Business System Specialist at Absa Bank Limited

Job Summary

To provide specialist advice and support in the development and implementation of business analysis and associated service delivery processes, methods and techniques.

Job Description

Business Systems Specialist

Overall, Job Purpose

• Lead projects and other initiatives to provide technical and business advice to business teams.
• Responsible for delivering projects and initiatives involving business processes, business change and technology solutions.
• Working closely with vendors, management, and technical staff to analyse, document and identify business and technical solutions to business problems and needs
• Analyse new and existing technologies and recommend changes in computer peripheral as per organization strategy.
• Perform quantitative and qualitative analysis to derive functional requirements based on standard procedures.
• Coordinate with technical teams and business users to define business values and technical solutions that would improve the business.
• Aid in process improvement activities and in development of procedures and policies.

Project Definition & Planning - 25 %

Outputs:

• Support development of business requirements to meet business strategic objectives.
• Lead projects and other initiatives to provide technical and advice to business teams.
• Support business prepare testing plans and provide training to colleagues.
• Identify effective solutions for business software system issues.
• Report common patterns, questions, and other issues to management.
• Propose solutions for improving and restructuring company procedures.
• Assess company performance, information, and plans by conducting regular tests and analysis.
• Research and estimate costs of upgrades and system improvements.
• Work with the country Business Analyst to ensure requirements are scoped well and Impact assessment has covered all business requirements.
• Support business to put together change request requirements
• Support business teams to review functional specification documents prior to sign off.
• Review and confirm all relevant integrations are scoped
• Engage with developers from a technical perspective
• Form part of the working group for country projects.

Project Execution 60%

Outputs:

• Provide systems support for any changes made to existing business environment
• Work with the business to identify and resolve operational risks and gaps introduced by changes in the system to the business.
• Assist in the development of test cases/scripts for UAT testing/Identify any gaps existing in support of the business units.
• Ensure timely delivery of services, adhere to quality, and meet high levels of customer satisfaction.
• Improve training and operational procedures within a business to increase efficiency and productivity
• Coordinate with Project Managers and UAT release manager to align on batch run initiation requirements for projects.
• Support with testing during UAT phase and support unlock issues raised.
• Tracking UAT execution and reporting/ publishing UAT status to stakeholders
• Coordinate with Project Manager to ensure system regression tests are performed
• Support to plan for system(technical) deployments
• Support project team during Hyper care.

Resourcing 10%

Outputs:

• Aid in maintaining vendor relationships.
• Supporting project team with resourcing from a vendor perspective.
• Managing and coordinating resources during testing.

Controls 5%

Outputs:

• Ensure that all activities and duties are carried out in full compliance with regulatory requirements, Enterprise-Wide Risk Management Framework and internal Policies and Policy Standards.
• Understand and manage risks and risk events (incidents) relevant to the role.
• Ensure adherence to the Group IT security policy and controls in accessing any system
• Comply with Operational risk and rigor in respect to protecting our people, customers, assets, and the organization.
• Responsible for driving own Performance Development, collating relevant documentation, preparing for, and arranging reviews.
• By utilizing skills matrix, identify training and development requirements, formulating own plan to be agreed with team leader. Responsible for ensuring own plan is completed within agreed timescales.
• Undertake all necessary training to perform the role to the required standards, including gaining accreditation where appropriate.

Education and experience required:

Essential

• Minimum 10 years managing system changes and Project delivery in complex Banking environment.
• Demonstrable track record of successful delivery of change projects
• Educated to degree or MBA level to be able to meet the intellectual demands of the job, or can demonstrate equivalent experience
• Experience with Oracle based systems (Flexcube Retail/Corporate).
• Experience with Card Management Systems (First Vision).
• Experience with Customer Relationship Management Systems (CRM).
• Experience with ATM - Estate management systems and Cash Deposit Machines (CDM)
• Experience Credit/Risk Management Applications (Debt Manager, Client/Lending Management Systems)
• Experience with Enterprise Management systems i.e. (Asset/Wealth Management platforms and Bancassurance).
• Experience with Bank Payments and Clearing systems.
• PRINCE2 or PMP Certified.
• A Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP) from the International Institute of Business Analysis (IIPA).

Knowledge and skills:

• Knowledge in Business analysis planning and monitoring, elicitation and collaboration, requirements life cycle management.
• Strategy analysis, requirement analysis and design definition and solution evaluation.
• Good understanding of value-based management principles
• Experience with appropriate change/programme management software (Ms. Project, Ms. PowerPoint, Advanced Excel) and collaborative tools (Microsoft Teams, Jira, Test rail)
• Innovative problem solving – ability to challenge the status quo and drive beneficial change.
• Value-based business perspective – appreciation of the Absa strategy and of commercial consequences of change/programme management decisions.
• Managing resources – mobilizes and manages corporate resources against a value-based agenda.

Competencies:

• Strong problem-solving capacity
• People skills
• Drive for results
• Ability to work under pressure and to tight deadlines
• Stakeholder management (ability to negotiate/influence at senior level)
• Planning and organizing
• Critical thinking ability
• Proven ability to effectively work across teams at all levels
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• High analytical mindset.