Applications Solutions Manager

Spruson & Ferguson; Kuala Lumpur; On-site; MYR 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

13th month bonus

Variable performance bonus

Mentorship and career development

Global environment with IP projects

Job summary

Spruson & Ferguson seeks an Applications Solution Manager to lead regional IT initiatives, oversee BI and in-house apps, and guide a small in-house team with vendor support. You will co-develop the future IT architecture and ensure scalable, sustainable platforms while maintaining strong SLAs.

The role is hands-on, with responsibility for development, delivery, and governance across Asia, reporting to the IPH Asia IT Leadership Team. Strong SDLC, leadership and stakeholder skills are essential.

Qualifications

• Tertiary or professional qualification in information technology and management.
• Strong leadership and management skills with team leadership up to 10 staff.
• Experience in Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC).
• Excellent communication and inter-personal skills.
• Influencing skills and ability to manage stakeholder relationships.
• Strong documentation and continuous improvement mindset.
• Customer service focus and results orientation.
• Collaborative working style and project delivery experience.
• Project management experience with deadline-driven delivery.
• Initiative, good judgement and time management abilities.
• ITIL qualification would be a plus.

Responsibilities

• Prioritise and approve development of enterprise software and applications with business.
• Ensure in-house/digital systems perform at optimal level and support SLAs.
• Provide 2nd and 3rd level support for applications and systems.
• Lead regional development and ensure scalable, maintainable solutions.
• Coordinate with product owners to align with Future Architecture.
• Manage resources and monitor delivery timelines for projects.
• Direct and mentor the in-house team and vendors with performance reviews.
• Participate in annual audit processes for application support and development.

Skills

Leadership

SDLC experience

Project management

Strategic thinking

Communication skills

Problem solving

Stakeholder management

Education

IT/Management qualification

Tools

ITIL

Job description

The Applications Solution Manager is responsible for all systems development work in the applications area such as business intelligence, group digital platform, in-house applications and other tools.

The incumbent will lead a small in-house team supplemented by external vendor resources to realise regional systems initiatives. The role also covers Level 2 and Level 3 support and maintenance of in-house and digital applications. The incumbent is also responsible of identifying areas of improvement in the applications. This is a hands on role that requires the incumbent to participate in development work as required. The role is also responsible for working closely with the respective product owners in defining the IPH Group Future Architecture that is sound, sustainable, scalable and maintainable.

This is a people management’s role and manage the development team in Asia region. The incumbent will form part of the IPH Asia IT Leadership Team and is expected is work closely with the other people managers in the Asia IT Team.

About Your Role:

Operational

• Prioritise and approve the development of enterprise software and applications in conjunction with the business
• Ensure all in-house/digital systems are performing at optimal level
• Responsible for incidents escalated that are related to applications and systems
• Maintain top quality customer service by ensuring appropriate SLAs are in place and achieved
• Ensure development standards and architecture principles are being adhered to strictly
• Resource Planning - estimate, schedule and ensure all resource requirements are sufficient to provide the required levels of availability and support for both projects and BAU
• Identify trends, recurring issues and propose long term solutions
• Priorities requests and issues reported
• Communicate effectively with all stakeholders
• Provide regular team performance reports based on agreed metrics and benchmark
• Actively promote and plan for preventative maintenance of systems and applications
• Responsible for developing mechanism to monitor applications
• Hands on development when required
• May require to work after hours and weekends depending on the workload
• Actively participate in annual audit process for application support and development
• Provide 2nd and 3rd level support to all in-house applications and systems

Delivery

• Develop, own and maintain regional development
• Design and implement digital initiatives with strong focus on quality, group wide scalability (with multiple brands) and speed to market
• Identify and manage resources required to deliver projects and initiatives
• Identify, plan and implement key projects to improve quality, reduce cost and increase productivity
• Ensure appropriate long-term support is organised and planned when transitioning from projects to BAU
• Review (and/or prepare) technical and process documentation
• Lead the team in delivering high quality outcome that meets the business expectation
• Build strong relationship with peers and key stakeholders and communicate clearly
• Ensure the digital platform is reliable and performing
• Develop, own and maintain IPH Business Intelligence (BI) Platform
• Take initiatives to help the business by providing meaningful information via BI Platform
• Work closely with Infrastructure and Operational team to ensure the digital/BI solutions are built on solid infrastructure architecture
• May require to work after hours and weekends depending on the workload or delivery timeline.
• Act as the project lead for the team and accountable for team delivering project requirements
• Identify and manage resources for projects and change requests
• Identify, plan and implement key projects to improve quality, reduce cost and increase productivity
• Ensure consistency in the way the team executes changes within IT
• Ensure security considerations are put into place for all delivery and changes.
• Work with Head of IT on resourcing strategy for projects and change requests
• Communicate with key stakeholders on requirements
• Co‑develop and maintain applications strategy and roadmaps
• Seek out future business needs for development and submit plans in a proactive manner by working closely with the business stakeholders
• Develop and maintain architecture principles and ensure governance of the principles
• Research and recommend new technology that will help shaping the Future Architecture
• Develop annual IT plan for the team in alignment with the regional/group level IT plan
• Ensure effective business communication throughout the entire team

People Management

• Manage a team of Software Developers and Applications Analysts - responsible for all aspects of people management within the Team, including recruitment and performance reviews
• Establish performance objectives and personal development plans for each individual in the team with a view to succession planning and building a balance between technical and soft skills for team members
• Drive individual development of resources via one on one feedback sessions and other means
• Responsible to sign off staff, contractor and vendor timesheets / invoices
• Maintain and track timesheets of staff to ensure HR and Finance reporting are in alignment
• Allocate and manage time spent by team (including vendors and contractors) on projects and BAU
• Ensure that the team updates and work on ServiceDesk tickets and provide timely updates to requestors and stakeholders
• Ensure effective business communication throughout the entire team
• Ensure team performance is measurable and regular performance reports are produced
• Participate in the hiring and interviewing processes for new staff
• Participate in the identification/selection of relevant vendors
• Manage selected vendor relationship to ensure continued service, efficiency and value are delivered to the organisation
• Conduct regular reviews with vendors and identifying areas for improvement
• Review invoices and statements from vendors
• Review licenses and support agreements periodically

Knowledge and Experience

• Tertiary or professional qualification (preferably in information technology and management)
• Strong leadership and management skills with proven ability to lead/manage a team of up to 10 staff and achieve results through others.
• Experience in Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC)
• Credible with strong communication and inter personal skills
• Excellent influencing skills coupled with ability to manage relationships and stakeholders at all levels
• Demonstrated a focus on quality documentation and continuous improvement
• Proven track record of excellent customer service
• Demonstrated collaborative working style, with good interpersonal and excellent communication skills, both written and verbal
• Project management experience with proven ability to deliver on deadlines
• Demonstrated initiative and good judgment along with excellent time management abilities
• Excellent problem troubleshooting and solving ability
• ITIL qualified would be a plus

About Spruson & Ferguson

Spruson & Ferguson is one of the leading intellectual property (IP) service firms operating in the Asia-Pacific region. We have more than 130 years of experience providing a variety of services in the protection, commercialization, enforcement and management of IP from our offices in Bangkok, Beijing, Brisbane, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Melbourne, Singapore and Sydney. Our multidisciplinary team of about 500 people, includes some of the most highly regarded IP professionals in the Asia-Pacific region. The team services a diverse client base of Fortune Global 500 companies, SMEs, public sector research organisations, foreign associates and local clients.

Spruson & Ferguson is a subsidiary of IPH Limited, the first IP services group to list on the ASX.

About Our Benefits

• Competitive annual remuneration and benefits package inclusive of 13th month bonus and variable performance bonus.
• Global environment with exposure to a wide range of trademark matters across international markets.
• Comprehensive mentorship, training, and career development opportunities
• A supportive, flexible, and inclusive work environment.

Kindly note that only shortlisted candidates will be notified.