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Business Systems Development Team Lead

Reports to: Business Systems Delivery Manager

Overall purpose:

To manage and lead the Business Systems IT development team designing, developing and supporting Business Applications.

To be the overall specialist on Business Systems software development, provide development standards and technical assistance to OPP staff, clients and associates as required. Provide mentoring to other members of the IT team.

Scope:

The jobholder will manage a team developing and supporting robust business critical applications within a complex rapidly changing business and technical environment. The main application is EPICOR which increasingly will be integrated with other applications across the business. Therefore web developments and interfaces between systems form an important aspect of the role.

The job holder will work with staff across the business (including IPAT and European locations) to analyse business and client needs, identify solutions, input into project plans, develop the solution, test, implement, document and provide support. Close working with All departments will be required to understand product strategies, Corporate objectives, public relations and Corporate image.

Typically work on 2 - 4 projects at the same time usually at different stages of the development cycle. Task management of projects of typically up to three months duration.

These applications are provided for the benefit of clients, associates and OPP staff. These applications are are critical to promote the professional image of OPP to clients throughout the UK, Europe and potentially globally.

The job holder has no direct financial responsibility but has responsibility for project delivery and has a major impact on client satisfaction, repeat business, new business and promoting OPP across UK and Europe.

Principal accountabilities:

1. Manage and lead the IT team developing and supporting Business Applications and related applications. Recognised as the Software architect of OPPs Business applications and specialist in software development
2. Analyse user requirements to identify the scope and impact of new requirements or enhancing existing systems.
3. Design a range of detailed technical solutions and recommend the most appropriate one
4. Work closely with All Departments to understand Corporate objectives, image and product strategies.
5. Work with the BSDM to plan projects, determine resource requirements and the optimum method of development ie internal or via third parties.
6. Design, code, inspect and test program modules to meet the criteria and deliverables identified within the software specification to the required quality and timescale. Recommend (and implement if appropriate) suitable development and test environments.
7. Testing of own, other OPP developed systems and third party systems involving multiple inputs and outputs. Ensure all specified functionality has been delivered and all performance constraints have been met.
8. Support own software, systems and systems developed by third parties. This includes interfaces between systems and on line applications.
9. Implement software solutions to achieve required business benefit with minimum impact on OPP and client usage of existing applications.
10. Maintain an up to knowledge of software development strategies (principally Microsoft based), new products, product enhancements and recommend any appropriate use to enhance OPP services.
11. Provide and maintain software development standards and participate in the development of departmental strategies.
12. Provide technical expertise and support for the IT team and the business as required.
13. Produce reports for management as required
14. Carry out other such duties as may reasonably be required, commensurate with the grade of this post

Essential competencies

• A degree (or equivalent through professional qualifications and experience)
• Microsoft certifications ie MCSD or at least 2 MCPs
• Managing an IT development team
• Significant I.T. development experience using Microsoft technologies supporting and developing business critical applications.
• Experience working with Microsoft SQL server databases
• Experience of working on all phases of a project lifecycle from business analysis through to implementation and support.
• Database design and data normalisation
• Business analysis skills to gather, validate and document business needs. Recommend alternative solutions to meet business requirements.
• Integrating on line applications with internal business systems and processes.
• High quality software development skills principally using Microsoft programming tools including .Net 2.0, SQL server 2000, IIS, HTML, ASP.Net , Javascript, XML.
• Developed applications using SQLServer, including views and stored procedures, and provided on going support or administration
• Structured programming techniques.
• Technical analysis - use analytical techniques to obtain user requirements, root causes of problems, analyse alternatives, provide cost-benefit analyses, recommend and implement solutions.
• Plan and manage own workload, working with other IT teams, by preparing project plans and breaking down tasks into manageable units. Typical projects will be up to 3 months duration with set time and budget constraints.
• IT security issues and solutions both hardware and software. (including Internet)
• Applicants should possess competencies in the following:
  • Managing and leading
  • Technology orientation
  • Interpersonal effectiveness
  • Problem solving and judgement
  • Innovation and initiative
  • Planning and organisation
• Required to provide out of hours cover

Desirable qualities

• Additional Microsoft certifications ie MCPDEAD and MCDBA.
• PRINCE2 Foundation or Practitioner (or equivalent i.e. PMI)
• Manage the full project lifecycle experience of a major business critical project.
• Psychometric assessment
• Knowledge of a similar business including products, systems, production flow, data structures and business areas.
• Maintaining and developing good client and associate relationships
• General skills in other Microsoft products ie SharePoint, Biztalk, Commerce server
• Apply technical skills through a professional, structured development methodology.
• Working with third party providers of applications and integrating with internal business systems.
• The following competencies would be beneficial:
  • Resilience and flexibility
  • Written communication
  • Integrity
  • Passion, commitment and drive
  • Commercial Focus
  • Client Focus
  • Team working
  • Self development
• European language skills