IT Systems (Solutions) Design Practice Lead at Shoprite Group of Companies

Purpose of the Job    

• The IT Systems Design Practice Lead is the main steward of Shoprite’s software design practices. This person is responsible for ensuring Shoprite has world class software design resources, practices and standards and that these practices and standards are properly executed when delivering software changes. The IT Systems Design Practice Lead must ensure the continued improvement of the design practice to keep pace with international design standards and practices.

Job Objectives    
1. Define the software design standards, processes and tools to be used:

• Define standards and guidelines with templates for software design artifacts in alignment with upstream and downstream disciplines i.e. Architecture and development
• Define the software design processes and activities necessary
• Identify and define the use of software design tools to facilitate the design activities.

2. Ensure adoption of defined software design standards, processes and tools with all stakeholders

• including other software engineering disciplines within Shoprite:
• Identify individuals and forums that will constantly communicate and drive the adoption of the defined and software design standards, process and tools to all stakeholders
• Identify individuals and forums that will conduct quality reviews to ensure adequate adoption of the defined and software design standards, process and tools
• Collaborate with stakeholders to ensure quality reviews are scheduled and executed in line with agreed processes and deliverables.
• Identify adoption issues and escalate to governance team where necessary
• Produce review reports where required.
• Provide oversight and guidance to artifact consumers to ensure high-quality solutions are created that conforms to the set standards

3. Drive the continuous improvement of Software Design standards, processes and tools with alignment to international best practices:

• Ensure the effectiveness of the various software design practices can be measured and that improvement areas can be identified and targeted for improvement.
• Ensure that international software design best practices are evaluated on a regular basis and adopted where appropriate for Shoprite.
• Ensure that new/improved software design tools are evaluated on a regular basis and adopted where appropriate for Shoprite.
• Identify individuals and forums that will constantly communicate the improved software design practices to all stakeholders and drive adoption of the changes.

4. Ensure resources performing software design practices are appropriately skilled:

• Maintain an accurate list of all IT staff performing software design
• Identify skills gaps of IT staff performing software design
• Define training plans for filling any skills gaps identified.
• Ensure execution of training plans to fill any skills gaps.
• Identify new training solutions to enable adoption of new software design practices
• Identify appropriate training providers and negotiate pricing for training
• Ensure recruitment of appropriately skilled staff software design functions.
• Perform capacity planning to ensure we are able to meet demand for software design skills
• Create recruitment strategies that include identifying recruitment partners to ensure we are able to provide appropriately skilled software design resources when required.

Qualifications    

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, MIS, or related; a combination of relevant education and experience will be considered

Experience    

• 10 + years working experience within the IT industry
• 4+ years strong experience with Software Design modeling practices (UML, Activity diagrams etc)
• 4+ years Strong Experience with Software Design across all sub-disciplines (UX, Application and Database)
• 3+ years Strong Experience with software development
• 3+ years Experience with evolving and implementing software design practices and tools
• 3+ years Experience in Identification and formulation of Standards, Artifacts, and Processes
• 2+ years Demonstrated expertise in designing solutions to embrace micro services
• 2 + years Demonstrated expertise in designing solutions to embrace the use of containers and container management systems (Docker and Kubernetes)
• 4+ years experience in database design, designing APIs, modeling data flows etc.

Knowledge and Skills    

• Strong analytical, problem-solving and logical skills with attention to detail
• Excellent team-working, interpersonal skills
• Delivery of compelling presentations to all levels of stakeholders and excellent communication and relationship-building skills
• Develop proposals and excellent written communication & presentation skills
• Excellent organization and facilitation skills
• Strong conflict management skills
• Software Design tools/suites
• Software Design methodologies and practices