Lead: Business

(Land Bank) is South Africa's only specialist agricultural bank established in 1912, the bank's sole objective is to serve South African commercial and emerging farmers and bring specially designed financial services within their reach. These services enable farmers to finance land, equipment, improve assets and obtain production credit. The Land Bank provides financial services that have moved with the times and continues to provide services to agri-business and constantly reviews its offerings to ensure that they match the needs of an industry. As change has swept across the sector in South Africa the socio-economic makeup of agriculture has altered, bringing new entrants from historically disadvantaged backgrounds on to the land, these new farmers, facing the challenges of establishing sustainable agri-businesses across the agricultural value chain, Land Bank has been a commercial lifeline offering appropriately designed financial products that facilitate personal and commercial viability in a sector that is vital to the sustainability of South Africa and its people.

The role of a Lead Core Banking Technology is responsible for the technical aspects of a solution introduced into the core banking technology and related systems (including SAP). This role performs a variety of duties to analyze, design, develop, maintain, test, debug, implement, document and support applications within a banking system team. The Lead, Core Banking Technology Specialist is also responsible for mentoring team members in addition to the overall architectural design and review of deliverables for core banking solutions. The role also include Integrating new technologies and processes into the existing core banking technology and related systems as well as providing supervised optimizations and code refactors. This role is further responsible for translating business requirements into practical core banking system implementation. The role and ensure day to day errors are minimised and addressed with minimal impact to the business operations in the core banking technology platforms.

1. Translate business requirements into practical Core Banking Implementations

• Conduct requirements solicitation sessions with business stakeholders including validation and confirmation of requirements
• Participate in and support analysis, design, testing, implementation and maintenance of enhancements to Banking Technology
• Provide technical guidance for development teams responsible for the development and maintenance of all aspects of the Banking Systems
• Ensure the application of SDLC Standards.
• Supporting Core Banking Solutions, and related applications, Co-ordinate Vendor Support Issues, implements Enhancements and customization

2. Perform overall system design of a Core Banking Technology Solution

• Review system requirements and prepare estimates for the overall technical solution.
• Collaborate with IT Architect responsible for application architecture to ensure requirements address the required transitions and target solutions for Landbank
• Develop core baking solution designs that address business requirements and validate with business stakeholders.
• Collaborate with IT Architect responsible for Technology and applications to deliver on optimal designs inline with IT Portfolio Roadmap
• Elicits required information from stakeholders to develop technical requirements specifications for Core Banking designs
• Validates stakeholder technical requirements to ensure it matches intended stakeholder needs for core banking solution

3. Manage technical integration with other applications associated with Core Banking Processes

• Lead the cross-functional team meetings to develop and implement business solutions and optimize operations, conducts impact analysis of new products, systems, upgrades and changes for department/functional areas, and evaluates systems and business processes for feasibility.
• Lead the planning product definitions, develop road maps for projects assigned, and define release priorities, product improvements and enhancements; ensures new or modified processes and systems meet project objectives and business requirements.
• Ensures that availability and performance targets are met for all Core Systems and that optimum service levels are required
• Collaborate with Senior Develop Integrations, IT architect responsible for Applications and Technology to develop appropriate integration patterns that supports core banking solution
• Coach and advise team members on their assigned production tasks for quick turnaround time to meet stakeholder and business needs
• Lead the evaluation of new technologies and participate in the continuous improvement of applications and systems.

4. Lead code reviews and advise team members on best practices in development

• Develop the code review standards and code version control processes
• Lead the software development team by setting goals, standards, and mentoring
• Lead and/or supervise optimizations and code refactors
• Evaluate new technologies and participate in the continuous improvement of applications and systems
• Act as a liaison between IT vendors and Business Analysts to review business needs and IT requirements for core banking solutions.
• Effectively communicates solution impact to stakeholders to address their requirements .

5. Lead User Acceptance and End User Testing for Core Banking Technology

• Lead user acceptance testing projects to ensure all the core banking deployments meet customer needs
• Lead the development of testing scenarios and scripts, identify and document functional test cases, write and execute test scripts for all upgrades or conversions.
• Ensure day to day errors are minimised and addressed with minimal impact to the business
• Review and update the requirements traceability matrix
• Review and update Functional cfses
• Review and update test cases

6. Lead Technical Core Banking Technology Training to Business Super Users

• Support the in the development of business application technical manuals
• Manage end to end business super user training for Core Banking Platform
• Development and delivery of training for core banking users and interested business stakeholders

• Bachelor's degree in computer science, Information Technology, Information Systems, or equivalent

• SAP Certification –FICO

• Knowledge and understanding of business process and software applications fundamentals

• Extensive experience in a banking and financial services industry functional business area (i.e., loan or deposit operations, IT, finance systems or applications, or business process re-engineering), with strong working knowledge of banking business processes, core processing systems, and managing projects for technical and business solutions

• Experience in business and data modelling

• Experience in dealing with multiple process and systems methodology application

• Thorough understanding of data principles and applications

• Excellent communication, analytical and problem solving skills with an eye to visualize and design for the future

• Experience in multiple business area and systems focus with strategic business and industry awareness limited to areas of experience

• Thorough understanding of business processes and technologies impact within the organisation

• Ability to interact with various specialists internally or externally to drive continuous improvement and innovation

• Experience in software applications (Advanced Excel; Advanced Visio; Advanced Word; Advanced PowerPoint)

• Knowledge and understanding of the principles of business, the application thereof, the opportunities within business and the seizure of such opportunities

• Sound knowledge of the different business systems, associated applications and the interrelationship between the business systems

• Advanced report writing skills (Process reports, specifications and executive summaries)

Knowledge/Experience Business Environment