Enterprise Application Deployment Manager _ Gauteng_ PTA

Purpose of the Position:

Managing and overseeing the Critical BCMS Application (Border control management solution replacing the existing EMCS) and responsible for movement control being rolled out across all ports of entry. Currently being piloted at 4 airports but will be extended to up +- 70 border points. Managing the deployment and problem resolution of this enterprise software rollout.

Responsibilities/Tasks:

Responsible for the management of the functional applications division.

Identifies and implements new and alternative approaches to performing business processes made available by the availability of information and communications technology on an enterprise-wide basis.

Ensures the methodical investigation, analysis, and documentation of all or major parts of a business in terms of business functions and processes, including the conducting of feasibility studies, the definition of requirements, and the creation of viable specifications in preparation for the construction of information systems.

The management and implementation of new and revised applications.

Responsible for projecting software and hardware requirements.

Assigns personnel to various projects and directs their activities.

Confers with and advises subordinates on administrative policies and procedures, technical problems, priorities, and methods.

• Planning and Design
  • Facilitate technical understanding of new requirements.
  • Coordinate the identification of affected artifacts, including test script changes, deployment script changes, DB changes, and test tool changes.
  • Estimate development effort with team members.
  • Provide effort and schedule estimations for release planning purposes.
• Code Development & Releases
  • Ensure the development environments adhere to applicable standards and processes.
  • Allocate development work to team members with due consideration of skill levels, work preferences, and personal development goals.
  • Implement functionality based on new requirements, ECPs, or bugs.
  • Monitor the progress of the developers in order to meet release commitments.
  • Ensure an update to the Dev regression pack takes place.
  • Ensure that Dev and QA regression packs are run on code changes before a release.
  • Ensure tag and release of new code takes place.
  • Ensure documentation is updated and placed under configuration control.
• Team Support and Development
  • Facilitate the definition and implementation of discipline/standards in collaboration with the developers and development Team Leads.
  • Remove impediments and coordinate the solving of technical problems.
  • Provide inputs when required on technology and tool selection
  • Identify and propose training requirements for the team.
• Larger program integration and support
  • Work with team leads to define, maintain and improve cross-program and cross-discipline processes and standards.
  • Report on team activities and progress against program expectations as per reporting schedule or on request.
  • Represent team interests in program-level decision-making.
  • Highlight schedule, technical, resources, and other risks as soon as they become known.

Minimum requirements

• Tertiary qualification in Information Sciences or Engineering
• At least 10 to 12 years of related experience.
• At least 8 years of project management experience, of which at least 5 years as senior project manager.
• Proven experience in application deployment factoring in standards, processes, and tools.
• Thorough understanding and experience of SDLC processes applicable to large-scale software development scenarios.

Specific Skills and Knowledge Requirements

• Experience with the following technologies:
  • Web-based solution deployment
  • Experience with an application server (IBM Websphere - preferable)
  • Integration experience (IBM MQ Series)
  • Integration Standards XML Schema
  • SQL and experience with a relational database (MS SQL, DB2)
  • SOA experience
• Good communication skills (verbal and written).
• Good relationship skills.
• Good conflict management skills.

Personal Profile

• Leadership and people management abilities – manage, coordinate, monitor, mentor. Open and approachable, but firm.
• Mature technologist and depth of experience to grasp issues quickly and make educated, critical judgments in the absence of complete information.
• Multi-functional software development skills, leadership, and participation.
• Good planning abilities.
• Ability to switch between big picture thinking and discussing/defining details at a deeper technical level.