Applications Development Specialist

NBC is the oldest serving bank in Tanzania with over five decades of experience. We offer a range of retail, business, corporate and investment banking, wealth management products and services.

Job Summary

• To participate in the studying bank operations and processes; design, build solutions or modify/upgrade existing applications to meet key strategic goals.
• To actively participate in systems/projects scoping, design, and pricing exercises as part of the development and business teams’ processes.
• Develop new products quickly or modify existing ones with flexibility, hence improve time to market, and internal processes.
• Ensure code quality and performance by adhering to coding standards, conducting code reviews, and optimizing application performance.
• Stay updated with emerging technologies and incorporate innovative solutions to improve software quality and efficiency.
• Maintain documentation for software designs, implementation details, and updates for future reference and scalability.
• Work Closely with group forums, vendors and counterparts to ensure all deliverables are within applicable policies, standards and related process guidelines.

Job Description​

Application Development                                                                                   Weight: 70%

·       Experienced understanding of Web Technologies (e.g. DHTML, AJAX, ANGULAR, LARAVEL, REACT etc.)

·       Experience with design and development of REST API platform using APIM, converting web services from SOAP to REST or vice-versa.

·       Experience with Security frameworks (e.g., JWT, OATH2, SPRING SECURITY)

·       Experience in API layer like security, custom analytics, throttling, caching, logging, monetization, request and response modifications etc.

·       Proficient in SQL and Stored Procedures such as in Oracle, MySQL, Postgres

·       Experience with Unix, Linux Operating Systems

·       Experience with Scrum, Agile and DEVOPS processes.

·       Knowledge of Jira, Git/SVN, Jenkins

·       Experience in creating REST API documentation using Swagger and YAML or similar tools desirable

·       Experience with Integration frameworks (e.g., Mule, Camel) desirable

·       Study information needs, system flows, data usage, work processes, and investigating problem areas and propose solutions.

·       Document and demonstrate solutions, flowcharts, layouts, diagrams, charts, code comments and clear pseudo codes.

·       Determine operational feasibility by evaluating impact analysis, problem definition, user requirements, proposed solutions and efforts required.

·       Develop and conduct testing plans and procedures based upon system requirements

·       Identify systems deficiencies and implement effective solutions

·       Communicating and enforcing coding standards; and recommending changes in policies, processes and procedures.

·       Develop and/or modify products with flexibility

·       Researching, evaluating, and recommending systems/equipment/technologies

·       Support existing and newly developed solutions via API’s, based on requirements

·       Planning and delivering automated solutions to be used across multiple products and organizational units.

·       Stay plugged into emerging technologies/industry trends and apply them into operations and activities

·       Ensure proper version control and auditing of changes to the codebase, minimizing the risk of unauthorized code alterations.

·       Development software projects, including mobile applications, adhering to Approved IDI standards.

·       Analyze business requirements to design and develop banking applications that meet organizational goals.

·       Write, test, and debug high-quality code in accordance with NBC standards, IDI standards and best practices.

·       Provide ongoing technical support for existing banking applications, resolving issues promptly to minimize downtime.

·       Identify opportunities for leveraging new technologies to improve banking operations and enhance the customer experience.

·       Provide progress updates to management and stakeholders regularly.

Manage risk and compliance                                                                                   Weight: 15%

·       Together with Risk and Compliance review the key risk and compliance challenges identified in the development area.

·       Together with the Risk and Compliance team implement measures to address notable risks and regulatory challenges within software solution.

·       Implement measures to review the risk and compliance performance of the developed solutions on a regular basis and take corrective action.

·       Complete all relevant Management Assurance or Risk reports and attestations as required.

·       Ensure that processes, control requirements and risk management frameworks that impact the implemented solutions are documented and understood by all members of the team.

·       Work with Absa Internal Audit and Management Assurance during the scoping of audits to ensure fair coverage.

·       Own and agree corrective action items with Internal Audit and Management Assurance for findings related to the software solutions.

·       Arrange issue assurance for closed audit findings.

·       Contribute and deliver to the improvement of the risk profile by delivering improved governance, risk management, controls and compliance requirements.

·       Design and implement software solutions with a strong emphasis on security best practices.

·       Integrate security features such as encryption, secure authentication mechanisms, and secure communication protocols into applications.

·       Conduct threat modeling and security analysis to identify potential vulnerabilities in applications and implement mitigation strategies.

·       Collaborate with security experts to stay updated on the latest threats and integrate security patches and updates into the codebase.

·       Adhere to established secure coding principles, incorporating best practices outlined in the OWASP (Open Worldwide Application Security Project) Secure Coding Practices

·       Ensure Solution Code is continually being updated on Source code repository systems on weekly basis.

·       Troubleshoot and debug applications, resolving issues and enhancing system functionality as needed.

 

 

Drive Service Levels                                                                                                 Weight: 15%

·       Increase revenue potential for the business by effectively managing service levels of critical solution that will be developed.

·       Minimize time-to-resolution(TTR) of business service disruptions through fast real-time root cause analysis that spans complex multi-tiered application environments

·       Minimize cost of IT infrastructure through optimizing delivery and performance of business services

·       Implement actions resulting from formalised service reviews (including questionnaires, production reporting, loss event reporting, etc.)

·       Continuously monitor service levels and implement tactical measures to improve customer satisfaction.

·       Build and maintain effective stakeholder relationships within the Bank to understand the business needs and changes in customer needs.

·       Participate in Bank wide forums and governance structures as required or directed.

·       Assist the operational teams and support teams to ensure stability in supporting of the delivered  solution/services.

·       Maintain a clean, readable, and efficient codebase that meets industry standards and internal guidelines for code quality.

·       Utilize automated testing frameworks and static code analysis tools to ensure high-quality code with minimal defects.

·       Ensure proper documentation of code for maintainability and future reference including low level designs (LLD)

·       Resolve issues, take preventive actions, and maintain project logs, documents, and status reports.

Competencies

·       Excellent written and oral communication

·       Problem solving skills and follow through; Pragmatic and thorough

·       Familiarity with Agile development methodologies.

·       Experience with varieties of databases and object-relational Mapping (ORM) frameworks.

·       Must be a self-starter and have the ability to work independently with little supervision.

·       Deep hands on experience with Web Applications and programming languages such as HTML, CSS,JAVA,Laravel, JavaScript, JQuery, Objects Oriented Programming and API's.

·       Business Processes Improvement and Management

·       Strong understanding of cross-browser compatibility, Web User Interface Design (UI), Security Principles, Object-Oriented Design, Web Services (REST/SOAP), Multimedia Content Development and API's.

·       Hands-on experience with mobile application development (Android/iOS), including offline capabilities and API integration

·       Experience in USSD application development and integration.

 

Qualification

·       BSc. In Computer Science, Engineering or related field with informatics as core.

·       Experience in multiple development languages in medium to enterprise systems, e.g. PHP, C#, Java, etc.

·       Agile/Scrum and/or Oracle/Microsoft SQL MySQL, PostgreSQL certifications is an added advantage.

·       Proved experience with coding languages Java and PHP is a must; Python is an added advantage.

·       Experience with a variety of MVC frameworks/systems preferably Spring, Laravel, Django; Angular is an added advantage.

·       Experience with integrations with Bank products/systems is an added advantage.

·       Must be able to work under pressure, take clear ownership of issues and projects and drive to ensure a successful closure for the customer, peers and IT Production;

·       Familiarity with ITIL-style management procedures and mainstream project management styles a distinct advantage;

·       Experience of financial services preferred;

Experience

·      At least 5 years’ experience in a software development industry with a focus on secure coding practices.

·       Expertise in Git or other version control systems, with a strong focus on secure code management practices.

·       In-depth understanding of secure coding principles (e.g., OWASP Top 10, secure authentication, data protection).

·       Ability to work closely with cross-functional teams, including security experts, testers, and DevOps engineers, ensuring secure and quality code delivery.

·       Knowledge of Agile Methodologies and Principles

·       UX/Usability experience a must; Html (XHTML, HTML4 and HTML5 ), JavaScript.

·       Proven hands-on experience in mobile application development (Android/iOS) using modern frameworks such as Flutter, React Native, Kotlin, Swift, or native platforms.

·       Strong experience in designing, building, and maintaining USSD applications, including integration with telecom providers and core banking systems.

·       Familiarity with mobile UI/UX standards, performance tuning, and security best practices for mobile apps and USSD.

Qualifications

Bachelor's Degree - Information Technology, Experience in a similar environment