Application Specialist

EXIM BANK — VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT

JOB OVERVIEW

• Job Title: Application Specialist

• Position: 1

• Department: IT Operations

• Reporting To: Manager – Core Applications

• Region: Dar es Salaam

• Hours of Work: 8am – 5pm Monday to Friday (Additional hours as required by workload)

1. PURPOSE OF JOB

Incumbents in this position shall serve as the bank’s subject-matter expert for one or more core and/or peripheral banking applications, holding end-to-end ownership of their configuration, performance, integrity, and lifecycle.

Functioning in an advisory and technical leadership capacity, the incumbent should provide specialized, in-depth expertise to business users, IT teams, and external vendors, resolving complex application issues, leading application upgrades and integrations, and ensuring the applications under their ownership consistently support the bank’s operational and strategic objectives. The incumbent should act as the primary technical authority and escalation point for their designated application(s), and as a change agent driving continuous improvement, optimization, and innovation.

2. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES

2.1 Responsibilities

• Serve as the designated subject-matter expert and primary point of technical authority for assigned core and/or peripheral banking applications, owning their configuration, customization, and overall performance.

• Third level/expert support for complex, escalated application incidents and problems that cannot be resolved by first- and second-level support teams, driving root-cause analysis through to permanent resolution.

• Lead the planning, configuration, testing, and implementation of application upgrades, patches, new modules, and system enhancements in line with business and regulatory requirements.

• Partner closely with business units, project managers, and senior stakeholders to gather complex business requirements and translate them into detailed functional, technical, and integration specifications.

• Lead root-cause investigations into recurring or high-impact application faults, performance bottlenecks, and data integrity issues, coordinating closely with vendors, database administrators, and infrastructure teams.

• Own and maintain comprehensive, accurate technical documentation, including system architecture, configuration baselines, interface specifications, and standard operating procedures for assigned applications.

• Proactively research emerging capabilities, features, and best practices for assigned applications, and recommend strategic enhancements to improve efficiency, resilience, and user experience.

• Build and maintain strategic relationships with application vendors, including managing vendor performance, escalations, and contractual support obligations.

• Maintain expert-level, end-to-end knowledge of transaction flows, interfaces, and dependencies for assigned applications across the bank’s technology landscape.

• Design and implement proactive monitoring, alerting, and capacity management practices for assigned applications and their supporting infrastructure.

• Define, communicate, and enforce application configuration and support standards, and recommend changes to related policies, processes, and procedures.

• Evaluate and recommend application enhancements, upgrades, and emerging technologies based on business needs and the bank’s ICT enterprise architecture and lead their technical evaluation (e.g. proof-of-concept, vendor demonstrations).

• Champion adherence to standardized processes such as Change Management, Release Management, and Incident/Problem Management, mentoring junior colleagues in these practices.

• Design comprehensive testing strategies, test plans, and User Acceptance Testing (UAT) procedures for major application releases, upgrades, and integrations, and lead execution with business stakeholders.

• Identify systemic application deficiencies and lead the design and implementation of corrective, preventive, and long-term structural solutions.

• Lead disaster recovery planning, design, and testing for assigned applications, ensuring recovery objectives are met.

• Lead automation initiatives for manual processes and activities related to assigned applications, to improve efficiency and reduce operational risk.

• Mentor and provide technical guidance to Application Analysts and other junior team members on assigned applications.

• Provide regular, detailed updates and status reports to the Manager, Core Applications on assigned applications, projects, and initiatives.

3. SKILLS

• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in Information Technology, Computer Science, or a related field; a relevant professional certification in the specialized application(s) is highly desirable.

• Minimum of five years’ working experience supporting and configuring banking applications, with demonstrable specialist-level expertise in at least one core or peripheral banking application.

• Strong command of database concepts, with proven ability to write and optimize complex SQL queries, stored procedures, and reports for data analysis, troubleshooting, and reconciliation.

• Strong understanding of API-driven integrations, middleware, web services, and enterprise integration technologies and patterns.

• In-depth expertise in key peripheral banking applications relevant to the role (e.g. Recon Tool, Treasury applications, workflow applications, BOT applications etc).

• Solid working knowledge of operating systems, application servers, databases, and networking concepts relevant to enterprise application support.

• Demonstrated project or workstream leadership experience, including leading application upgrades, migrations, or major configuration change initiatives.

• Advanced analytical, diagnostic, and root-cause-analysis skills, with the ability to resolve highly complex, cross-system application issues.

• Strong experience in business process mapping, modelling, and re-engineering.

• Excellent stakeholder management, vendor management, and negotiation skills.

• Sound knowledge of Change Management, Release Management, and Incident/Problem Management frameworks (e.g. ITIL); formal ITIL certification is an added advantage.

4. QUALITIES

• Ability to communicate complex technical concepts clearly and persuasively, both verbally and in writing, to audiences ranging from technical teams to senior business stakeholders.

• Fluency in spoken and written English.

• Strong attention to detail and unwavering commitment to accuracy in application configuration, documentation, and testing.

• High level of integrity, sound judgment, and a highly committed, dependable approach to work.

• Self-driven with a positive attitude, strong ownership mentality, and a proactive approach to identifying and solving problems before they escalate.

• Demonstrated leadership qualities, with the ability to guide, mentor, and influence colleagues and stakeholders.

• Ability to remain composed and make sound decisions under pressure, managing multiple competing priorities within tight deadlines.

• Team player and flexible individual, willing to work outside normal hours when required to support critical application incidents, upgrades, or go-live activities.

HOW TO APPLY

Application Email: Send your CV and cover letter to hrrecruit@eximbank.co.tz

Application Deadline: 10th July 2026

For more Information: Call 0800 780 111 or visit www.eximbank.co.tz

NB: Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Exim Bank (T) Ltd is an employer that provides equal opportunities and is dedicated to fostering a diverse workplace and attaining a gender-balanced team. We highly encourage women and individuals with disabilities to submit their applications for this position.