Senior Consultant, Custom Software Development

About the Job:

Company Description:

Linkfields Innovations (Pty) Ltd is a global custom software development and software outsourcing company with customers in 10 countries and expertise in over 10 industry domains. We specialize in delivering innovative and tailor-made software solutions that drive business growth and efficiency for our diverse clientele.

Role Description:

This is a full-time, remote role for a Senior Consultant at Linkfields Innovations (Pty) Ltd. As a Senior Consultant, you will play a pivotal role in bridging the gap between business needs and technical solutions. You will be responsible for providing expert guidance, strategic advice, and technical leadership to clients across various industries. This includes conducting in-depth analysis of existing business processes and technical architectures, identifying pain points, defining comprehensive software solutions, and overseeing the successful end-to-end implementation of these projects. You will act as a key liaison, translating complex technical concepts for non-technical stakeholders and ensuring alignment between client expectations and delivery capabilities.

Key Responsibilities:

Client Engagement & Needs Analysis: Lead discovery sessions with clients to deeply understand their business objectives, operational challenges, and existing technical landscapes.

Solution Architecture & Design: Translate business requirements into robust, scalable, and technically sound software solution designs, often involving complex system integrations and custom application development.

Technical Consulting: Provide expert advice on technology stacks, development methodologies (Agile, Scrum), cloud strategies, data architecture, and best practices in software engineering.

Project Leadership & Oversight: Work closely with project managers and development teams to ensure technical solutions are implemented effectively, adhering to scope, budget, and timeline. This includes reviewing technical specifications, architectural diagrams, and code quality.

Business Process Optimization: Analyze, map, and re-engineer business processes to align with proposed software solutions, identifying opportunities for automation and efficiency gains.

Stakeholder Management: Facilitate communication and build strong relationships with client stakeholders at all levels, from technical teams to executive leadership.

Mentorship & Guidance: Act as a technical mentor and leader for junior consultants and development team members, fostering their growth and ensuring high-quality deliverables.

Documentation: Create clear and concise technical documentation, including requirements specifications, design documents, and user stories.

Qualifications:

Core Qualifications:

- Consulting Expertise: Proven experience in a consulting role, delivering high-impact solutions to external clients.

- Business Analysis Acumen: Strong ability to analyze complex business processes, elicit requirements, and define clear, actionable solution strategies.

- Project Management Principles: Solid understanding of project management methodologies (e.g., Agile, Scrum, Waterfall) and experience in overseeing project phases from conception to deployment.

- Problem-Solving & Decision-Making: Exceptional analytical skills with a demonstrated ability to identify root causes, evaluate alternatives, and make sound, data-driven decisions.

- Communication & Interpersonal Skills: Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to articulate complex technical information to diverse audiences (technical and non-technical). Strong presentation and negotiation skills.

- Client Management: Experience successfully working with clients from diverse industry backgrounds and technical proficiencies.

- Leadership & Mentorship: Demonstrated ability to lead, guide, and mentor junior team members effectively.

- Educational Background: Bachelor's degree in Business, Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or a closely related technical field.

Technical Skills:

- Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC): In-depth knowledge of various SDLC phases and best practices.

- Architectural Understanding: Familiarity with common software architectural patterns (e.g., microservices, monolithic, event-driven) and integration patterns (APIs, message queues).

- Programming Concepts: Understanding of fundamental programming concepts and at least a conceptual grasp of modern programming languages (e.g., Java, Python, .NET, JavaScript frameworks).

- Database Knowledge: Experience with relational (e.g., SQL Server, PostgreSQL, MySQL) and/or NoSQL databases (e.g., MongoDB, Cassandra).

- Cloud Platforms: Conceptual knowledge or practical experience with leading cloud platforms (e.g., AWS, Azure, GCP).

- Version Control: Familiarity with version control systems (e.g., Git).

Preferred Qualifications:

- Master's degree in a relevant technical or business field.

- Certifications in Project Management (PMP, CSM) or specific cloud platforms (AWS Certified Solutions Architect, Azure Solutions Architect).

- Direct hands-on experience in full-stack software development.

- Experience with specific industry domains relevant to Linkfields Innovations' client base.