View of the IT Application Landscape.
• Improve Technology within the organisation by solving complex problems that require an in-depth knowledge of a particular area of specialisation (or domain).
• Apply cost effectiveness principles in planning and delivery to contribute to achievement of divisional financial targets.
• Provide input into the formalisation for the divisional budget.
• Ensure that upgrades and systems are delivered on time and to standard by tracking progress against milestones and standards in project plans (as defined by the organisation and Industry) and re-allocating tasks within the team when necessary.
• Ensure that solutions and advice delivered are current and relevant by remaining abreast of developments in the technology industry, benchmarking organisation practices against international best practice, leveraging research conducted by the Enterprise Architects and deciding which technology is the best alternative for a specific application.
• Ensure that systems, products and projects contribute to improved client and organisation service by providing specialist guidance, knowledge, input and insight about the domain and potential technical challenges at the inception phase.
• Provide specialist input about domain (area of expertise) knowledge by providing solution designs and technical analysis, conducting code reviews, collaborating with peers and providing input at centres of excellence (company platforms for technology personnel to share learning and best practice).

• Build strategic organisation, Industry and Global networks of thought leaders and relationships utilising social media, attending and presenting at conferences and training interventions.
• Ensure that client needs are understood and consistently met by communicating regularly to clarify expectations and by providing proactive feedback on progress.
• Build strategic relationships with technology vendors (Microsoft, Red Hat, Denodo, Dimensions Data) by identifying mutually beneficial opportunities that satisfy business needs and then using existing contacts to develop these opportunities.
• Build collaborative relationships with vendors to influence the development of their solutions by establishing an ongoing productive working relationship with them, meeting with vendors to create awareness of the role of the organisation in South Africa and by highlighting the benefits of developing required solutions for both parties.
• Build relationships with internal business clients by effectively delivering on their requirements, managing their expectations, communicating effectively and by understanding their unstated requirements and business challenges and collaborating with them to define these.

• Manage own delivery against project, operational and strategic delivery plan and set timelines, identify obstacles to delivery and take appropriate action where required.
• Manage external vendor support allocations by assisting in defining the scope of what the vendor should do, providing guidance and insight to the vendor, analysing the vendor proposal, giving input into the final decision and tracking and monitoring delivery and quality of agreed services.
• Formalise plans for applications by analysing multiple application technology roadmaps, developing annual plans for all activities around each application, breaking plans down into milestones and deliverables, tracking progress against plans and when planned progress is not being made, escalating concerns to relevant manager.
• Mitigate risk of implementing a fragile solution by evaluating alternative solutions to establish the best fit.
• Mitigate human error risk by automating tasks, actions and processes wherever appropriate.
• Proactively identify risks and challenges and alert relevant stakeholders.
• Mitigate financial and reputational risk by proactively working with stakeholders to identify risks associated with current system or process and initiating necessary changes.
• Identify root causes and take corrective action by analysing data, diagnostics, application designs and solutions to determine the root cause of problems and recommend corrective action based on expert domain knowledge.
• Provide input into business cases to motivate for costs by applying specialist knowledge to determine the most appropriate solution and to determine the risk if the solution is not implemented.
• Ensure that outputs meet business compliance expectations by referring to business requirement specifications and evaluating outputs against these.
• Solve enterprise-wide technology and specific application problems by applying specialist domain knowledge and experience, gathering and analysing data, diagnostics, symptoms and application designs, evaluating alternatives and deciding which is the most appropriate and efficient choice.
• Influence relevant stakeholders to implement recommendations by developing improved value propositions and escalating recommendations through appropriate structures.
• Avoid being side-tracked by work and operational activity that does not contribute to the achievement of major goals by mentoring appropriate junior staff and re-allocating appropriate tasks to them.
• Overcome the challenge of key person dependency by contributing to the recruitment process and by practicing knowledge sharing and mentoring of other members of the team.
• Contribute to the crafting of policies, procedures, standards and processes by contributing to the various Centres of Excellence workshops.

• Improve personal capability and professional growth relating to field of expertise, in line with company objectives by discussing development needs and proposed solutions with management.
• Keep abreast of changes in legislation or standards by conducting research and utilising networks.
• Upskill team and other professionals by sharing knowledge and research results.
• Epitomise living the organisations values, displaying professional conduct and adherence to required technical standards.

• Analyse, research, develop and implement improvement/innovative ideas and value adding solutions contributing to divisional and company results.