Development Manager at Discovery Limited

Key Purpose 

Acts a technical owner of a set of applications. Managing relationships with Business Product owners and ensures that business objectives are reflected in the technical processes which they manage. Managing at team of IT specialists, specifically resourcing and scheduling in the DSLC Processes. Managing a set of projects (potentially across teams). Ensuring that the applications remain adaptive to emerging client needs in its lifetime. 

Areas of responsibility may include but not limited to 

• Client Relationship Management & Networking 
• Ensuring alignment to business requirements, and building trust with clients by displaying managerial competence 
• Understanding business requirements, business systems and process context, impact and risks 
• Participating in client forums, MANCO, EXCO, planning/strategy sessions, reporting 
• Acting as Consultant to the internal client 
• Interfacing to other teams where required 
• Interfacing to external clients, vendors where required 
• Delivery and Support of Specific Applications  
• Management of activities within the SDLC (process owner) 
• Participating and enabling the business Prioritisation process 
• Scheduling and prioritisation of tasks and resources 
• Coordinate: Build, Test, Deliver, Fix, Change Requests 
• Capacity management: delegation of tasks, review of execution, and providing feedback to team members 
• Resolution and prevention of issues 

Technical capacity, quality and standards 

• Ensures that the Technical Application capacity exists for a particular set of systems 
• Understanding business' future requirements 
• Preventing technical issues from arising by proactive management 
• Produce and enable a Capacity Plan for the Application 
• Ensuring adherence to Quality, Standards, SLA adherence, adherence to PM and SDLC standards 
• Making recommendations for the improvement of the SDLC, PM or ITIL processes 

Project Management of projects 

• Acting as a Project Manager for selected projects 
• Delivering specific projects to produce internal or external capacity 
• Management of activities within the SDLC (Acting as process owner) 
• Participating and enabling the business prioritisation process 
• Scheduling and prioritising tasks and resources 
• Taking ownership of production issues and driving to resolution 
• Adherence to Quality, Standards, SLA’s and SDLC standards 

Human Capital Management 

• Ensures that human capacity exists in the team being managed 
• Driving the skills development of team members, coaching of team members for performance, and coaching on career development 
• Recruitment, staff training, conflict management and creating a welcoming working environment 
• Performance management (objective setting, feedback, appraisals, incentives and bonuses, addressing poor performance)  Contribution to Digital Systems Strategy 
• Contribute to the Vitality RSA Systems strategy, technical direction, MANCO 

Personal Attributes and Skills 

• Drives Results 
• Passion for delivery and quality  
• Values Driven 
• Optimistic 
• Learns on the Fly 
• Resilient 
• Instils Trust 
• People Savvy 
• Drives Results 
• Problem Solver 
• Leadership Skills 
• Strategic Agility 
• Manages complexity 
• Balances Stakeholders 

Education and Experience 

Education:  

• Matric 
• BSc in Computer Sciences/ Information Systems or equivalent IT tertiary qualification 
• Applicable Management Development courses would be advantageous 

Knowledge: 

• ITIL (Incident, Change, Release, Problem Management) 
• SDLC (Agile Methodology experience would be advantageous) 

Experience:  

• Minimum 8 – 10 years Systems Development experience 
• Minimum 3 to 5 years relevant experience managing a software development team for large commercial entities, or demonstrated leadership capabilities 
• Exposure in driving key strategic initiatives in a Business Unit