Service Desk Manager Absa Bank

The prime responsibility is to take ownership of Help Desk and Incident management processes, providing guidance, support and leadership in coordinating Incident & Problem Management, Release Management and User Acceptance Testing for all bank system changes/enhancements.
To act as a link between Business Units, IT, and offshore support teams for In-country Release management on all the periodic releases (changes) in the IT systems.

Job Description
• Ensure technology incidents and problems are managed within SLA
• Consolidating the sanity testing and live proving plan for release management.
• Follow up of Live proving results and update the stakeholders appropriately.
• Main contact point for the testing within the Business (IT, Operational areas and centers) and outside with International testing team
• Identify any Gaps existing/ Assist in the development of test cases/scripts (show initiative) for UAT testing in support of the business units.
• Drive performance improvement in Incident, Problem and Change Management
• Producing periodic (scheduled & ad hoc) MI on Incident, Change Release, & Problem Management
• Coordinate the availability management of all test environment to ensure they are available as and when required
• Ensure the successful ongoing operation of the IT Service Desk functions.
• Ensure all incidents are logged and escalated accordingly where need arises
• Identify service needs for the Business Units represented to IT
• Escalate Business unit service issues to the Head of ITSM and Head of Technology
• Communicate service status on service issues to the Business Unit
• Assist in SLA negotiation efforts with Business Unit(s)
• Report on quality of services rendered to Business Unit(s)
• Build relationship with country Technology Risk and Compliance team and provide support wherever required.
• Ensure that processes and controls are executed in daily work and understand the reasons for the controls and the consequences for failing to adhere to prescribed processes.
• Test a sample of activities on a weekly basis by reviewing documentation and checking work completed by team members to see if control requirements are being adhered to. Coach the team members on areas for improvement and highlight major failures to the manager of the area
• Provide evidence/supporting documents to auditors or management assurance consultants during formal reviews
• Make team members aware of all changes to policies, processes and procedures that are being planned for the area and ensure that they are able to incorporate the changes on the effective date. Ensure that team members read circulars that are relevant to the area and answer questions they may have.
• Contribute and deliver to the improvement of the risk profile by delivering improved governance, risk management, controls and compliance requirements.
• Develop a high performing team by embedding formal performance development and informal coaching. Encourage frequent knowledge sharing between team members.
• Determine and analyse development needs for the team and ensure that identified training requirements are budgeted for and executed.
• Establish and maintain a succession plan for the team.
• Manage the leave schedules of the team to ensure compliance with Leave requirements while maintaining adequate coverage of BAU.
• Address poor performance of any team member through the formal Performance review and ensure that continued poor performance is appropriately dealt with.
• Motivate team members and ensure that their efforts are recognised.

Education
• Higher Diplomas: Physical, Mathematical, Computer and Life Sciences (Required)