Senior Specialist Systems Engineer (System Integration) at The South African Revenue Service (SARS)

About the Position

• Consult to business on technology solutions in the IBM WebSphere Application Server domain whilst ensuring 24/7 availability within all SARS BU platforms. OpenShift knowledge will be an added advantage.

Job Purpose

• To be responsible for co-ordinating, programming, implementing and maintaining system architectures, including hardware, operating systems, and utilities, and related client services within the organisation and ensuring to meet service level agreements.  To be responsible for identification and resolution of complex hardware and software technical problems and malfunctions related to network and related servers and makes decisions that are critical in the areas of performance analysis, problem solving, and infrastructure planning, with the potential to affect the successful execution of business transactions, ensuring a stable performance environment for the enterprise business processing system. 

Education and Experience

• Bachelor's Degree / Advanced Diploma (NQF 7) Information Technology AND 8-10 years' experience in a IBM WebSphere Application Server, of which 3-4 years ideally at operational specialist level.

OR

• Senior Certificate (NQF 4) AND Relevant IT Qualification (s) / Certification (s), Information Technology and 8-10 years’ experience in an IBM WebSphere Application Server, AND additional requirements specified in Min Functional requirements.
• AiX: IBM AiX Certified Engineer, PowerHA, IBM Systems Director or relevant certification OR
• LINUX: SuSE Certified Professional or Linux Professional Certified Level 2 or Redhat Certified Technician OR
• WAS: IBM WebSphere Application Server Certified System Administrator or any other relevant certification

ALTERNATIVE 

• Senior Certificate (NQF 4) AND 15 years IBM WebSphere Application Server experience.

Job Outputs:

Process

• Administrative/maintenance tasks for IBM WebSphere Application Server
• Analyse and make recommendations about improvements to WAS architecture, implementations, procedures, and associated area's practice.
• Integrate business information, compare, analyze & produce reports to identify trends, discrepancies & inconsistencies for decision making purposes.
• Identifying and using a variety of complex tools and new technology to improve systems and delivery of services
• Analyse and make recommendations about improvements to specialist systems, procedures and associated area's practice.
• Contribute to the optimum utilisation of org. resources, advising on effective planning and development of area of specialisation resource plans.
• Develop a single practice area in alignment with operational activity and procedural frameworks and ensure tactical implementation.
• Draw on own technical or professional expertise, knowledge & experience to identify & recommend tactical solutions to defined problems in practices.
• Integrate business information, compare, analyse & produce reports to identify trends, discrepancies & inconsistencies for decision making purposes.
• Optimise goal achievement through tactical strategy implementation and optimisation of practises, processes & systems across an internal value chain.
• Plan for value-added, continuous practice & system improvements to deliver on objectives to enhance tactical implementation and excellence.
• Proactively identify interconnected problems, determine its impact and use to develop best fit alternatives; best practice implementation solutions.
• Translate top down policy in relation to own practice area and communicate impact to relevant stakeholders.
• Recommend changes to optimise processes, systems, practice area and associated procedures and execute the implementation of change and innovation.
• Advising on programming, implementation and maintaining system architectures, including hardware, operating systems, and utilities, and related client services within the enterprise
• Advise on the identification and resolution of high-level hardware and software technical problems and malfunctions related to network and related servers.
• Makes decisions that are critical in the areas of performance analysis, problem solving, and infrastructure planning, with the potential to affect the successful execution of business transactions.
• Proactively researches and locates necessary tools and processes to identify and proactively avert troublesome trends as they develop. 
• Advice on stable performance environment for the enterprise business processing system.
• Participates in various IT projects intended to continually improve/upgrade the systems infrastructure.
• Advise and design in support of the management and support of the organisation's System operating systems and/or application server software and utilities infrastructure - Specialist coding for the optimisation of System systems to optimise workflow;  coaching other engineers to resolutions, engineering and implementing complex projects, and for maintaining and overseeing the technology, ensuring alignment of IT strategy to business strategy
• Collaborate with network staff to ensure smooth and reliable operation of software and systems for fulfilling business objectives and processes.
• Configuring, debugging and supporting multiple infrastructure platforms
• Developing, maintaining and supporting technical infrastructure, hardware and system software components .
• Performing high-level root-cause analysis for service interruption recovery and creating preventive measures
• Performing installation, maintenance and support of system software/hardware and user support
• Work with executive team members, decision makers, and stakeholders to define business requirements and systems goals, and to identify and resolve business systems issues.
• Coordinate and perform in-depth tests, including end-user reviews, for modified and new systems.
• Create and maintain documentation as it relates to system configuration, mapping, processes, and service records
• Design and perform server and security audits, system backup procedures, and other recovery processes in accordance with the company’s disaster recovery and business continuity strategies.
• Ensure compatibility and interoperability of in-house computing systems.
• Ensure system connectivity of all servers, shared software, groupware, and other applications.
• Gauge the effectiveness and efficiency of existing systems; develop and implement strategies for improving or further leveraging these systems.
• Integrate servers and their associated software into enterprise systems/solutions.
• Monitor and test system performance; prepare and deliver system performance statistics and reports.
• Propose and create system design models, specifications, diagrams, and charts to provide direction to system programmer and development teams.
• Responsible for building, implementing and maintaining system hardware and software architectures as well as to identify and resolve all hardware and software technical problems.
• To participate in various IT projects intended to continually improve/upgrade the system infrastructure.
• To establishes systems programming standards and documentation requirements and play a key role in the integration of mainframe, midrange, shared systems and other computing architectures.

Governance

• Develop and/or align governance and compliance policies for own practice area to identify and manage risk exposure liability.

People

• Integrate new knowledge and transfer skills attained through formal and informal learning opportunities in the execution of your job.
• Provide specialist know-how, support, advice and practice thought leadership in area of expertise.

Finance

• Implement and monitor financial control, management of costs and corporate governance in area of specialisation.

Client

• Develop & ensure implementation of a practice that builds service delivery excellence & encourage others to provide exceptional stakeholder service.
• Participate in the specialist practice community and contribute positively to organisation knowledge management.
• Provide authoritative, specialist expertise and advice to internal and external stakeholders.

Behavioural competencies

• Accountability
• Analytical Thinking  
• Attention to Detail 
• Adaptability
• Building Sustainability 
• Commitment to Continuous Learning 
• Conceptual Ability
• Fairness and Transparency
• Honesty and Integrity
• Organisational Awareness 
• Problem Solving and Analysis 
• Respect
• Trust