D365 Developer CE - Manager at Ernst & Young Global Limited (EY)

• The Solution Architect role is critical in the solution implementation lifecycle cutting across all phases. The Solution Architects are technical leaders with a strong understanding of technology and an ability to apply it to drive business outcomes. Architects provide guidance for the solution definition, architectural assistance, and technical delivery for the top critical business solution implementations by leveraging Dynamics 365 and Power Platform technologies.
• The Solution Architect is involved in Pre-Sales, envisioning, design and development of the solution with broad focus around enterprise, industry, platform and solutions. In a cloud first world the Architect plays a vital role in proposing the right cloud solutions and driving the solution implementation to accelerate adoption and allow customers to achieve their desired results out of their cloud. This position consists of three main roles: 1) architect, 2) designer and 3) specialist.

Architects are responsible for:

• implementing client requirements by designing, building and maintaining high-calibre multi domain solutions using the Dynamics 365 and Power Platform to address current and future needs;
• translating business specific challenges into technology solutions;
• advising on technical solutions, standard integration methodologies and the alignment of business and technology;
• preparing and distributing the architectural vision, goals, standards, structure, behaviour patterns, models, to all affected stakeholders;
• validating conformance to standards and architectural decision and resolving design and architectural conflicts by explaining and justifying design and architectural decisions;
• identifying technical risks and problems across all phases of the project;
• supervising designers and developers in terms of technology and design decisions;
• monitoring conformance to design standards and decisions throughout implementation.

Designers are responsible for

• identifying business/technical requirements;
• preparing technical plans for long term development tasks, coding standards, integration requirements and features, dependencies, and documentation;
• performing investigation and research for alternative solutions and technologies;
• resolving design issues and problems;
• responding to the changing environment in terms of demand and technology.

Specialists are responsible for:

• providing strategic advice on the Dynamics 365 and Power Platform by providing technical and methodological know how, references and material;
• distributing knowledge about latest technologies, upgrades and recommendations;
• resolving complex problems that have a high impact in terms of cost, consequences and importance;
• performing assignments and tasks that require deep and thorough understanding of their area of specialty;
• responding to requests for information or help from less experienced staff and coach them by sharing knowledge and experience and supplying references and material for their field and redirect people for more details and official standards and practices;
• supervising large multi-national implementations and deployment efforts and ensuring it follows standards and best practices;
• writing recommendations, investigation reports, plans and roadmaps addressing strategies and future directions.

Responsibilities

The key responsibilities of the Solution Architect include:

Digital strategy

• Together with the delivery team, implement and update the digital vision for the Microsoft practice, and identify the opportunities for differentiating and enhancing digital capabilities and solutions.
• Together with delivery team, lead the development of the digital business strategy and road map, and ensure its integration with the enterprise strategic planning process, and the resulting business strategy and plans. Provides a single point of coordination and executive oversight for all digital initiatives and transformation projects.

Analysis

• Assess client requirements, technology and best practice as key inputs to making the best decisions on business strategy given digital realities.
• Lead the process to identify and evaluate internal digital asset capabilities and strengths.

Installation and configuration (Maintenance and New Requirements)

• Partnering with other areas of EY to develop and exploit new digital business solutions to create a competitive edge for the enterprise. May also own and lead development teams and projects directly.
• Plan and implement future IT developments and undertake project work whilst maintaining balance between innovation and pragmatism when determining the practical application of new ideas.
• Ensure that we develop the digital assets and capabilities that business will need to survive and thrive in the midterm and long term.

Change Management

• Act as a champion and change agent in leading the organizational changes required to create and sustain enterprise digital capabilities.
• Act as a thought leader on emerging digital business models and technologies, articulating the digital future and the enterprise's role in it internally and externally.
• Define and report on metrics that represent progress against digital goals.
• Build and maintain external relationships in academia, as well as with industry bodies, vendors and technology analysts to learn and influence.
• Utilise IT expert areas i.e., analysts, researchers, technologists and champions to execute digital initiative.
• Define a group wide innovation culture in partnership with HR and Divisional experts.

Essential Skills, Expertise And Experience

Following are the essential skills, expertise, and experience for the ideal candidate:

• The role involves sales / sales support, practice development and engagement delivery.
• Contribute to continued growth and profitability for EY, by identifying and capitalizing on business development opportunities in existing and potential clients for own and other areas of the firm.
• The individual should be adept at people development and management for the practice.
• Build long-term relationships with key client decision makers which are based on mutual respect; act as a trusted advisor to key decision makers.
• Engage customers to gain trusted-advisor status with the CIO / CTO and other CXO-level executives of large enterprises in South Africa and offer innovative services around Digital

Enhance Digital Architect role

• Use understanding of digital technologies to develop new ideas and insights. Understand the abilities of digital technologies and translate them into new ideas and strategies for the organization.
• Rollout and enhance the digital business strategy and road map together with CIO, CTO and Enterprise Architect.
• Rollout and enhance the digital innovation programme.
• Present designs and solutions to various stakeholders to obtain buy-in based on the defined strategy.

Communication

• Keep the digital vision for the practice updated and current and identify opportunities for differentiating digital capabilities and solutions.
• Keep the digital roadmap updated to deliver on the vision
• Define and deliver reports and metrics that represent progress against digital goals
• Project work
• Accountable for all digital design delivered as part of projects.
• Accountable for digital strategic imperatives outlined for projects.

To qualify for the role you must have

Business / Industry Experience in a Global Firm with specialization in an enterprise-wide CRM technology

• 10+ years’ experience, ideally in business management, IT management or marketing.
• 5+ years’ experience in enterprise and/or solution architecture.
• 2+ years’ experience in information intensive industries or digitally advanced enterprises.
• Business or entrepreneurial experiences demonstrating strong business acumen.
• Experience in specific industry or sector.
• Experience in New and emerging technologies, Cloud, Web and Mobile initiatives to improve business process and client interaction.

Education

• Matric plus appropriate tertiary qualification - B.Sc (Computer Science) or B.Sc (Information Systems), B.Com, B.Eng. etc.
• Agile Scrum Master or Product Owner Certification
• Relevant cloud Certifications with a major cloud provider such as Microsoft Certified Azure Solutions Architect, AWS Cloud Practitioner, Google Professional Cloud Architect.
• Relevant Dynamics 365 or prior certifications
• Relevant digital, governance or cyber certifications will be advantageous.

Professional Experience

• 12 – 15 years’ experience in MS Dynamics 365 CE /CRM with extensive knowledge of Financial Services (Banking)
• Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement and knowledge other Microsoft Dynamics 365 suite of products.
• Implementation of Dynamics 365 CE (and prior versions) in an organization with more than 150 users.
• Recommending a highly available, scalable Dynamics 365 architecture
• Experience in C#.Net, Java Script, MS SQL, MS CRM SDK, MSD developer toolkit & SSRS
• Expert knowledge in integration architecture and the ability to map integration pattern to functional usage.
• Extensive experience in the implementation of MS CRM & 3rd party Integration using Middleware Tools/ API’s (REST, ODATA Web API’s)/SSIS packages and/or connectors.
• Experience in using Azure services for integration, Power Apps and Power Automate for upstream/downstream systems integrations.
• Experience in the migration of large complex data sets – specifically data analysis, data cleansing, and data mappings using standard and third party tools
• Experienced in reporting architecture using SSRS and/or Power BI.
• Lead the technical workshops to elicit requirements to design and develop solutions
• Should have excellent problem solving and analytical skills
• Be accountable for solution delivery and technical leadership
• Advocate best practices to develop scalable solutions in alignment with Product roadmap through supported and upgradable customizations / implementations.
• Experience in Agile and Waterfall methodologies
• Proven ability to effectively drive people, process and technology change in a dynamic and complex operating environment perhaps through successful delivery of multiple complex, integrated projects – proven track record.

Technology

• Expert level knowledge of current and emerging digital technologies.
• Understanding of Microsoft technologies, tools and environment.
• Understanding of limits and opportunities of mobile devices and the benefits they pose to financial mobile applications.
• Understanding of web based technologies to provide business and client benefits
• Skills in the area of requirements gathering and gap analysis against D365 product capabilities
• Desire to work on activities such as proposal writing, solution design, commercial constructs and proof of concept (demonstrations) for Dynamics projects
• Capability to configuring and develop Dynamics 365 based on business requirements
• Ability to document developed solutions based on collected business requirements
• Demonstrate knowledge base on other relevant Microsoft technologies such as Azure, PowerPlatform, O365 and Security

Methodology

• Deep knowledge of e-commerce, consumer behaviour and social media.
• Change management / advocacy techniques and approaches.
• Innovation – must have the ability to employ sound judgment in determining how innovations will be deployed to produce ROI.

Personal Attributes

• Leadership
• Demonstrable integrity, empathy and emotional intelligence.
• Ability to set direction and then mobilise the commitment of team individuals.
• Shares new ideas and consistently demonstrates openness to the opinions and views of others.
• Working Style
• Primarily a relationship builder that builds formal and informal professional networks and maintains and extends networks within, across and external to organizational boundaries.
• Obtains and shares information, ideas and problems, cross collaboration ability.
• Is forward looking and future oriented.
• Mobilises others to support change.
• Excellent analytical, strategic conceptual thinking and consulting skills.
• Challenges conventional thinking and traditional ways of operating, and invites stakeholders to identify issues and opportunities.
• Communication skills
• Ability to communicate digital concepts and technologies to business leaders.
• Ability to communicate business concepts to technologists.
• Ability to provide strong technical operational guidance to technologists and feedback to architecture.
• Ability to conduct planning sessions.
• Ability to influence others by communicating ideas or positions in a persuasive manner that builds support, agreement or commitment.
• Able to exert strong influencing and negotiation skills.
• Builds a trust-based relationship with key stakeholders. Uses a formal and informal network to gather information.