IT Applications Analyst

SUMMARY:


We are looking for a suitably skilled and experienced IT Applications Analyst.

POSITION INFO:
JOB DESCRIPTION: Job Title: IT Applications Analyst Job Type: Permanent Job Location: Bedfordview, Johannesburg PURPOSE OF POSITION: The Applications Analyst is responsible for the overall coordination, implementation, execution, and day to day support of the complete IT applications portfolio within the company and its partner ecosystem, ensuring consistency with company strategy, commitments, and goals. The Applications Analyst is responsible for the operational support, maintenance, testing and certain project activities for the business applications. The position combines analysis responsibility with solid hands-on technical expertise. The analyst is responsible for adherence to service levels, end-user satisfaction, and continuous service improvement along with process adherence and applications technical management on a day-to-day basis. QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE: Relevant B Degree. Knowledge of Project Management (PMBOK, Prince II, Agile) principles would be advantageous. Experience of both the theoretical and practical aspects of applications management Direct work experience in applications support capacity (5 years). Proven experience in incident management, IT operations, risk management and change management. ITIL certification with solid experience in an ITIL aligned applications service desk environment. Experience with insurer and broker systems especially System A, but also others such as Brolink, CIMS, Grail etc. Demonstrable experience with the scope of services of applications support, managing time and task prioritisation and urgency, status update reporting where applicable. Good knowledge of business application development methodologies in C#.net with SQL server, scripting, testing, preferably in the short-term insurance field. Experience in a variety of data integration technologies - ETL, flat files, XML, SOAP, etc. Knowledge and understanding of goals and the interdependencies of functional departments and groups (in the insurance industry). Knowledge and ability to direct end users with the usage of information technology services to accomplish their work requirements and deliverables. Knowledge of informational technology disciplines, e.g., software applications, networks, servers and interfaces, production operations, quality assurance and systems management, etc. Excellent written, oral, instructional, presentation, and interpersonal skills focused on motivation and positive attitude. Highly self-motivated, directed, and change oriented and works with a sense of urgency. Takes pride in their work. Ability to handle confrontation with appropriate grace, professionalism, cordiality, and firmness, and manage\/resolve disputes appropriately. Ability to communicate concepts in elegant, concise, eloquent form to cross-functional departments or teams verbally, in writing, and through pictures or diagrams when appropriate. A self-starter who is pro-active by nature. KEY PERFORMANCE AREAS: Provides delivery and support to the IT Applications Manager to deliver IT services. Assesses user needs to provide support and proactive service, including analysis of opportunities in order to take advantage of the potential within the current applications suite. Communicates related system problems within the department and collaborates with other teams and vendors on changes, fixes, and updates. Assists with the release process for applications which includes effective department wide and end user communication. Manages testing scripts and identifies opportunities for improvement. Negotiates resolution of conflicting requirements across other business units, brokers and\/or departments Provides regular one-on-one feedback to all members of the team and to the IT Applications Manager. Evaluates the contents of service tickets on an ongoing basis and make recommendations on end user staff development. Provides honest assessment of any team performance problems as needed in a polite manner in a team meeting or in a one on one. Manages delivery and SLAs by guiding incident resolution, problem management, maintenance, and enhancement tickets raised by end users for assigned applications. Develops relevant metrics, measures, and publishes the performance of the services provided and enables continuous improvement activities in collaboration with peer groups. Works closely with all other IT personnel in identifying, evaluating, selecting, and implementing specific processes and technologies that support the business's plans and IT strategy. Ensure full adherence to policies and procedures that are compliant with industry and regulatory policies. Develops and assists process documentation for IT systems and services including related interfaces and 3rd party applications. Keeps abreast of new developments and forecasts future trends in the area of applications and integration in the insurance industry. Maintains a strong understanding of technology and its application to achieve business objectives including applications management best practices. Prepares analysis and or proposals for other departments when necessary. Serves as an internal consultant to other IT management staff and the broader business as needed. Develops and maintains an effective daily checklist for applications 24\/7 support Provides ongoing troubleshooting, support, and maintenance of applications, including 24\/7 standby as required Assists with the planning and implementation of applications projects Assists with the contents of project status reports and overall project summaries Co-ordinates applications housekeeping and ensure applications are always in an audit- ready state Ensures daily jobs including backups are run successfully, timeously and takes proactive responsibility to coordinate issues with the business and provides regular feedback on failed after hours processes. Reports anomalies timeously and proactively i.e., disk space growth, DB locks, indexing and tuning requirements for databases etc. Plans, schedules and tracks incidents and change request timelines Monitors and reports on progress of his\/her own project deliverables to appropriate stakeholders. Package & Remuneration: Negotiable depending on Qualifications and Experience.

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