Job Opportunities at Absa Group

Job Summary

• The Scrum master will be the facilitator for a product development team that uses scrum/agile as the development methodology. The scrum master will lead a team that ensures self-organisation and the ability to make changes quickly. The role will ensure that agile principles and concept are adhered to ensure effective preparation of the product backlog, sprint backlog and burn down charts.

Job Description

Accountabilities:
Delivery

•  Lead multiple sprints.
•  Ensuring SCRUM artefacts are maintained and updated
•  Ensuring that sprints are running smoothly and corrective actions taken wherever appropriate.
•  Effectively communicate to project manager/delivery manager about the progress as well as blockages in the on-going sprints.
•  Ensuring all change governance and standards are adhered to
•  Ensuring code quality is maintained
•  Developing plans to ensure delivery of teams’ work.

Transition to Agile

•  Understand current development/delivery model and guide teams to adapt agile strategy.
•  Satisfactory resolution of issues raised during transition.
•  Support Project/Delivery Manager in planning and transition of releases.
•  Providing expert guidance and assistance to colleagues for successful transition

Leading others and business skills

•  Responsibility for supervising, co-ordinating, participating in,and accountable for sprints of teams located at different geographic locations.
•  Making effective use of resources during the sprint to ensure that business objectives are met and deliverables achieved to agreed time, cost and quality.
•  Familiar with the details of at least one business area and has experience of liasing with peers in that area
•  Is respected and consulted by business area peers and seen as a point of contact within the team
•  Experience in creating and maintain sprint artefacts.

Delivery Capability

•  Ability to maintain a dialogue in difficult situations
•  Experience in maintaining and supporting multiple sprints
•  Knowledge of major functions and features of workflow analysis tools
•  Resolves major problems and fluently applies escalation and notification procedures for incidents

Management

•  Adapts style to contribute and enhance overall team performance and works effectively with people across a wide range of disciplines and levels (both internal and external/3rd party suppliers)
•  Experienced at leading or managing a variety of teams and projects.
•  Deals comfortably with ambiguity and uncertainty and is effective when working with unstructured teams, situations and environments
•  Aware of project costs and resources, help in tracking actual against budget and managing the balance of delivery within time/cost/quality constraints

Application Management

•  Understands how service support applies to own technical function:
•  Has experience of incident & problem management disciplines
•  Has experience of maintaining configuration items, raising changes and planning releases
•  Has good operational knowledge of the service desk and incident systems
•  Has experience in developing and maintaining technical reference documents
•  Familiar with technical documentation standards, guidelines and best practices
•  Working knowledge of scripting/utility tool component, features and facilities

Stakeholder Management

•  Can effectively manage and develop relationships with key decision makers and stakeholders to achieve successful outcomes
•  Uses stakeholder management strategy effectively and knows how to navigate the organisation
•  The ability to facilitate and negotiate with multiple parties to bring about agreement and resolution, even when position is not initially shared by others
•  Clearly and effectively communicates difficult or complex ideas clearly to stakeholders, peers and subordinates
•  Adapts style to contribute and enhance teams performance by working effectively with people across a wide range of disciplines and levels, both internal and external.

Education and Experience Required

•  Must have 3-5 years of agile practitioner experience.
•  Must have 3-5 years of experience as Scrum Master.
•  Knowledge or experience of other methodologies like RUP, Kanban etc.
•  Excellent communication skills in English in written and spoken form
•  At least 3 years’ experience working in an agile environment, preferably in a variety of situations

Knowledge & Skills: (Maximum of 6)

•  Prior background of application development using Java and web applications.
•  Experience in the delivery of multiple Application Development Projects from strategy through to deployment.
•  Proven track record in Scrum Master role,
•  Understanding of other development methodologies like RUP.
•  Expert level skills in a relevant programming language(s) and relevant design techniques.
•  A logical, analytical approach to problem solving and close attention to detail.
•  Experience in the financial industry delivering & supporting financial applications

Competencies: (Maximum of 8 competencies)

•  Working with people
•  Coping with pressure and setbacks
•  Adhering to principles and values
•  Delivering results and meeting customer expectation
•  Writing and reporting
•  Analysing
•  Planning and organising

 Following instructions and procedures

Education

National Certificate: Information Technology

• Absa Bank Limited is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. In compliance with the Employment Equity Act 55 of 1998, preference will be given to suitable candidates from designated groups whose appointments will contribute towards achievement of equitable demographic representation of our workforce profile and add to the diversity of the Bank.
• Absa Bank Limited reserves the right not to make an appointment to the post as advertised