Digital Commerce: Epic Owner

Value Proposition

The Shoprite Group is Africa’s largest retailer with over 35 million customers and 2,500 outlets. We have recently renewed our commitment to driving the diversification and growth of our Financial Service offerings. This is a super exciting growth opportunity for the Shoprite Group as we endeavour to better understand and partner with our customers to meet their needs, build their trust and optimise the potential of our Financial Service offerings. We need highly talented people to join us in playing a key role in supporting our ambitious plans. We’re currently seeking an Epic Owner to lead the delivery of an epic within ShopriteX’s Agile Release Train.

Role Purpose

The Epic Owner is responsible for managing the scope and schedules of an epic through to delivery with an Agile-centric approach to prioritization and value delivery. The Epic Owner is further responsible for guiding individual epics from identification through to approval. After the epic is approved, the Epic Owner works with Agile Teams to initiate the development activities necessary to realize the epic’s business outcome hypothesis. After the initiation, the Epic Owner may have some ongoing responsibilities for stewardship and follow-up. As the features and capabilities that define the epics are incorporated into the Solution, the Epic Owner returns to other duties or takes responsibility for other emerging epics. Typically, an Epic Owner works with the one (1) to four (4) epics at a time (based on the scope/size of the epic) that falls within their area of expertise and current business mission.

Role Description

• Primary responsibility for introducing the merits of the epic – added value
• Work with stakeholders and subject matter experts to define an epic
• Formulates and elaborates on the epic and analyses it’s cost and impact by collaborating closely with other groups in the portfolio
• Define, prioritise and deliver the epic as per the core benefits and outcomes and create a Lean business case and present for approval.
• Participate in Program Increment (PI) Planning, System Demo, and Solution Demo, whenever there is critical activity related to the epic.
• Establish the epic delivery plan during Program Increment (PI) Planning
• Collaborate with Product and Solution Management and System and Solution Architects/ Engineering to decompose the epic into features and capabilities and help prioritize these backlog items in their respective program and solution backlogs.
• Work with Agile Teams that perform research spikes, create proofs of concept, mock-ups, etc
• Coordinate and synchronise epic related activities across delivery teams and business units
• Communicate with stakeholders, escalate impediments, help manage risk and drive relentless improvement
• Proactively manage dependencies, overcome obstacles and help teams deliver effectively
• Highlight bottlenecks and provide solutions for addressing critical path issues
• Collaborate closely with stakeholders to help fill in the solution gaps that often occur
• Encourage collaboration between teams
• Work collaboratively with Product and Solution Management and System and Solution Architects/ Engineering to split the epic into features and capabilities
• Accountable for delivering the epic
• Assist tracking the execution of features and capabilities
• Provide input into the refinement of the Program Backlog
• Understand and report on the progress of the epics to relevant stakeholders

Qualifications and Experience

• Degree in business sciences, information, or technology field - (essential)
• Certified Agile and/or SAFe practitioner - (essential)
• Certified Project Management qualification - (preferred)
• +3 years’ experience in an Ecommerce, start up or innovation lead environment with a proven record of accomplishment in an epic and/or agile delivery approach - (essential)
• Experience in business analysis or related technical field with exposure to deployment of formal business analysis methods and tool (application development, technical product owner, deployment/implementation, and infrastructure) - (preferred)
• Experience dealing with stakeholders during the development life cycle - (essential)
• Familiarity with ITIL v2 or 3 - (preferred)

Our Group and all its operating companies is committed to creating, embracing, and preserving a diverse workplace that values the unique talents, perspectives, backgrounds, and abilities that enrich our organisation. A place where everyone matters and feels included.

We are committed to Employment Equity when recruiting internally and externally.

Please take note that by responding to this application and providing your personal information, you confirm your express and informed consent for Shoprite Checkers (Pty) Ltd and all its subsidiaries and affiliates companies to process your personal information for the Company to consider your application for this position. All Personal Information which you provide to the Company will be used and/or retained only for the purposes for which it is collected, whereafter it will be permanently destroyed. Your information is only retained if it is required by law or where you have given consent to us to retain such information for an extended period.

If you don’t hear from us within 14 days, please consider your application unsuccessful. Any personal information collected as part of your application will be destroyed, securely, in accordance with South African legislation.