Specialist - Testing and Release and Change Management.Technology and IS Security

We at MMC are a purpose and value-led organization. At MMC we believe that understanding our people’s needs and aspirations is key to creating experiences that delight you at work, every day. We are committed to fostering an environment where every member of our Y’ello Family is heard, understood, and empowered to live an inspired life. Our values keep us grounded and moving in the right direction. Most importantly, they keep us honest. It is not something we claim to be. It is in our DNA. As an organisation, we consider it our mission to create an exciting and rewarding place to work, where our people can be themselves, thrive in positivity and ignite their full potential. A workplace that boosts creativity and innovation, improves productivity, and ultimately drives meaningful results. A workplace that is built on relationships and achieving a purpose that is bigger than us. This is what we want you to experience with us! Our commitments go beyond an organisational promise. It is in our leadership and managerial ethos to meaningfully partner with our employees, customers, and stakeholders with a vision to realise our shared goals. Our values dubbed, LIVE Y’ello, are the cornerstone of our culture.

Lead with Care Can-do with Integrity Collaborate with Agility Serve with Respect Act with Inclusion

Key Deliverables

The Specialist Testing, Release and Change Management will be accountable to achieve the following objectives:

Strategy Implementation

• Abide by and execute the functional strategy cascaded by the functional lead
• Assist in review of the functional strategy and roadmap, in collaboration with the functional lead, to ensure its alignment with the changing dynamics of the internal and external ecosystem

Governance

Strategic Meetings

• Participate in strategic meetings, when required
• Execute OpCo wide transformation initiatives, when required by the functional lead
• Implement adequate risk mitigation and controls, with directions from the functional lead
• Assist in the evaluation baseline of Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and KPIs, when required
• Assist in the preparation of proposal on change initiatives SLA, policies and procedures, when required

Escalations

• Escalate issues that will result in severe time, scope, productivity, and cost or resource impact to functional lead

Function Tactical

• Execute projects initiated in the specific sub-function
• Abide by the established objectives, targets and budgets for the sub-function, when required
• Document identified key risks, issues and dependencies and set mitigation actions, with guidance from the functional lead
• Prepare documentation required for sign-off on tactical changes

Performance

• Ensure execution in alignment with divisional strategy

Reporting

• Report on a daily basis to the functional lead relating to progress made within the work area and in accordance with the measurement metrics set by the organisation
• Report on an ad hoc basis on specific projects, as required

Budgets

• Abide by function’s budgets in line with business objectives
• Abide by project initiative budgets in line with business objectives

Operational Delivery

The role is accountable for the following work area outcomes:

Strategy & Analytics, Budgeting, Data and Reporting

• Execute policies, procedures and guidelines cascaded by the functional lead and ensure compliance with the same
• Comply with the set governance mechanisms, under supervision from the functional lead
• Evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of Testing, release and change strategies and propose and offer suggestions for improvements

Testing, Release and Change Management Operations

• Establish, maintain, and operationalize the process for Change and Release Management
• Ensure alignment and adherence to standards, processes & guidelines defined by MTN Group Technology and Group DigiFin Technology teams as applicable
• Ensure the production environment is protected by a rigorous Change and Release Management process, under supervision from the group Technology team
• Ensure standardized process and procedures are used for efficient handling of changes to minimize incidents due to change
• Create and maintain standard operating procedures for testing & releasing activities in the OpCo, ensuring that group mandates are duly complied with
• Circulate in-scope Requests for Change in advance of meeting to allow prior consideration/review
• Ensure appropriate prioritization of change requests, such that critical demand is met timely
• Conduct thorough change impact and readiness assessment to ensure that existing OpCo environment is able to successfully adopt to the changes
• Maintain the IT Change Calendar that comprises of forward schedule of all changes
• Participate in upfront release planning to understand the roadmap, strategy, priority and potential conflicts related to the planned release
• Plan and maintain a Release Calendar for the in-scope systems and provide proactive communications and general calendar transparency to engaged parties
• Review release acceptance criteria prior to testing
• Provide management status updates on release progress
• execute production readiness initiatives in order to assist in or Go / No-Go decisions
• Define and measure success metrics and monitor Change and Release progresses.
• Create actionable deliverables in preparation for service transition from project to operations
• Highlight risk & issues to management
• Audit and manage the Change and Release Management process improvement cycle
• Where required, escalate unsolvable issues to Manager IT Service Management in a timeous manner
• Other tasks and duties, as assigned

Education

• A Degree in Information Technology or related field
• Relevant post graduate qualification is an advantage

Experience

• A minimum of 2 to 3 years’ total experience in Testing, Release and Change Management or allied field is required
• Experience in Fintech, banking or Mobile Money is preferred
• Experience in Testing, Release and Change Management within the Fintech , financial services sector or banking industry
• Knowledge of Cloud technologies and architecture disciplines, processes, concepts and best practices
• Experience working in a global/multinational enterprise with a good understanding emerging markets is preferred

Competencies

Functional Knowledge

• Change management
• Release management
• Knowledge of Incident, problem or change workflow automation tools
• Knowledge of ITIL standard for change management practices
• Knowledge of change risk assessment and mitigation methods and tools
• IT audit

Skills

• Analytical thinking
• Continuous improvement
• Data interpretation
• Delivery focused
• Presentation
• Relationship building