Officer – Business Application Support at Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA)

Department:    Corporate Support Services

Division:           Information and Communication Technology

Work Station:   Nairobi, Times Tower

Job Summary 

The job holder is responsible for;

• Maintaining operational readiness and efficiency of business systems by providing permanent solutions for identified system issues and incorporating identified changes/enhancements
• Preparing and implementing user training/knowledge transfer programmes
• Providing general support to respective business system users by fulfilling general user requests

Key Responsibilities  

• Analyses escalated system issues and designing cost effective solutions that meet business requirements
• Analyses business functional and non-functional requirements, organizes and models them into technical requirements specifications and System Use Cases (SUCs)
• Develops System Changes Requests (SCRs) based on Requests for Change (RFCs) and detailed analysis of RFC requirements and submits to developers
• Validates and verifies business requirements and ensures that they map to the real business needs and that they meet essential quality standards
• Analyses trade-offs between systems usability requirements and performance needs and advises stakeholders on the most optimal implementation strategy
• Identifies and proactively fixes system issues through monitoring and early detection of potential issues
• Reviews systems technical requirements specifications and System Use Cases (SUCs) with stakeholders and incorporates identified recommendations
• Ensures that new technical requirements for business systems are properly integrated with existing processes, systems and skill sets
• Analyses and documents existing business systems, business processes and business models and regularly reviews them to ensure continued relevance
• Coordinates resolution of reported system incidents/general user requests and provides technical guidance/assistance required
• Analyses and documents identified risks likely to affect business systems, risk mitigating measures and prepares reports of findings to provide input to business systems acquisition strategies
• Ensures that tasks assigned are resolved within internal standards
• Coordinates user demos for automated processes and change requests
• Reviews training /knowledge transfer programmes and seeks approvals for implementation
• Coordinates user training and user support programmes
• Maps and documents interfaces between legacy and new replacement systems in order to guide systems transition initiatives
• Ensure conformity to ISO (9001:2015 and 27001:2013) and data security requirements.

Academic and  Professional Qualifications   

Academic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Management Information Systems, Information Technology, Electrical / Electronic Engineering, Telecommunications or any other IT related field.

Required Certifications/Trainings

Professional Certification or Training in any one of the following areas is required:

• Systems Development i.e. Java Programming, Web Design and Development, Oracle Developer etc.
• Business Systems Analysis i.e. CBAP Certification / Training
• Systems Modelling and Design Techniques
• Process Modelling and Design Techniques

Desired Certifications

Certification or training in any of the following areas will be an added advantage:

• IT Governance i.e. ITIL or COBIT 4/5
• Project Management i.e. PMP or Prince 2
• Training in Domestic Tax Administration from KESRA or an equivalent institution.
• Training or Certification in Database Administration i.e. Oracle, PostgreSQL, MySQL or Microsoft SQL Server.
• Training in operating systems i.e. Windows, Linux or Unix.

Technical Skills Required:     

The Job holder must:

• Proven skills in Oracle development and database management tools
• Proficiency in Java programming language and PL/SQL
• Expert knowledge of scripting languages (PHP, ASP, CSS, JAVASCRIPT, etc.)
• Working knowledge of structured programming and database design concepts
• Expert knowledge of web based technologies (HTML, XML, XHTML, DHTML, SOAP, JSON, etc.)
• Working knowledge of internet and messaging protocols i.e. HTTP, FTP, SOAP and REST
• Working knowledge of web development tools (Dreamweaver, Microsoft.NET, Drupal, Joomla, etc.)
• Working knowledge of Linux/Unix and Windows operating system platforms
• Working experience with relational databases (Oracle, MySQL, PostgreSQL, Microsoft SQL Server)
• Knowledge of system design and modelling techniques
• Working knowledge of systems design and modelling tools (Enterprise Architect, TraceCloud, etc.)
• Basic knowledge of the following tools: process modelling (MS Visio, etc.), Project Management i.e. MS Project and Presentation i.e. MS PowerPoint

Relevant Work Experience Required

• Proven experience in supporting and implementing business applications and implementation of enterprise business systems. Experience in supporting tax administration systems will be an added advantage.
• Proven experience in integration of business systems in a similar large organization.
• At least one (1) year experience as a systems support analyst in a busy organization

Competencies 

The Job holder must:

• Have good understanding of the KRA’s goals and objectives.
• Be resilient, focused, results oriented and a team player.
• Have strong analytical, diagnostic, decision making and problem solving skills.
• Have strong abilities to conduct research-affecting business and propose suitable solutions/products.
• Have ability to pay attention to details and work under minimum supervision and for long hours within constraints.
• Have strong interpersonal, written and oral communication skills.
• Have good negotiation skills.
• Be able to build and maintain strong relationships with contracted parties, third party organizations, users and staff.
• Have Change management skills.
• Ability to interact confidently with users to establish what the problem is and explain the solution
• Ability to prioritize competing work commitments and deliver on time
• Passion for innovation and creativity
• High levels of integrity
• Ability to work under minimum supervision