Senior Specialist: Systems (Fixed Term Contract) at The South African Revenue Service (SARS)

Job Purpose

• To champion impactful, future-ready technology solutions by delivering sharp analytical insights, strategic design thinking, and expert guidance that drive innovation. You’ll play a key role in shaping and aligning new and existing systems and related processes with evolving best practices, governance standards, and modernisation goals. By advocating thoughtful, scalable design, you’ll ensure every solution is fit-for-purpose and built to enable lasting transformation across the enterprise.

Education and Experience

Minimum Qualification & Experience Required 

• BSc Information Technology / BSc Computer Science / BCom Informatics / BCom Information Technology Management / Advanced Diploma: Business Information Technology / Advanced Diploma: ICT (NQF 7) AND 8-10 years' experience in an Information Technology environment, of which 3-4 years as a Functional/ Technical Business/ Systems Analyst..

#ALTERNATIVE

• Senior Certificate (NQF 4) AND 15 years experience in an Information Technology environment, of which 3-4 years as a Functional/ Technical Business/ Systems Analyst.

Minimum Functional Requirements

• Related IT Certification/s

Job Outputs:

Process

• Apply processes to lead, direct and manage the analytical evaluation of business cases, conceptual designs, business requirements specifications, functional specifications, change request and memos across service delivery systems in line with operational targets.
• Design self-explanatory, detailed-oriented, and logical process flows and conceptual solution design models for use by the organisation or business units for the purpose of providing information customized to meet specific needs.
• Ensure that the conceptual solution design is fit-for-purpose and in alignment with all the practical design alignment principles consistent with the organisation.
• Check completeness, validity, relevance, and corrective actions where necessary, in order to maintain set standards and achieve set objectives.
• Communicate a meaningful operational context that promotes the implementation of best practice, operational efficiency, and client service delivery.
• Apply and utilise systems in a manner that ensures accurate processing of information that contributes to efficient and effective completion of tasks.
• 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

Governance

• Ensure all solution designs are in strict adherence to all organisational policies as well as the South African Tax, Customs and Excise Acts.
• Develop and/or align governance and compliance policies for own practice area to identify and manage risk exposure liability.

People

• Provide specialist know-how, support, advice, and practice thought leadership in area of expertise.
• Establishing and maintaining effective relationships to understand needs, and promote understanding of full systems, product, and related services, and ensuring alignment to provide an understanding of all functions within the IT environment and corresponding impact on the operational environment.
• Integrate new knowledge and transfer skills attained through formal and informal learning opportunities in the execution of your job.

Finance

• Ensure effective internal management and reconciliation of all solution artifacts.
• Implement and monitor the effective financial control, management of costs and corporate governance in area of specialisation.

Client

• Participate in the specialist practice community and contribute positively to organisation knowledge management.
• Participate in the specialist practice community and contribute positively to organisation knowledge management.
• Develop & ensure implementation of a practice that builds service delivery excellence & encourage others to provide exceptional stakeholder service.

Behavioural competencies

• Honesty and Integrity 
• Attention to Detail
• Commitment to Continuous Learning
• Organisational Awareness
• Expertise in Context
• Fairness and Transparency
• Analytical Thinking
• Accountability
• Conceptual Ability
• Trust
• Respect

Technical competencies

• Reporting and Interpretation
• Reporting
• System Thinking
• Application Development and Maintenance
• Data Collection and Analysis
• Database Design and Management
• IT Knowledge
• Business Knowledge
• Efficiency improvement
• Functional Policies and Procedures

Deadline:1st February,2026