About the company: Car Rental Industry 

Location: Isando, Johannesburg 

Salary: Market-related 

EE African - South Africa 

Basic Salary plus company car, benefits and incentives etc 

EE African/ South African applicants 

Purpose Statement
The Head: Applications leads the management of IT application strategy and roadmap and ensures the team’s integration with the overall IT and enterprise strategic plans through coordination with other IT functions and business leaders. Responsible for key decisions and deliverables within the application domain, the role specifically oversees the effective solution of the platform with internal and external development partners. This position continually focuses on eliminating waste and delays, creating a culture of relentless improvement, and providing an environment conducive to business continuity.

Education Requirements
Essential

• NQF Level 7 Qualification in computer science, management information systems, or related field

Advantageous

• NQF Level 8 Qualification in IT or related field
• Certification of common IT management frameworks, such as ITIL, TOGAF, or Zachman, and project management frameworks
• Certification in Design Thinking, Innovation, Digital Transformation, or Product Development-related competencies
• Member of the Institute of Information Technology Professionals

Legal Requirements 

• Valid driver’s license

Experience requirement

• 8+ years of Strong experience in the field of application development, support, and management 
• Proven track record of application and digital transformation or project management
• Experience in management leadership
• Proven experience in mainframe-based systems including AS400
• Proven experience in legacy systems and languages like Adabas Natural, DB2 database, Clarion, etc.
• Proven experience in working with API integration, webMethods, and .NET
• Proven application of best practice methodologies and analytics frameworks
• Demonstrable experience in full lifecycle implementations for small to medium-sized projects
• Knowledge of informational technology disciplines, e.g., system design, development, implementation, software applications and interfaces, production operations, quality assurance, and systems management

Advantageous 

• Strong experience in the field of enterprise architecture, development, and strategy (3+ years)
• Proven track record of transitioning an organization from current practices to next practices
• Knowledge of all components of holistic enterprise architecture
• Experience in Data Warehousing (ETL) methodologies and database management
• Understanding of technical concepts such as Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and how they can be leveraged in transforming business models

2. Position Description

Key Performance Area / Main Output

Applications and Strategy Roadmap Development and Implementation

• Plan existing and next-gen technologies to accommodate expanding overlay services and dependent systems/applications.
• Use current industry application trends and thought leadership to support the achievement of business objectives in conjunction with Enterprise Architect.
• Responsible for the Application Lifecycle Management framework.
• Work with stakeholders, both leadership and subject matter experts, to build a holistic view of the organization’s strategy, processes, information, and technology assets.
• Ensure alignment between business and IT, recommending and driving standards focused on measured results.
• Develop various formal and informal artifacts to communicate the vision, roadmap, architectural decisions, patterns, and adopted reference standards.
• Develop a program and project design approach and proven practices.

Applications Delivery

• Establish and maintain enterprise analytical competency through collaboration with functional teams.
• Drive the vision for business functionality delivery through the integration of services rather than monolithic applications.
• Provide leadership, vision, and direction to the Enterprise Applications organization to foster a business-oriented culture ensuring alignment with company goals.
• Provide leadership, direction, and day-to-day oversight to the Enterprise IT Applications teams (including staffing, budgeting, user support, and other relevant management functions).
• Assess user needs to provide support and proactive service, analyzing opportunities to leverage available tools.
• Rationalize the application portfolio to ensure projects and assets do not duplicate functionality or diverge from strategies.
• Assist in the evaluation of appropriate systems tools and technologies and make selection recommendations.
• Keep abreast of emerging technologies and determine their application for enhancing operational efficiencies.
• Work with the solutions architect and platforms to ensure applications meet enterprise standards and align with the overall strategy.
• Automate routine business transactions and eliminate data administration redundancies through systems integration.
• Collaborate with business and governance committees to ensure key business processes are mapped for effective data utilization.

Applications Management and Maintenance

• Administration, management, and support for applications.
• Deployment of framework updates/patches across all affected applications.
• Manage disaster recovery procedures and simulations.
• Conduct patch review, testing, scheduling, and implementation.
• Report on applications performance, including proactive monitoring and alert management.
• Maintain a detailed application landscape definition, including a list of applications and support details.
• Maintain detailed value chain mapping across all affected systems and business processes.
• Manage user access.

Stakeholder Management

• Partner with leaders to align technology strategy and planning with business goals.
• Establish a collaborative stakeholder engagement strategy; partner with business stakeholders, including executives, to align goals.
• Act as a focal point for communicating related system problems within the department and collaborate with teams and vendors on changes and updates.
• Manage the release process for applications, ensuring effective department-wide and end-user communication.
• Establish collaborative partnerships between Applications and Innovation and Business Analysts.
• Submit regular reports and feedback to relevant stakeholders on project progress.

Supplier and Contract Management

• Identify potential suppliers to provide relevant and up-to-date technology.
• Negotiate contracts and terms for the provision of technology and services.
• Manage and monitor supplier performance, addressing non-compliance with governance.

Budget Management

• Prepare a budget for the Applications department to be signed off by the CIO.
• Ensure all expenses remain in line with the budget.

People Management

• Provide clear direction and decisive leadership to direct reports, ensuring alignment with goals.
• Set and measure performance objectives, providing regular one-on-one feedback.
• Create and maintain a constructive atmosphere within the team, motivating direct reports while respecting diversity.
• Ensure adherence to business policies and procedures, emphasizing discipline at work.
• Resource and staff the team appropriately, considering current and new job relevance.
• Set an example to the team and deliver on the employee value proposition in line with the company’s leadership behaviors.
• Support and encourage direct reports to drive their development plans to grow professionally.

Position Challenges

• Staying updated with trends and developments in applications, which is a rapidly evolving field, to ensure value for the business.
• Decision making regarding the strategic direction of applications and alignment with business goals, supplier management, team structure, and budget management.

3. Key Stakeholders

Internal Stakeholders

• Executives, all internal business stakeholders, IT teams

External Stakeholders

• Service providers

4. Competencies (Skills and Behavioural Attributes)

Knowledge

• Enterprise data and integration technologies and patterns

Skills

• Programming in various languages (SAS, SQL, R, Python, etc.), project and program management planning, analytical and diagnostic skills.

Behavioural Attributes

• Communication skills to persuade and influence stakeholders, customer-centricity, big-picture thinking, resilience under stress, and problem-solving skills.

5. Special Requirements

• May be required to travel locally and internationally.
• May be required to work after-hours.