Application Development and Maintenance Manager

Main purpose

The Application Development Manager is responsible for overseeing the development, deployment and maintenance of the enterprise applications that support the organization’s operations. This role ensures that the application development aligns with business objectives, complies with regulatory requirements and follows published standards and industry best practice. The manager will lead development teams, interact with stakeholders and ensure the delivery of high-quality, scalable and secure solutions.

Key responsibilities

Strategic Planning & Leadership

• Define & implement the application development strategy in alignment with the defined enterprise architecture & organisational objectives
• Lead, mentor and manage a team of technical leads & developers
• Collaborate with senior management & cross-functional teams to define and execute the technical roadmap, prioritise projects & allocate resource effectively
• Identify & mitigate for skills gaps within the development team

Project Management

• Oversee the full software development lifecycle (SDLC) including requirement gathering, analysis, design, coding, testing, deployment and support
• Ensure timely delivery of projects within scope and budget
• Implement Agile, Scrum or other methodologies as appropriate

Technical Oversight

• Drive the development, and optimization of our platforms, ensuring scalability, reliability, and security
• Stay abreast of industry trends and emerging technologies, evaluating their potential impact and relevance to our business
• Partner with Product managers and stakeholders to translate business requirements into technical solutions, driving alignment and execution
• Implement best practices, processes, and tools to streamline development workflows and improve efficiency
• Monitor and analyse platform performance metrics, identifying areas for optimization and improvement to enhance the customer experience
• Ensure robust integration of applications with core systems (e.g. CRM, risk tools etc.)

Stakeholder Engagement

• Act as the liaison between the business units, architects and the development teams to translate design & requirements into technical specification
• Communicate project status, risks and issues to stakeholders in a timely fashion

Risk & Compliance

• Ensure all applications adhere to regulations, data privacy laws & standards and internal policies (e.g. SOX, GDPR, POPI, PCI-DSS etc.)
• Implement secure coding practices and ensure regular reviews are performed
• Document all required Standard Operating Procedures
• Implement all BNP procedures
• Ensure a robust control plan is in place
• Perform controls and provide results and evidence to the local OPC

Quality Assurance & Continuous Improvement

• Establish coding standards, code review practices and quality assurance protocols
• Promote continuous integration/ continuous delivery (CI/CD) and automation testing practices
• Identify areas for process improvement and drive the adoption of development best practices

Key competencies

• Business Acumen
• Communication Skills (oral and written)
• Decision Making
• Accountability
• Ability to manage complexity
• Ability to develop others & improve their skills
• Creative Problem Solving
• Adaptability
• Leadership
• Ability to inspire others & generate people's commitment
• Continuous Improvement/Optimization

Qualifications, Skills and Experience

• Relevant IT / Computer Science certification / qualification
• At least 10 years of software development experience, with 5 years in a leadership role
• Proven experience in the financial service industry (banking, retail finance, insurance etc.)
• Deep understanding of software architecture, design patterns, and best practices
• Strong knowledge of programming languages (eg Java, C#, SQL, SSIS, SSRS); frameworks (.NET); relational databases (MS SQL sever); Source code Management (MS Teams Foundation server)
• MS SharePoint & Active Batch highly advantageous