Systems Analyst - Production Support Analyst

The successful candidate has to be able to interpret and transform business requirements into well-defined system solutions and specifications. To design, ensure quality delivery and optimum performance and stability of systems, and ensure ideal integration of new systems and services to the broader IT environment. To support and provide input into the maintenance/ enhancements of applications. 

Job description

• Collaborate with all key stakeholders including business project teams, partners, development teams within IT, to understand business requirements.
• Participate in the process design or re-design and translate business/user requirements/ processes into a system design.
• Ability to interpret business requirements / Business Requirement Definitions/Specifications into System Requirement Specifications.
• Develop and maintain System Requirement Specifications and test documentation.
• Analyse existing system and interfaces for modification / improvement purposes and evaluate and design system enhancements.
• Give input to business requirement specifications.
• Document, publish and maintain system design (new system developments and enhancements/changes) and all interfaces with other systems.
• Manage and take ownership of incidents / problems / changes logged through the Service Desk and impacting Merchandising and downstream systems.

Resolve user queries, provide input to programming support teams when needed, and provide technical leadership and guidance.

• Identify root cause of problems (including cross-team) and appropriate measures taken.
• Maintain focus on systems availability and achieving Service Level Agreement targets
• Manage multiple tasks and prioritise appropriately to minimize business impact
• Investigate and resolve complex systems issues across applications.
• Maintain operations documentation (specifications and standby), and ensure accuracy and relevance at all times, according to agreed standards.
• Do standby on a rotational basis.
• Cross-skilling in different Merchandising processes.
• System Changes:- Testing, Implementation, and Maintenance
• Develop system test plans for system and integration testing
• Design, document, and test interfaces with other systems.
• Change systems specifications based on testing problems / changing requirements.
• Perform quality assurance, regression, and systems integration testing and feedback results.
• Manage the creation and hand-over of the system administration procedures where required.
• Manage integration projects or sub-projects.
• Provide input into implementation plans, review back-out plans for completeness and ensure tasks are coordinated effectively during implementation.
• Identifies risks and ensures appropriate contingencies are in place.
• Provide system input to design of user training material; where applicable, test changes with users and ensure users are adequately prepared for the changes.
• Monitor changes to ensure correctness and provide post-implementation support.
• Participate in the post-implementation reviews for completed projects.

Minimum requirements

Technical and Functional

• 3-year IT Qualification
• 5-8 years of relevant experience as a Systems Analyst/ Production Support Analyst
• Strong analytical skills
• Strong SQL and relational database knowledge
• Good working knowledge of various system integration formats
• Application management skills
• Good understanding and application of the SDLC
• Relevant business process context knowledge
• Experience in multiple projects

Technical and Functional - Advantageous

• Relevant retail and business knowledge.
• Good understanding/knowledge of Merchandising processes

Additional Criteria

• Knowledge of  IT landscape, including systemic understanding of key business linkages and dependencies
• Appropriately derives and organises the essence of information to draw solid conclusions
• Looks beyond symptoms to uncover root causes of problems to be solved
• Clearly defines objectives and translates them into workable activities
• Anticipates potential obstacles and their impact on the accomplishment of goals and timelines and proposes/ take corrective action where required
• Listens attentively and checks understanding of the message being received.
• Speaks fluently in team meetings when presenting the information.
• Convinces others by identifying benefits for all; looks for ways to increase the value of the partnership for all parties.
• Genuinely cultivates personal bonds with colleagues in order to enhance performance throughout the organisation.
• Adjusts to work effectively within new work structures, processes, requirements, or cultures
• Demonstrates resourcefulness in acquiring necessary knowledge, skills, and competencies to adapt to change