The Lead Software Engineer is responsible for the design and development of the product roadmap including the coding and deployment of the final product. This will be part of the continued transformation and modernization of systems and applications for the AFC. The objective is to emphasize the adoption of tools and technology to digitize, automate, and improve decision-making and deliver operational and administrative efficiency.

Organizational Relationships

• The Lead Software Engineer reports to the Head of Enterprise Software Solutions.
• The Lead Software Engineer may also report to anyone else as assigned by the Deputy Director of the Innovative Technology & Transformation (ITT) Department.

Key Qualifications

These qualifications are essential for ensuring that the product aligns with the company's goals, meets stakeholder needs, and delivers on the digitalization & automation expectations.

• Technical Expertise: Proficiency in Java Stack, AI Tools, Low Code, and experience with product planning and execution methodologies.
• Leadership Skills: Proven leadership abilities, including the ability to delegate tasks and manage cross-functional teams.
• Problem-Solving and Analytical Skills: Strong problem-solving and analytical skills to address complex technical challenges.
• Communication Skills: Excellent communication and interpersonal skills to effectively collaborate with stakeholders and team members.
• Attention to Detail: A strong commitment to quality and attention to detail in product development.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Lead Software Engineer’s responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Responsible for the end-to-end planning, design & development of product roadmaps including alignment to core frameworks and technology stacks.
• Implement DevSecOps practice in software design, development & support.
• Provide support & maintenance for deployed products and systems to ensure resiliency and relevance of functionality to improve product efficiency.
• Implement specific whitebox and blackbox testing as part of a regular schedule to ensure systems continue to perform in a secure environment.
• Uplift digital standards of stakeholders, engaging with them and advising on areas of digitalization and gathering requirements.
• Define and implement plans to reduce technical debt while complying with personal data protection guidelines, including introducing code reuse mechanisms where possible, planning resources and timelines, maintaining and updating project pipeline trackers, effective deployment of projects and relevant training, and compiling requests into a project management framework defined for each project.
• Key influence in business process engineering in defining solutions that address both automation and streamlining of operations.
• Initiate, plan, and advise implementation and budget control measures, applying industry standards in the use of tools such as AI, Low Code, code reusability where possible.
• Define and plan project management methodology to streamline projects.
• Ensure a streamlined tech stack for all AFC software where possible, in discussion with internal stakeholders and external vendors.
• Identify tools or mechanisms for user system training and quick adoption of deployed systems.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities Required

• Minimum Bachelor’s or Masters Degree holder in Information Technology / Software Engineering.
• At least 12 years of experience in end-to-end Product Development, Software Programming; football industry knowledge and sports solution development would be an added advantage.
• Agile/Scrum Certification, Product Management Certification, Project Management Certification, AWS Developer Certification, ITIL, ISTQB, & Java Certifications.
• Credible experience in leading and inspiring teams (both technical and end users) in the software product engineering practice.
• Extensive experience in application modernization and transformation.
• Seasoned in Agile and Scrum practices in planning for product releases, cost and timeline optimizations.
• Hands-on expertise in Java Stack e.g. Angular, PostGres, with added advantage if knowledgeable in PHP/Laravel Frameworks.
• Sound experience in designing applications in native cloud such as AWS, with a strong capability in systems security and applications hardening.
• End-to-end product lifecycle management.
• Hands-on experience in Java full stack development.
• Previous experience in AI based and/or Low code development and deployment.
• Designed and built applications for Cloud, as well as developed and deployed Mobile Applications.
• Expertise in UI/UX enhancements.
• Secure code by design implementation practice.
• Able to lead project teams and deliver projects on time and within budget.
• Able to multi-task and successfully manage multiple projects in a fast-paced and deadline-oriented environment.