Senior Specialist: Engineering – Innovation x4 (Fixed Term Contracts) Jobs

Job Purpose

To support the SARS enterprise strategy by adopting new leading-edge ‘Game Changer’ concepts. This involves research and benchmarking, joining open collaboration networks, identifying and developing innovation solution designs, incubating concepts (such as prototyping and piloting), and implementing solution designs.

These outcomes help define product features, create implementation roadmaps in the SARS business architecture and solutions landscape, and ensure designs deliver sustainable business results. This includes providing design and implementation support and engaging with stakeholders.

Education and Experience

Minimum Qualification and Experience Required

• Honours / Postgraduate Diploma (NQF 8) in Industrial Engineering or Computer Science, and minimum 10-12 years’ experience in an innovation, design, and technology environment, including 3-4 years at specialist level.

Alternative

• Relevant Bachelor’s degree / Advanced Diploma (NQF 7) in Industrial Engineering or Computer Science, and 15 years’ experience in an innovation, design, and technology environment, including 3-4 years at specialist level.

Job Outputs

Process

• Innovation: Collaborate with local and international owners, partners, and stakeholders. Conduct local and international research and benchmarking. Develop, share, and publish foresight reports. Draft idea elevator pitches. Understand business problems using a data-driven approach. Design innovation solutions. Draft innovation business cases. Build, test, and demonstrate prototypes. Manage prototype governance. Track solution benefits.
• Solutioning: Build relationships with Business, Product, and Segment Owners. Build stakeholder and partner networks. Assess the strategic landscape. Draft or facilitate the drafting of modernisation and solution strategies (5-10-year horizon). Socialise modernisation and solution strategies. Analyse and understand problems. Collaborate on detailed designs. Draft business cases. Participate in development and testing cycles. Track solution benefits.

Governance

• Implement and contribute to the development of governance, compliance, integrity, and ethics processes in your area of specialisation.
• Ensure completed work follows relevant policies, procedures, governance, and legislative requirements. Report any deviations or discrepancies.

People

• Develop and maintain productive working relationships with peers and team members to meet predefined objectives.
• Seek out, integrate, and share new knowledge from formal and informal learning opportunities in your role.

Finance

• Implement and monitor financial controls, cost management, and corporate governance in your area of accountability.
• Follow organisational policies and procedures to ensure cost effectiveness and reduce financial waste.

Client

• Build strong relationships and develop service level agreements that promote SARS with internal and external stakeholders.
• Manage an integrated service excellence culture that builds rewarding relationships and allows for feedback and exceptional service.
• Contribute to a culture of service excellence that builds positive relationships and provides opportunities for feedback and exceptional service.
• Provide authoritative, specialist services, expertise, and advice to internal and external stakeholders.

Behavioural Competencies

• Honesty and Integrity
• Fairness and Transparency
• Accountability
• Problem Solving and Analysis
• Conceptual Thinking
• Influencing Others
• Driving Excellence
• Leveraging Diversity
• Accurate Understanding
• Building Sustainability

Technical Competencies

• Strategic Planning
• Tax Knowledge
• Effective Business Communication
• Problem Analysis and Judgement
• Planning, Management, and Measurement
• Decisiveness
• Business Acumen
• Functional Policies and Procedures

Knowledge Compliance Competency

• Knowledge of innovation, industry, and technology trends.
• Ability to understand a situation or problem by breaking it into smaller parts or tracing implications step by step.
• Knowledge of SARS’s organisation, policies, procedures, services, products, and business operating models.
• Understanding and interpretation of functional policies and procedures, including monitoring their consistent application within SARS.