Lead Software Developer - F&O

Job Advert Summary

Purpose of the role

The Lead Software Developer - F&O provides hands-on technical leadership, oversight and mentorship to the F&O development team, and is accountable for development standards, solution quality and delivery. The role leads the design, development and enhancement of the organisation’s Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations (F&O) solutions, applying modern application development practices to deliver secure, maintainable solutions.

The role plays a key part in embedding Agile and DevOps practices within the team, contributing to automated testing, CI/CD and continuous improvement across the development lifecycle. Working closely with product managers, stakeholders and team members, the Lead Software Developer ensures solutions meet business needs, performance expectations and technical standards.

Software Design, Development, Support and Reliability

• Lead the design, development and support of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations (F&O) and related platforms.
• Take accountability for development standards, solution quality and delivery across the F&O team, including oversight of code reviews.
• Provide technical leadership on configuration, customisation, X++ extensions and integrations (Data Management Framework, OData, Azure Integration Services), in line with platform best practices.
• Ensure solutions are reliable, secure, performant, maintainable and upgrade-safe, with regard to release cycles and platform dependencies.
• Balance new enhancements with system stability, technical debt reduction and operational risk.
• Support release readiness, post-release stabilisation and technical resolution of major incidents and performance degradation.

Operational Excellence, Agile, DevOps & Continuous Improvement

• Enable effective Agile practices and DevOps delivery to support predictable, iterative delivery.
• Drive automation, optimisation and standardisation across development and support processes.
• Design, maintain and improve CI/CD pipelines using Azure DevOps.
• Apply engineering metrics to identify and drive improvement opportunities.

Compliance, Security & Change Management

• Ensure solutions comply with security, regulatory and organisational standards.
• Apply secure coding practices and technical controls to reduce risk.
• Support audits, control assessments and remediation through technical input.
• Contribute to change execution and adoption by ensuring technical readiness and minimal operational impact.

Delivery, Project & PMO Governance

• Support delivery of multiple initiatives through realistic estimates, planning input and technical oversight.
• Identify and communicate delivery risks, dependencies and technical constraints early.
• Apply PMO standards, Agile practices and delivery governance in day-to-day execution.

Reporting, Decision Support & Escalations

• Provide accurate technical input into delivery status, risks, dependencies and escalations.
• Support decisions by clearly explaining technical options, trade-offs and impacts.
• Contribute solution-focused technical recommendations to escalation discussions.

Stakeholder & Vendor Collaboration

• Work with internal stakeholders to translate business needs into clear technical solutions and priorities.
• Work with vendors and service providers on technical delivery, integrations and issue resolution.
• Support communication and escalation with clear technical input and impact assessment.

People, Capability & Culture

• Lead the F&O developers who report directly to the role day to day, including coaching, guidance and performance support.
• Provide visibility into skills, workload, resource capacity and capability gaps.
• Mentor team members through coaching, knowledge sharing and communities of practice.
• Promote a positive engineering culture of collaboration, accountability, inclusion and continuous improvement.

Training, Knowledge Sharing & Enablement

• Provide technical training and knowledge-sharing sessions to developers and support teams.
• Create and maintain technical and support documentation.
• Support onboarding and upskilling by sharing best practices, patterns and platform knowledge.

Qualifications:

• A Bachelor's degree or equivalent NQF-7 qualification (Advanced Diploma or Bachelor of Technology) in Computer Science, Information Systems, or a related field or an equivalent combination of relevant qualifications, certifications and significant related experience.
• Relevant certifications (e.g., Microsoft Certified: Dynamics 365 Developer, Certified ScrumMaster) are highly desirable.

Experience:

• Minimum of 7-10 years of experience in application development, with a focus on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations; prior lead or technical leadership experience advantageous.
• Minimum of 5 years' relevant experience in developing and supporting Dynamics 365 F&O solutions, including X++ extensions and integrations.
• Proven experience and exposure to enterprise application architecture, design, implementation and scaling, including complex system integrations.
• Demonstrated experience performing successfully at a level comparable to the requirements of this role.

Advantageous/Highly Desirable:

• Proven experience in the deployment and management of Dynamics 365 F&O environments, including Azure DevOps pipelines and release management..

Technical / Functional Competencies

• Strong proficiency in X++, C#, .NET, and related technologies for Dynamics 365 F&O customisation and development.
• Strong technical knowledge of Dynamics 365 F&O development, including extensions, configuration, customisation, and integrations.
• Solid understanding of SQL Server or other relational databases for managing F&O data and performing SQL queries.
• Skilled in working with Azure services such as Azure DevOps and Azure Integration Services.
• Proven experience leading the full software development lifecycle, including design, build, testing, and delivery of high-quality solutions.
• Strong system design capability, with a solid understanding of backend systems and architectures.
• Deep knowledge of scalable service design, including reliability, performance, and maintainability considerations.
• Strong collaboration with team members to ensure solutions are well-reasoned, maintainable, and aligned to broader technical direction.
• Strong understanding of Agile and DevOps methodologies and practices.
• Experience with CI/CD tools and practices, and automated testing.
• Team leadership, coaching, and day-to-day people management.
• Management of sprint execution, releases, and operational support activities.
• Well-developed organisational and time management abilities.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to support and train users effectively.
• Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to diagnose and resolve technical issues efficiently.
• Excellent coding and debugging skills.
• Ability to work collaboratively in a team environment.

Behavioural Competencies

• Action orientation
• Leadership
• Initiative and adaptability to changing technologies and requirements
• Collaboration with cross-functional teams and stakeholders
• Clear and professional verbal and written communication
• Analytical thinking and problem-solving in technical contexts
• Structured planning and organisation of tasks
• Innovation, adaptability and change
• Planning and organising
• Effective and optimal task execution
• Networking and influencing
• Resilience and coping with pressure and setbacks