Application Specialist

Base Salary Range: $70000 - $80000

Job Title: Application Specialist
Job ID: 71884
Location: Edmonton, Alberta


Overview:
Our client is looking for a skilled Application Specialist (Tier 2/3) to join their team. The Application Specialist’s role is a hybrid position that balances Tier 2/3 application support with software development responsibilities to ensure the optimal performance and continuous improvement of business applications. This includes defining, developing, testing, analyzing, and maintaining software applications to meet business requirements. The role encompasses application configuration, coding, testing, and software specification modifications throughout the production lifecycle. Additionally, the Application Specialist provides robust support for system issues, manages vendor relationships, coordinates development, and maintains a comprehensive application portfolio. The role also involves contributing to the maturation of the Software Asset Management framework and supporting technology roadmaps to ensure the reliability, availability, and effectiveness of business applications.


What you will be doing:
Accountability #1 – Application Management

• Manage the deployment of changes to existing business applications in non-production environments.

• Research and make recommendations on software improvements in alignment with department strategic objectives.

• Collaborate with analysts, architects, and system owners in the deployment of software programs and applications.

• Ensure software solutions support and maintain required business service levels.

• Install and configure business applications, upgrades and patch updates

• Support and make strong contributions to creating support, development, and maintenance strategies for the application portfolio.

• Demonstrate and implement best practice processes for onboarding of new technologies and solutions into the application portfolio.

• Contributes to and supports the maturation of the Software Asset Management framework and long-term application portfolio roadmap and strategy. 

• Contributes to and supports technology roadmaps in conjunction with architects and cross departments stakeholders.

• Contributes to and supports business application installation and patch update models, frameworks, and standards.

• Conduct peer code reviews to ensure compliance with development standards.

• When required, design, create, and implement small development solutions in support of resolving technology or business problems and issues in a cost efficient, reliable, agile manner.

Accountability #2 –  Application Maintenance & Development

• Contribute to and support development standards for use by internal staff and third party strategic vendors

• Contribute to and support business application installation and patch update standards

• Ensure compliance by third party strategic partners on change management process as needed through testing, development or deployment tasks

• Coordinate and assist in defining software installation and small development project plans, including estimates, scope, schedule and implementation plans

• Work with key business stakeholders and business analysts to define attainable Service Level Agreements on operational targets and outcomes.  

• Lead, coordinate, and/or execute system support activities for a large portfolio of applications for the organization that are compliant with defined SLAs.

• Manage reporting, statement and batch processes to ensure that application content is updated and available.

• Leverage technology expertise to support team members in all programming aspects including trouble-shooting, development standards and cross training on all existing programs and operational processes.

• Contribute to and support in defining, create, and implement metrics and monitor for continual improvement of reliability, availability of critical and key applications across the organization.

• Assess application environment for opportunities for operational rationalization and centralization.   Make strong technical recommendations on opportunities for cost efficiencies and operational effectiveness.

• Prepare reports, manuals and other documentation on the status, operation and maintenance for the application portfolio

Accountability #3 –Technical Expertise & leadership

• Provide broad and deep technical expertise to directly coordinate the work of a small team or provide specialized assistance to a specific issue.

• Work independently on complex technical issues, make significant design or standard practice deviations based on depth and breadth of knowledge

• Demonstrate broad business and technical knowledge in resolving problems and identifying opportunities with a keen awareness of interrelationships with other stakeholders.

• Makes responsible decisions not usually subject to technical review on all matters except those with high budget impact or long term strategic dependencies

• Convey highly technical messages in a way other stakeholders are able to understand and operationalize.

• Understand industry trends to make sound recommendations on best practice improvements, highlight risks, or opportunities for new technology implementations for further department goals and objectives

• Acts as a trusted advisor and delegate for their manager for meetings, and absences if required.

What you must have:
Education

• College or University degree in Computer Science/Information Technology or a related field

Professional Experience

• Minimum 5 years relevant work experience and leading projects/initiatives. (Experience in Financial industry preferred)

• Minimum 3 years Tier 2/3 support experience

Skills

• Development expertise in Java, Velocity Script, .Net, C#, JavaScript, VBScript, SQL, Oracle

• Knowledge of JSON, REST and SOAP is an asset

• Experience in working with and coordinating onsite or offshore development and maintenance by third party vendors

• Experience with source control management systems and continuous integration/deployment environments

• Experience with agile development methodologies including Kanban and scrum

• Expert knowledge of IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) and the Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC) processes and practices

• Proficient in corrective and preventive Maintenance, configuration management and application performance standards implementation

• Expert knowledge of software architecture, multiple programming languages and communication protocols as required by the banking systems, interfaces and other associated applications.

• Expert working knowledge of project management practices

• Expert knowledge of SOA and tiered application architecture

• Expert knowledge of system and software quality assurance best practices and methodologies

• Flexible and adaptable in regards to learning and understanding new technologies

• Experience with managing data from mission critical software applications.

• Knowledge of data privacy and security practices

• Knowledge of database design and file management techniques

• Knowledge of network hardware, protocols, and standards

Personal Competencies

• Ability to conduct research into software-related issues and products

• Highly motivated and self-directed

• Proven analytical and problem-solving abilities with a keen attention to detail

• Ability to effectively prioritize and work in a high pressure environment for extended periods of time to meet deadlines, or resolve immediate issues to mission critical systems.

• Ability to work both independently and in a team-oriented, collaborative environment

• Solid customer-service orientation with excellent listening and interpersonal skills

• Excellent written and oral communication skills with the ability to communicate ideas in both technical and user-friendly language

• Good knowledge of Quality Assurance methodologies and practices – acts as strong advocate for QA practice

• Ability to quickly grasp new systems, concepts, technology issues and trouble shoot issues with a structured approach

• Excellent negotiation, interpersonal, and conflict resolution skills.

Salary/Rate Range: $70,000 - $80,000


For more information about TEEMA and to consider other career opportunities, please visit our website at www.teemagroup.com