D365 Platform Manager - South Africa at The Coca-Cola Company

Job Description    
Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA) presents an exciting opportunity for an experienced D365 Platform Manager to join the Information Technology department in CCBA. The successful applicant will be reporting into the Application & Platform Operation Manager - Group IS.

The applicant may reside in any of the CCBA footprint of countries: South Africa, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Ghana, Mozambique, Botswana, Namibia & Zambia.

CCBA is the largest African Coca-Cola bottler, accounting for 40% of all Coca-Cola volumes on the continent. CCBA is a Non Alcoholic Ready to Drink (NARTD) market leader with an extensive footprint in Africa, employing over 17 000 employees and serving a combined population of over 300 million people across the continent. CCBA’s vision is to “refresh Africa every day and make the continent a better place for all”, growing successfully as a business and creating a better shared future for our people, customers, consumers, communities, planet and shareholders. We conduct ourselves with the utmost integrity for shared value and the greater good. We are a world class, customer-orientated, socially and environmentally conscious fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) company that is driven by engaged, motivated and inspired employees.

The purpose of this role is to ensure the Microsoft Dynamics 365 platform is supported and maintained.  The CCBA landscape consists of Finance and Operations (F&O), Customer Engagement (CE), Dual-write, Independent Software Vendor (ISV’s) and 3rd parties. The role will interact with business stakeholders to manage service expectations and collaborate with outsourced vendors to ensure SLA adherence.

Key Duties & Responsibilities    

• Take charge of designing and implementing a comprehensive application platform management strategy that covers not only internal functions but also involves external third-party vendors and ISV software. This strategy will streamline the management of software components, ensuring smooth integration and collaboration among various stakeholders
• Take charge of designing and implementing a comprehensive platform management strategy that covers not only internal functions but also involves external third-party vendors and ISV software. This strategy will streamline the management of software components, ensuring smooth integration and collaboration among various stakeholders
• Develop a technical support and operations strategy that addresses the unique needs of cross-functional applications. Align this strategy with the requirements and strategic goals of multiple business objectives. This involves ensuring that the technical support structure enables efficient application performance across different departments
• Play a crucial role in influencing the definition of application architecture and design, focusing on enhancing overall performance. By providing valuable insights and recommendations, contribute to creating robust, scalable, and efficient applications that align with the organisation's technology goals
• Define and implement software maintenance and support agreements in collaboration with procurement teams. This includes ensuring that the organisation has clear terms and processes in place for maintaining and updating software, contributing to a seamless and efficient software lifecycle
• Take ownership of performance optimisation efforts across applications. Identify areas for improvement, implement necessary changes, and drive initiatives that enhance the speed, efficiency, and responsiveness of the organisation's software system
• Establish a shared services approach to provide appropriate support to functional teams. Ensure that operational needs are met, and that the implementation of systems is smooth. This approach promotes collaboration and consistency in support service
• Implement effective processes, methodologies, and tools that facilitate the management of the entire application life cycle. This includes overseeing version management, assessing integration impact, and planning upgrades in a structured and efficient manner
• Ensure the successful implementation of software technology convergence strategies. This involves aligning different software components and technologies to work cohesively, leading to improved interoperability, reduced redundancy, and enhanced overall efficiency
• Actively participate in projects involving the implementation of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central solutions. Provide technical expertise, strategic guidance, and hands-on support to ensure successful project outcomes
• Oversee the performance and delivery of outsourced vendor teams located across multiple countries. Ensure that vendor services meet agreed-upon Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and that exceptional customer service and high performance are consistently achieved. Foster positive client relationships, address any issues, and engage vendor management when needed
• Compiled an operating (Opex) and capital expenditure (Capex) budget for the services and projects planned for the year
• Seamlessly integrated third-party vendors and ISV software into the platform management strategy, resulting in enhanced collaboration, streamlined operations, and improved efficiency across cross-functional applications
• Optimized application performance by contributing to architectural design, implementing performance enhancement measures, and ensuring the availability of the latest software releases, leading to an agile and high-performing technology landscape
• Achieved exceptional customer service, high performance, and the attainment of key performance indicators (KPIs) from outsourced vendors, while maintaining positive, productive, and lasting client relationships

Skills, Experience & Education    
Qualifications:

• BCom / BSc Computer Science or related
• ITIL v3 / 4 Foundation Certification

Experience:

• 5+ years experience in application maintenance and support
• 3+ years experience in D365 platform support
• Experience with associated tools and technologies i.e. Dynamics 365 F&O, CE, Power Platform, Dual-write, DevOps and Azure