IT Support Officer

Job Title: IT Support Officer

Reports to: IT Infrastructure Manager

Unit: Information Technology

Department: Information Technology

Grade: Band 3

Job Purpose Statement

The IT Support Officer role is responsible for the provision of ICT support to the Core Banking Systems and other Business systems by providing technical assistance to issues reported or escalated from the users, Daily COB (Close of Business) activities and seeking to proactively and continuously improve services to the bank's internal and external customers.

The role applies incident and problem management processes to provide resolution to incidents or appropriate workarounds for problems while seeking to proactively and continuously improve support to the bank's internal and external customers.

Key Accountabilities (Duties and Responsibilities)

Internal business processes

• ??To develop and maintain relationships with the various departments across NCBAR, partners and suppliers. Define, negotiate, and regularly track SLAs of IT services with various business units and 3rd party service providers for NCBAR.
• ??Perform day-to-day administration duties across the Business system platforms including executing COB
• (Close of Business) activities on the Core Banking Systems as per the documented procedures so as to ensure system stability and consistent levels of service delivery.
• ??To provide oversight for NCBAR IT operations to ensure incidents, service requests and escalations are dealt with according to defined set of policies, processes, procedures and SLA's.
• ??To escalate problems and continuously engage with the 3rd level and/or 3rd party support vendors to ensure timely resolution of all escalated system faults/bugs on the Core Banking and other Business Systems.
• Analysis, design and generation of various reports in an accurate manner and distribute in an effective and timely manner.
• ??Provide technical assistance and support for incoming queries and issues related to computer systems, software, and hardware (workstations & printers' issues, MS office issues, OS issues, basic network issues), respond to user requests made to IT department.

• ??Provide periodic and ad hoc reports on availability, service performance and Service Level Agreements.
• ??Follow up on escalated tickets through communications to the business, and coordinating internally and externally.
• ??Participate in the development and implementation of continuous service improvement planning within IT and the business.
• ??Work closely with other analysts, IT management and users of all systems.
• ??Ensure continual service improvement by carrying out research in new technologies, industry best practices & innovations and providing recommendations to the line Manager.
• ??Participate in the design and testing programs to ensure efficacy of business continuity and disaster recovery plans in support of IT and business strategies.
• ??Ensure IT support processes and procedures for all key activities are documented and updated accordingly
• ??Execute Daily COB activities performed across the Core Banking Systems as per the documented procedures.
• ??Ensure that all known service problems have problem management processes in place i.e. business acceptable work arounds are in place in the interim and that permanent resolutions are delivered within defined and agreed SLA's
• ??Ensure that sufficient reporting capability is available for performance tracking and to provide reports to
  IT function, IT customers and senior management of
• ??Plan and put into action long-term solutions for resolving recurring difficulties with minimum user disruption - Document and educate users to resolve simple recurring problems themselves.
• ??Identify performance degradation trends and problem areas and actively participate in resolution.
• ??Provide support to BNR EDWH reporting when required.

Customer

• Compliance with Service level (response & resolution time| standards or benchmarks for facilitation of service delivery.
• Ensure quality of technical support, operational services and issue analysis.

Financial

• Monitoring of system components to support purchase proposals so as to pre-empt system and system component failures.
• Responsibility for IT stocks including but not limited to Workstations, Computers, VOIP Phones, Routers/Switches.
• Implied through providing services to frontline services, minimizing downtime for revenue generating services.

Learning Growth

• Ensure personal growth by continuous learning/training for self through E-learning, internal & external training activities.
• Ensure compliance with the leave policy on block leave and minimum carry-over of leave days.
• Ensure to always abide by the NCBA Bank Values at all times.

Job Dimensions

Stakeholder Management: key stakeholders that the position holder will need to liaise/work with to be successful in this role.

External

• All departments in NCBAR and Group IT
• Regulators -BNR, RURA
• Customers.
• System Vendors

Decision Making Authority /Mandates/Constraints: the decisions the position holder is empowered to make (Indicate if it is Operational, Managerial or Strategic). Please also highlight any budgetary control responsibility if applicable for the role.

• ??Make execution decisions on day-to-day support incidents.
• ??Prioritize faults/incidents for resolution or escalate and liaise with vendor on delivery of solutions.
• ??Determine whether to resolve an issue, escalate it to other analysts/seniors or to a vendor and whether to inform senior management of an incident.
• ??Propose changes by identifying the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems and change activities.

Decision Making Authority /Mandates/Constraints: the decisions the position holder is empowered to make (Indicate if it is Operational, Managerial or Strategic). Please also highlight any budgetary control responsibility if applicable for the role.

• Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
• Determining the appropriate software, procedures and resolution steps required to provide specific long term solutions.

Work cycle and impact: time horizon and nature of impact (Planning)

(e.g. Less than 1 week, 2 weeks, 2 weeks - 1 month, 1 month - 3 months, 3-6 months, 6-12 months, above 1 year)

Long term planning - 1 to 2 years - Career path objectives

Service Delivery Strategy (1 - 2 Years)

System and hardware Upgrades

Short term planning - One week to six months - Troubleshooting, Analysis and delivery of Solutions to issues.

Scheduling for implementation of changes.

Resource allocation and management of work volumes

Ideal Job Specifications

• ??A Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology or related field.
• ??Minimum 3 years' experience with 2 years in an IT service support, systems analyst or service management role within a large highly digitized organization managing mission critical systems.
• ??Minimum 3 years working experience in a busy IT environment as a systems analyst with hands on role in enterprise database management, application management and relational database design.
• ??Support of the bank's systems and a certification or recognized approved training in the same would be an added advantage.
• ??ITIL Foundation certificate.
• ??One or more IT certifications such as in Microsoft systems, UNIX or Oracle will be an added advantage.
• ??Good understanding of the financial services and how IT contributes to the success of the financial institutions.
• ??Sound knowledge of Information technology and related support architectures.

Technical Competencies

• Technical skills to effectively perform ICT support activities/tasks in a manner that consistently produces high quality of service.
• Demonstrable track record in the complete systems analysis cycle and relational database design skills.
• Interpersonal skills to effectively communicate with and manage expectations of internal customers and other stakeholders who impact performance.
• Attention to detail, ability to multi-task, good time management skill, prudent prioritization and effective structuring of work assignments.
• Self-empowerment to enable development of open communication, teamwork and trust that are needed to support true performance and customer-service oriented culture.
• Team player and able to work with minimum supervision.
• Innovative and enterprising in order to identify and accept change opportunities and effectively forecast impact of change and advice/implement interventions to mitigate risk.
• Highly analytical in problem solving with the ability to apply original and innovative thinking.

Behavioural Competencies

• Confident (Self Mastery). Describes people who are self-assured, in control, Bold, and deliver to the highest standards of expectations with ease while exhibiting the sort of presence that builds confidence in others.
• Comfortable (Connecting with people). Describes people who are cool and resilient under pressure, honest in every dealing, open to constructive criticism, can be relied on to deliver.
• Elegant (Effortless delivery). Describes people who demonstrate effortless simplicity and are able to do mundane things with grace and flair. They connect easily with different audiences, exhibit finesse in all interactions and have a high sense of values that they uphold at every turn.
• Prestige (Pride and ownership of our work). Describes people who believe in themselves, are respected and treat others with respect and occupy a significant place in people's minds.