Application Development Manager (EE) (CPT)
IT – Software Development ~ Product/Project management ~ IT – Manager
Cape Town – Western Cape – South Africa
ENVIRONMENT:
THE visionary mindset with a focus on innovation and continuous improvement of an Application Development Manager is sought by a dynamic Financial Services Group to align technical goals with business objectives. You will be responsible for overseeing the development, deployment and maintenance of the Enterprise Applications while ensuring that the Application Development aligns with business objectives, complies with regulatory requirements and follows published standards and industry best practice. Applicants will require a suitable IT/Computer Science Certification / tertiary qualification with 10 years of Software Development experience, with 5 years in a leadership role including proven experience in delivering Enterprise- level Applications or products. You will also need to be proficient with the following: Java, C#, SQL, SSIS, SSRS, .NET; MS SQL Server, MS Teams Foundation Server; DevOps & CI/CD, Jenkins, Docker, Kubernetes, Git, AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud experience.
DUTIES:
Strategic Planning & Leadership –
- Define and implement the Application Development Strategy in alignment with the defined Enterprise Architecture and organisational objectives.
- Lead, mentor and manage a team of Technical Leads and Developers.
- Collaborate with senior management and cross-functional teams to define and execute the technical roadmap, prioritise projects and allocate resource effectively.
- Identify and mitigate for skills gaps within the Development team.
- Ensure development plans are in place to address any gaps and keep the skills within the team at the required level.
Project Management –
- Oversee the full Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC) including requirement gathering, analysis, design, coding, testing, deployment and support.
- Ensure timely delivery of projects within scope and budget.
- Implement Agile, Scrum or other methodologies as appropriate.
Technical Oversight –
- Drive the development, and optimization of platforms, ensuring scalability, reliability, and security.
- Stay abreast of industry trends and emerging technologies, evaluating their potential impact and relevance to the business.
- Partner with Product Managers and stakeholders to translate business requirements into technical solutions, driving alignment and execution.
- Implement best practices, processes, and tools to streamline development workflows and improve efficiency.
- Monitor and analyse platform performance metrics, identifying areas for optimization and improvement to enhance the customer experience.
- Ensure robust integration of applications with core systems (e.g. CRM, Risk tools, etc.).
Stakeholder Engagement –
- Act as the liaison between the business units, Architects and the Development teams to translate design and requirements into technical specification.
- Communicate project status, risks and issues to stakeholders in a timely fashion.
Risk & Compliance –
- Ensure all applications adhere to regulations, data privacy laws & standards and internal policies ( e.g. SOX, GDPR, POPI, PCI-DSS, etc.).
- Implement secure coding practices and ensure regular reviews are performed.
- Document all required Standard Operating Procedures.
- Ensure a robust control plan is in place.
- Perform controls and provide results and evidence to the local OPC.
Quality Assurance & Continuous Improvement –
- Establish coding standards, code review practices and quality assurance protocols.
- Promote Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery (CI/CD) and automation testing practices.
- Identify areas for process improvement and drive the adoption of development best practices.
REQUIREMENTS:
Qualifications –
- Relevant IT / Computer Science Certification / qualification.
Experience/Skills –
- At least 10 years of Software Development experience, with 5 years in a leadership role.
- Proven experience in delivering Enterprise- level Applications or products.
- Proven experience in the Financial Service industry (Banking, Retail Finance, Insurance, etc.).
- Deep understanding of software architecture, design patterns, and best practices.
- Strong knowledge of Programming languages (e.g. Java, C#, SQL, SSIS, SSRS); frameworks (.NET); Relational Databases (MS SQL Server); Source Code Management (MS Teams Foundation Server).
- DevOps & CI/CD: Understanding of CI/CD pipelines, Jenkins, Docker, Kubernetes, Git.
- Cloud Platforms: AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud experience.
- Familiarity with Agile/Scrum and DevOps practices.
- Experience in API management and platforms.
- Proven experience in delivering Enterprise-level applications or products.
Advantageous –
- Experience with Spring Boot, Angular, React etc.
- MS SharePoint & Active Batch.
ATTRIBUTES:
- Business Insight – applies market and business insights in order to drive organisational objectives.
- Communicates Effectively – conveys information and communicates ideas in a clear, concise and impactful manner.
- Decision Quality – consistently makes timely, well-rounded and informed decisions.
- Ensures Accountability – takes accountability and ensures others are held to account on agreed upon performance targets.
- Manages Complexity – interprets and simplifies complex and contradictory information when resolving organisational problems.
- Development of self and others.
- Strong problem-solving skills and a passion for driving technical excellence and innovation.
- Adaptability – able to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment; effectively deal with multiple priorities and projects.
- Strong leadership and communication skills – the ability to inspire and motivate teams to achieve their goals.