Application Support Specialist at Absa March, 2023

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Job Summary

Supports, manages, and delivers the implementation, maintenance, and enhancement of all Applications systems (Core Banking and Business application) both Cloud and on-premises, to enable the use of appropriate platform technology, as an integral and reliable component of business process within country.

Job Description

Drive convergence of technologies, ensure delivery of technology projects associated with Applications and liaise and negotiate with internal customers and technology vendors.
Manage the daily applications effective operations such as for Core Banking applications, Digital Channels, Payment’s applications, and back-office enterprise applications in accordance with ITIL processes.
Ensure license management on all enterprise applications.
Create and maintain up to date Production Systems Architecture diagrams for each application within the portfolio in accordance with the standard IT documentation throughout the application lifecycle.
Organize and maintain a regular availability review process with both key business and IT representatives.
Initiate, agree and coordinate appropriate actions required to maintain or improve availability of applications.
Act as a coordination point for changes to availability levels of applications when needed.
Determine the availability requirements from the business for new or enhanced IT applications
Establish measures and reporting that reflect business, user, and IT support requirements with regards to application availability
Participate in Change Control meetings to assess and authorize changes from an availability perspective
Define the key targets of availability required for the applications and their components that underpin a new or enhanced IT application as the basis for an SLA agreement
Analyse and review actual availability levels achieved against SLAs and OLAs.
Maintain an awareness of technology advancements and best practices that support application availability and highest degree of benefit to the end users.
Lead initiatives on Cost saving Setup and implementation.
Identify issues with cost, risk, inter-dependencies, impact on current business activities and the strategic benefits to be realized.
Develop, lead, and coach a high performing team in managing the IT Service Delivery and ensure growth to full potential.
Determine and analyses the developments needs of the team and establish the succession plan for the entire unit.
Provide regular reports on availability to the Chief Information Officer.
Building up relationship with business, country IT Risk and governance team and provide the support wherever required.
Ensure availability of tested Business Continuity Management, ready to support the business and participate in testing periodically.
Agree appropriate actions to maintain or improve availability levels.

Accountability: Finance, risk, governance

Understand the platform cost model & optimal cost:serve of the platform
Provide analysis on actual versus projected capacity requirements, based on service KPIs, evolving customer usage scenarios, and new feature releases to support the development of a viable platform cost mode
Adhere to budget requirements and track and report operational cost data to the business.
Participate in incident management & DR activity – applying critical thinking, problem solving & technical expertise to get to the bottom of major incidents
Understand & apply group technology (e.g. architecture, development, change & release etc.), risk, governance, compliance & regulatory standards and frameworksAccountability: Finance, risk, governance
Understand the platform cost model & optimal cost:serve of the platform
Provide analysis on actual versus projected capacity requirements, based on service KPIs, evolving customer usage scenarios, and new feature releases to support the development of a viable platform cost model
Adhere to budget requirements and track and report operational cost data to the business.
Participate in incident management & DR activity – applying critical thinking, problem solving & technical expertise to get to the bottom of major incidents
Understand & apply group technology (e.g. architecture, development, change & release etc.), risk, governance, compliance & regulatory standards and frameworksAccountability: People
Proactively & effectively collaborate & contribute constructively across disciplines within the feature team
Proactively manage dependencies, share information & best practices, contribute to problem solving and conflict resolution within the feature team
Consistently share information, across the team, to the right audience with the appropriate level of detail and timeliness to enable overall platform success
Contribute to a high performance team environment & positive culture as a high performing member of a self-directed team aligned to agile working
Proactively seek mentorship & coaching from others & consistently seek, respond to & provide feedback with the intention of improving team effectiveness
Contribute constructively in team meetings, and in cross-discipline collaborations within the team