Job Vacancies at Allan Gray Proprietary Limited

Job Summary

• The Domains within Institutional IT are responsible for the design, implementation and support of the technology solutions that enable the Institutional business area and central Allan Gray business functions (Fund Operations, Performance, Trading, Investment Management and Client Servicing) to achieve their business objectives. The team strives to provide long-term solutions in a timely manner while ensuring stability, consistency and scalability.
• To manage the technical aspects of the solution delivery and systems within the domain. 
• To manage the developers within the domain. 
• To make a personal contribution to our technical solutions.

Job Responsibilities

Manage the technical aspects of the solution delivery and systems within the domain. 

• Understand the focus and direction of the business area; prioritising and driving delivery that helps to achieve this.
• Define the technical direction for the domain and ensure design of solutions and delivery.
• Work closely with the domain owner of the domain.
• Involvement in the running of the domain, including sprint planning, design, drive delivery, retros, understanding root cause of issues/instability
• Responsible for the quality of technical solutions, maintenance of standards and managing impact/risk introduced by changes across domains. 
• Review code and approve changes before deployment to production.
• Assist with technical analysis, root cause analysis and designing preventative actions.
• Oversee the choice of application and approach to development for the delivery of new system/technical solutions by the developers. 
• Work with the Architect, other Tech Leads and Development Manager to understand and drive the strategic direction of the technologies within Institutional IT.
• Ensure domain technical direction is aligned with overall tech direction/architecture for Institutional IT, and overall tech direction caters for needs of the domains.
• Identify areas for continuous improvement of both systems and architectural standards and help drive implementation. 
• Timeous, clear tracking, management and appropriate escalation of issues and risks.
• Ensure systems documentation for support are produced as required.
• Ensure a stable and sustainable technical platform is in place to support the business area.

Manage the developers in the domain

• Lead a team of developers (+/- 5 developers) in the domain, according to skill set.
• Carry out all aspects of people management i.e. staff performance appraisals, approve leave, recruit, train, develop and mentor staff.
• Responsible for assigning work to the developers, determining estimates, overseeing technical design and driving delivery according to our SDLC procedures and standards.
• Ensure the correct technical skills are in place in the domain to meet business needs

To make a personal contribute to our technical solutions.

• Develop key solutions that add to our central technical stack or contribute to our initiatives.

Technical Expertise

• Exceptional skills in writing SQL for Microsoft SQL server, including stored procedures, UDF’s and other T-SQL Querying.
• Experience with data integration, validation and reconciliation (SSIS or similar).
• Expert knowledge of reporting technologies (SSRS, PowerBI or similar)
• Experience in analysing data and performing complex data manipulation using Microsoft SQL.
• Design and implement relational and dimensional database structures.
• Experience with creating and maintaining cubes (SSAS) would be an advantage
• Experience working in AWS Cloud implementation would be an advantage
• Eposue to PostreSQL would be an advantage

Key Attributes / Consistencies

• Knowledge of professional software engineering practices for the full software development life cycle, including coding standards, code reviews, source control management, buil processes and testing.
• Excellent leadership skills – able to direct, motivate, delegate, inspire.
• Good interpersonal skills, ability to work with diverse personality types and deal with conflict in an effective way.
• Ability to deal with key stakeholders within Allan Gray.
• Willingness to take initiative and responsibility.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Strong organisational and planning skills.
• Self-motivated and confident.
• Ability to work individually and with teams

Education

• Degree or diploma in computer science, computer engineering, information science or related technical discipline.
• Experience with managing a development team and driving team delivery.
• Knowledge of computer science fundamentals in object-oriented design, data structures and algorithms.
• Experience in interacting with business users to understand their requirements and managing the implementation of system changes.
• At least 8 years’ worth of professional development experience - able to perform at a senior developer level.

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Job Summary

• Allan Gray needs Frontend Developers to help build our next generation of applications.  As a key member of our product feature teams, you will work alongside the product owner, business analysts, testers, senior developers and designers in order to deliver highly customer focused applications.  We are looking for you to help us build a strong culture of automated testing, progressive application architecture, continuous integration, dev-ops and user experience

Job Responsibilities

• Involved in technical analysis and design new features
• Write elegant robust production code
• Write unit, integration, and acceptance tests for components
• Improve and optimize the performance of existing systems
• Help troubleshoot and debug root-cause errors
• Mentor other developers

Requirements

• As you will be working in multi-technology environment, ability to demonstrate aptitude in learning and self-skilling in different technologies is desired.
• 3+ years’ practical software development experience
• 2+ years’ experience using the following (or similar) client and server tech

Frontend Tech (Client)

• React (or similar modern JavaScript framework) (*latest preferred)
• Webpack
• ES6+, HTML5, CSS3

BackendTech (Server + API) 

• Node, Express, Typescript
• Go

Development  Tooling 

• Git
• Linux
• Docker
• Kubernetes

Active Development Practices 

Key Attributes

• Good interpersonal skills, ability to work with diverse personality types and deal with conflict in an effective way
• Ability to work individually and with teams within an Agile context
• Experience in influencing best practices within teams

Education

• Degree in computer science, computer engineering, information systems or related technical discipline

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Job Summary

• We are looking for an enthusiastic individual with a passion for understanding, documenting and communicating requirements who will be the link between the business objectives and requirements and our systems and processes in the Business Intelligence team.  The ideal candidate for this position is detail-oriented, passionate about working with data, highly analytical and accustomed to working in a technological environment with multiple integrated systems.  The successful incumbent will be responsible for translating business needs to IT solutions, by supporting and ensuring the successful completion of analytical and testing tasks of our systems, databases and processes

Job Responsibilities

• Understand requirements of the area and the minimal viable product. 
• Lead the thinking, analysis and solution design for business problems.
• Identify, prioritise and plan work in collaboration with the Product Owner, business stakeholders and Tech Lead
• Get buy-in from and communicate with stakeholders
• Analyse integration and system requirements
• Understand and communicate system impact / dependencies on other IT systems
• Formulate required specs, diagrams and assist with documentation of high-level test scenarios
• Work with the team to ensure requirements are understood
• Work with testers and business to ensure that test coverage is complete
• Manage project implementation and coordination across teams, where applicable
• Facilitate and run grooming sessions
• Play a senior role within the team and assist in helping the team function
• Assist with onboarding and coaching people within the team
• Support the overall wellbeing of our IT systems and help translate the knowledge gained by our team to knowledge that can be shared across the floor.
• Collaborate with other analysts in IT to ensure consistency of solutions and re-use of solutions, where possible
• Be the liaison between business and IT
• Participate in the monthly weekend releases, assisting the team to verify that the systems and processes are functioning as expected
• Assist with testing which includes creating test cases, facilitation of business user testing and managing any change requests
• Assist with production support
• Help identify and raise issues that affect the technology space
• Improve the function of the technology area as a whole and contribute towards the internal Business Analyst community

Skills and Competencies and Experience

• Relevant industry experience
• At least 3-5 years business analysis experience in a technical role 
• Attention to detail and problem-solving skills
• Ability to handle complexity and work in complex integrating systems 
• Understand and have experience in Agile methodologies, especially Scrum
• Strong understanding of SQL and database design as well as strong data mining and data analysis skills
• UML or other diagramming techniques (Data/Sequence/Process/Context etc.) and business analysis frameworks and methodologies
• Understanding of APIs and Web Services
• Good conceptual thinking and critical analytical skills
• Good communication, facilitation and interpersonal skills  
• Disciplined and methodical approach to work
• Ability to get things done, be accountable and self-manage
• Good leadership skills
• Planning, organizational and time management skills
• Ability to work in a team with a positive, friendly and respectful attitude
• Have an interest in global IT trends, and be willing to learn new skills

Education

• Technology or Business Analyst qualification
• Strong academic performance

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Job Summary

• Allan Gray Institutional IT team is around 65 members, covering a range of skills and responsibilities. The team operates with four business-aligned domains (Font Office, Middle Office, Fund Operations and Client Servicing). Additionally, we have a technical IT domain and IT Operations teams supporting the work of the business-aligned teams.
• We have an exciting opportunity for a Scrum Master to join our team. As a Scrum Master, you will lead and manage the delivery of multiple software development agile projects in a timely, controlled, and predictable manner. Additionally, you will ensure Scrum is understood and enacted. Working in close collaboration with team leaders, you will be responsible for coaching the software development teams to self-organise, create valuable software products, and remove impediments to the development process.
• This role is for a highly-skilled, experienced candidate, and, as such, you’ll be expected to take on additional responsibilities beyond the scope of your immediate job. These will be agreed upon on an individual basis.

Job Responsibilities

• Managing the end-to-end delivery of software projects, establishing and controlling project constraints and scope
• Develop and maintain effective and proactive relationships with all project stakeholders and third parties
• Guide/coach/mentor the development team to take on the responsibilities of the software delivery process and the ownership of the product(s) - lead the team to a self-organised state
• Ensure that the scrum team adheres to Scrum theory, practices, and rules.
• Organise and help execute the Scrum framework: Scrum meetings (i.e., daily stand-ups, sprint reviews, retrospectives, planning sessions) and metrics (burndown charts, predictability metrics) 
• Support the domain/product owners in maintaining and developing processes, standards, tools and reporting and their documentation and proactively reviewing the service provided to business stakeholders
• Providing clear ownership for and visibility of the resolution of all project risks and impediments
• Providing regular, constructive feedback to project team members and their line managers
• Lead continuous improvements of project delivery and Scrum processes.
• Ensuring the decisions made on the projects are documented and comply with governance requirements
• Setting project goals and developing plans to meet those goals
• Maintaining project timeframes, budgeting estimates and status reports for distribution to management
• Fostering good communication and teamwork within the team

Skills, Competencies and Expertise

• Experienced (preferably certified) Scrum Master, with exposure to other project frameworks
• Experienced in the delivery of projects in an agile environment
• Enthusiastic, driven, self-motivated, and flexible with an adaptive leadership style
• Able to work independently, excellent personal organisation and able to demonstrate consistently balanced good judgement and logical thought prioritisation
• Excellent interpersonal skills, including facilitation and coaching, and able to lead and influence others without authority inside and outside the team
• Ability to work with diverse personality types and deal with conflict effectively. 
• Committed to the development of all team members and continuous development of capability within the department
• Have a real interest in problem-solving and focused on results
• Experience in the use of tools and techniques to facilitate effective project delivery
• Exposure to or awareness of all phases of software development projects, including analysis, systems design, development, and testing approaches
• Highly observant and an expert at root cause analysis 
• Humble and lead through Servant Leadership. Recognise the value in all team members and lead by example.
• Experience in technologies relevant to the financial services sector

Education

• Relevant Tertiary Education and / or Scrum Certification 
• Min of 5 years’ experience in a Scrum or project management role

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Main Purpose of the Investment Specialist Role

• The candidate will provide specialist fund information and investment servicing support to bulk dealer clients that have exposure to the Allan Gray and Orbis funds through external channels. The aim is to equip clients with the necessary information to make better informed investment decisions relating to the Allan Gray and Orbis funds. The candidate will be responsible for championing the information shared on Allan Gray and Orbis funds; and developing, supporting and maintaining relationships and assets, as well as identifying and pursuing new distribution opportunities.
• The individual will be responsible for servicing clients mainly in Pretoria, North West and Johannesburg and will be required to travel nationally on a regular basis.

The bulk dealer clients include:

• Financial advisers that support Third-Party platforms – both Tied Agents, Bank Agents and Independent Financial Advisers
• Distribution teams of Third-Party platforms
• Distribution teams within Allan Gray
• Retail Multi-Managers
• Research teams responsible for platform buy lists
• Other small corporate clients (e.g. Pension funds)

Responsibilities

• Build and maintain relationships with the bulk dealer channel clients; 
• Develop and implement servicing strategy to promote Allan Gray and Orbis unit trusts;
• Assess and follow through on potential distribution opportunities (using both strong analytical and networking skills);
• Be an investment champion with a deep technical understanding of Allan Gray and Orbis funds;
• Ensure that key decision makers are kept informed and updated on funds;
• Take responsibility for the servicing of the client, including answering of queries, due diligence questionnaires and presentation requests arising from these clients;
• Produce written responses to client queries and write articles on an adhoc basis;
• Take ownership of the ongoing maintenance of CRM system;
• Produce client-specific reports on an ad-hoc basis;
• Have a sound understanding of markets and individual shares;
• Provide investment-related support to the Distribution teams;
• Perform research and provide relevant educational content from time to time;
• Acquire deep understanding of Bulk channel and clients;
• Deal appropriately and timely with client/business partner queries;
• Perform ongoing competitor research on funds and products on a regular basis to ensure better internal awareness and understanding;
• Take responsibility for events, and where relevant liaise with Marketing/Events team. (e.g., Adviser and Client Presentations, Due Diligence visits, Road Shows,).

Experience and Qualifications

• Relevant business degree (CFA/CFP preferable), and
• Minimum 5 years’ experience in Retail Distribution at an asset management or LISP company.
• Experience in client-facing role (working with financial advisers)
• An in-depth understanding of the CIS and LISP industries.
• An in-depth understanding of the investment market (economies, stocks, asset allocation etc)
• Sound understanding of Allan Gray products and funds.

Key Attributes and Competencies

The ideal candidate should have the following characteristics: 

• Be a very strong self-manager, be self-motivated and self-disciplined;
• Act as a brand ambassador and display consistent high levels of professionalism in personal conduct; 
• Strong industry knowledge, keeping on top of trends and the regulatory environment;
• Have a sound understanding of and passion for financial markets and individual shares;
• Be an investment champion with a deep technical understanding of Allan Gray and Orbis funds;
• Ability to present to large audiences on technical investment content;
• Exceptional client engager, with the ability to build and maintain strong and meaningful client relationships;
• Passionate about providing the highest level of service;
• Excellent work ethic;
• Excellent time management and problem-solving skills;
• Resilient and long-term oriented;
• Allan Gray brand ambassador and client service champion;
• Team player and strong contributor to culture; 
• Be confident, articulate and energetic;
• Be accurate and thorough;
• Highest standards of ethics and integrity, and be able to manage confidential information and sensitive relationships;
• Excellent interpersonal skills – friendly and diplomatic nature, and the maturity to handle high level negotiations;
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills and the ability to communicate technical concepts in an easily understandable way;
• Advanced – MS Excel, Word and PowerPoint. 

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• We are looking for an experienced and passionate Test Analyst to join our team. We believe our Test Analysts play a vital role not just in ensuring the quality of the software we develop, but in making it better, all the way from backend to frontend. As a Test Analyst in our team, you will play a critical role in the design of our software to ensure it is developed with quality in mind from the very beginning and solving the many complex challenges along the way, using some of the industry’s latest technologies. Automation is a key part in what we do, so we will expect our Test Analysts to have a strong coding background to assist in building the automation systems that enable us to deliver this world class software rapidly.
• Our ideal candidate is very detail oriented, innovative, self-driven, curious, is a critical thinker, and willing to both learn and share knowledge. Our space will provide the chosen candidate plenty of opportunities to learn about the asset management industry and our technologies, give space for creativity, and an opportunity to provide tremendous value.

Job Responsibilities

• Document and execute manual tests.
• Create and maintain automated scripts required to run automated testing.
• Maintain existing test packs.
• Log and validate defects.
• Debug results.
• Report on test execution and any risks and issues.
• Participate in, assist with, and give feedback on any activities where product quality practices and risks should be considered.

Experience

• You have hands experience in API testing.
• You can test reports, and applications and know how to read and write SQL.
• You can program (we use Scala, JavaScript and UFT amongst others).
• You have a practical understanding of CICD.
• You care about releasing great software. 
• You know where it is most effective for an automated test to live (Unit, Integration, Acceptance Testing, E2E). 
• You understand the benefits of manual testing but also the costs. 
• You are continually trying to improve your testing skills. 
• You read widely about what is happening in the world of testing. 
• You can work under pressure. 
• You can solve complex testing issues. 
• Experience testing financial applications, will be advantageous. 

Education

• Degree in computer science or business information systems ideal, but solid experience will be considered as well

go to method of application »

• We are looking for an experienced and passionate Test Analyst to join our team. We believe our Test Analysts play a vital role not just in ensuring the quality of the software we develop, but in making it better, all the way from backend to frontend. As a Test Analyst in our team, you will play a critical role in the design of our software to ensure it is developed with quality in mind from the very beginning and solving the many complex challenges along the way, using some of the industry’s latest technologies. Automation is a key part in what we do, so we will expect our Test Analysts to have a strong coding background to assist in building the automation systems that enable us to deliver this world class software rapidly. Our ideal candidate is very detail oriented, innovative, self-driven, curious, is a critical thinker, and willing to both learn and share knowledge. Our space will provide the chosen candidate plenty of opportunities to learn about the asset management industry and our technologies, give space for creativity, and an opportunity to provide tremendous value.

Job Responsibilities

• Document and execute manual tests.
• Create and maintain automated scripts required to run automated testing.
• Maintain existing test packs.
• Log and validate defects.
• Debug results.
• Report on test execution and any risks and issues.
• Participate in, assist with, and give feedback on any activities where product quality practices and risks should be considered.
• You have hands experience in API testing.
• You can test reports, and applications and know how to read and write SQL.
• You can program (we use Scala, JavaScript and UFT amongst others).
• You have a practical understanding of CICD.
• You care about releasing great software. 
• You know where it is most effective for an automated test to live (Unit, Integration, Acceptance Testing, E2E). 
• You understand the benefits of manual testing but also the costs. 
• You are continually trying to improve your testing skills. 
• You read widely about what is happening in the world of testing. 
• You can work under pressure. 
• You can solve complex testing issues. 
• Experience testing financial applications, will be advantageous. 

Education

• Degree in computer science or business information systems ideal, but solid experience will be considered as well