Jobs at Discovery Limited

Key Purpose

• We are seeking a developer responsible for building and supporting applications. Your primary responsibility will be to design and develop these layers of our applications, and to coordinate with the rest of the team working on different layers of the infrastructure. A commitment to collaborative problem solving, sophisticated design, and quality product is essential.

Areas of responsibility may include but not limited to:

Planning:

• Perform a high-level impact analysis, establish Scope and provide estimates based on technical requirements
• Proactively liaise with all stakeholders.
• Create required planning tasks in an SDLC tool and set due dates according to agreed milestones.

Analysis and Design:

• Actively participate in the collaborative technical design process.
• Research and find effective solutions to technical issues that arise.
• Update development timelines based on final requirements.
• Liaise with the relevant subject matter experts where clarification is required.

Development:

• Translate technical requirements into executable code without errors.
• Ensure optimally performing system code in line with technical specifications, following prescribed process, architecture standards and procedures.
• Ensure delivery within agreed timeframes.
• Conduct unit testing and fix any defects found within the agreed SLA.
• Escalate risks to the project early on.

Quality and Testing:

• Run code through the automated code review tool, review errors with the technical lead and fix before committing to the code base.
• Perform peer code reviews to ensure consistent application of standards, logic and effective use of libraries and reusable aspects of the software.
• Develop and maintain reusable Unit Tests.
• Assist the Test Analyst in ensuring that a comprehensive test pack is produced, which includes all the required scenarios.
• Verify that the completed software meets the established standards and is fit for purpose.
• Review the risk / impact of defects found in testing, prioritize and ensure that the priority is accurate.

Risk and Release Management:

• Conform to the Build and Release cycles.
• Provide timeous support to the Quality Assurance Team when issues arise during testing.
• Handle all outstanding defects.
• Production Support and Root Cause management:
• Ensure that the root cause of system errors is effectively analysed and prioritized for fixing.
• Proactively bring issues and problems to the attention of the team and propose solutions to solve them.
• Assist system users and the infrastructure teams with technical support issues.

Team Collaboration:

• Adhere to the culture of communication and collaboration across all teams.
• Attend and participate in the regular team / project stand-ups.
• Actively mentor team members where required.
• Provide feedback at the regular 1-on-1’s with your leader.
• Proactively set goals, track them and address any concerns with your leader.
• Participate in Performance reviews with your line manager and project leads.
• Actively participate in internal up-skilling initiatives.
• Transfer knowledge and contribute to building a shared knowledge base.

Personal development:

• Keep abreast of current technological trends and how these might be applied in the Discovery environment.
• Constant improvement of knowledge of the various applications, their functions and data models.

General:

• Ability to communicate clearly, constructively and effectively. Able to follow and participate in technical, business process, and other discussions.
• Able to build strong business relationships with other members of the team and the business areas we support.

Personal Attributes and Skills

Knowledge – Processes:

• Design patterns
• Data modelling and design of database structures, including tools such as Enterprise Architect.
• Unit and Systems Integration testing
• SDLC methodologies (Agile, Waterfall, DevOps, etc) and tools (Jira, BitBucket, GIT, etc)
• Software Versioning
• SOLID Design Principles
• Clean Code Practices and Principles
• Systems Design

Advanced knowledge/experience – Technologies:

• Java programming language (Java 8 or later)
• Java EE
• Object Oriented Programming
• JBoss/Weblogic EAP (or similar Application Server)
• Data layer (JPA, Domain Object Model, XML/XSD, JAXB, ORM frameworks, RDBMS (Oracle/PLSQL and PostgreSQL beneficial)
• Business services (EJB, RMI)
• Integration services (JMS, Apache Camel, REST / SOAP web services)
• Messaging systems (Tibco EMS, Oracle Advanced Queuing, MQ)
• Presentation layer technologies (Java Server Faces, Java Server Pages, HTML 5, JavaScript, jQuery, CSS3)
• Design patterns (DAO, Command pattern, MVC, Factory, etc)
• JUnit or JMock
• XML knowledge
• JSON knowledge
• Build tools (Apache Ant, Maven, Jenkins, etc)

Personal Attributes:

• Empathic and curious self-starter who takes ownership and accountability and can work with minimal supervision – Most Important!
• Passionate about technology and development
• Results oriented with the ability to work under pressure and cope with multiple concurrent projects
• Patience, perseverance and problem-solving skills
• Detail oriented and organized
• Strong analytical and logic skills
• Abstract thinking to be able to deal with complexity by switching between detail and high-level perspectives
• Highly adaptable to accommodate changes in technologies, scope, emergent requirements and deadlines
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

Education and Experience

• 3-year university degree in computer science or business informatics, or similar qualification, is highly preferable

Experience in building and maintaining Java applications:

• 2-5 years -> Intermediate

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Key Purpose of the role

• The position is responsible for the day-to-day administration and, within the Retirement Funds business unit. This is a core administration function, and the incumbent would be required to holistically administrate a portfolio of different Retirement Fund disciplines, for example monthly contribution reconciliation and investment, Section 13A non-compliance letters and calculations, Default Reg requirements, T-day and new member processes. The incumbent must ensure that processes and procedures are implemented, maintained, and improved. The incumbent needs to ensure operational activity is conducted within regulatory frameworks, accurately, effectively, and efficiently. The incumbent must ensure that he/she has the knowledge, skills, tools, and competencies required to perform the required job within service level agreements. The incumbent must have an appetite to be part of a growing new business unit, continuous improvement, able to adapt to change easily and play a role in change management within the team, challenge the status quo, inspire, and motivate others. The incumbent will continually review existing processes and procedures to ensure the delivery of committed services to the Umbrella Funds Clients.

Areas of responsibility may include but not limited to

• Processing of all daily and monthly transactional activity within agree service levels.
• Performing QA function for document verification where necessary.
• Ensure that day to day administration is accurate, compliant, and abreast with regulatory frameworks such as, Pension Funds Act, Tax Act, Rules of the Discovery Life Umbrella Pension and Provident Funds, Participating employer special rules. Ensures delivery of key operational attributes such as data completeness and data quality.
• Dealing with queries from internal stakeholders, communicate effectively with clients to resolve queries and escalations, ensure client expectations are met.
• Prepare management and client report for submission to superiors.
• Dealing with escalated calls or queries from internal stakeholders, communicate effectively with clients to resolve queries and escalations, ensure client expectations are met.
• Develop and maintain excellent business relations with internal and external brokers.

Personal Attributes and Skills     
The successful candidate must demonstrate the following competencies:

• Communication Skills: able to communicate clearly both verbally and in writing.
• Reporting Skills: ability to consolidate information and compile reports reflecting the necessary relevant information
•  Ability to communicate logically and objectively is essential components of this role.
• Attention to detail
• Very organised
• Expresses opinions, information, and key points of an argument clearly.
• Probes for further information or greater understanding of a problem.
• Relates well to people at all levels.

Education and Experience

• Matric - essential
• 5 years Employee Benefits , Retirement Funds, Umbrella Fund experience – Essential
• NQF level 6 or similar is advantageous
• Relevant Industry Qualifications – Wealth Management, Introduction to Retirement Funds – Advantageous
• MS Office – Advanced Excel Skills, Retirement Fund and Umbrella Fund operations, Accounting, Investments,