Manager: Development (Post Level 7) Job ID: 5878 at University of the Free State

Duties and responsibilities:

People Management

• Collaborate closely with the team to ensure the successful completion of projects.
• Prioritise work to resolve technical emergencies as they may occur.
• Ensure that the division members have sufficient information to perform their duties.
• Monitor the progress of the work of staff in the unit.
• Mentor/coach employees in the unit.
• Manage performance management discussions and plans of staff in the unit.
• Encourage staff to have conducive performance plans and support staff to have the necessary resources to address performance issues and recognise staff for contributions to DTI and success achieved. 
• Foster a culture that values sharing successes and failures to encourage individual and group development through educated risk-taking.
• Responsible for approving leave requests.
• Assist in recruiting, hiring and coordinating the training of new staff members.
• Establish work schedules and assignments for staff, according to workload, space, and equipment availability.
• Identify training opportunities for future thought leaders to attend conferences in areas where thought leadership development is required (future perspective).
• Define, implement and enable a sustainable implementation succession plan and knowledge retention.

Software Development and Management

• Implement the complete software development lifecycle (SDLC) process, ensuring efficient project management, effective communication, and timely execution of development tasks.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to gather requirements, design solutions, develop software, conduct testing, and manage deployment for various projects.
• Design test cases based on requirements and functional specifications.
• Resolve any business-related issues during the development life cycle.
• Document software defects (bug tracking system).
• Participate in product design reviews, designs, schedules, or problems.
• Participate in the process of assessing user requirements.
• Implement application configuration requests and requirements.
• Log operational changes for systems to be placed into production. 
• Analyse business requirements with the help of the development manager. 
• Build websites with widgets
• Implement HTML, CSS and JavaScript to improve websites and applications according to branding guidelines.
• Match specific application functionality to business requirements.
• Test systems that the development team has developed.
• Maintain documentation of test results.

Analyse test results.

• Test system modifications or implementation.
• Recommend improvements in terms of functionality and usability.
• Configure and optimise web applications and custom systems.
• Responsible for application implementation, which includes system and web application evaluation and implementation.

Strategic Support

• Participate in management and strategic meeting sessions to get a clear understanding of business requirements.
• Identify, communicate and log possible impacts, risks and issues.
• Receive and analyse client requirements.
• Report any delays and risks to requests and projects to HOD.
• Liaise with HOD regarding coordination of projects. 

Governance and Compliance

• Ensure that the quality management system conforms to the requirements of the required international standards.
• Ensure DTI processes are followed.
• Initiate governance for all development and application configuration, if approval is required.
• Ensure that the developed application complies with the business requirements.

Quality Assurance

• Review testing of team members to ensure all requirements were tested.
• Implement validation and quality checks to ensure accuracy and integrity. 
• Monitor project progress, identify risks, and implement mitigation strategies to ensure projects are delivered on time and within scope.

Professional Development

• Fulfill all responsibilities regarding performance management.
• Remains competent and current through self-directed professional reading, developing professional contacts with colleagues, attending professional development courses, and attending training and/or courses.

Inherent requirements:

• Bachelor’s Degree or an advanced diploma/BTech degree/postgraduate certificate on NQF Level 7 in Information Technology.
• A minimum of four (4) years relevant experience relating to the duties and responsibilities.

Recommendations:

• A minimum of two (2) years should be in a Higher Education environment.