Global Power Platform Engineer - Cape Town, South Africa - Dentons

Description

The Global Business Technology (GBT) department is essential to meet the Firm's strategic vision. We help to align technology services with the Firm's objectives. This alignment is essential for providing excellent service and value to the firm and its stakeholders. The Firmwide technology function mirrors the firm's Verein structure, balancing the delivery of standardized global services enabled by GBT with tailored local solutions offered by local technology teams. This approach reflects the firm's strategy of building an integrated global law firm, while also recognizing the unique needs of individual local firms. Since its establishment in 2016, GBT has become an integral component of the firm's support infrastructure, relied upon by Verein Members and Affiliates (VMAs). The team, now spanning over 50 members across 12 countries, has seen significant development with its adoption of best practices across various disciplines such as project management, IT service management, and technology operations, highlighted by the introduction of the Central Technology Support (CTS) service.

GBT's role and mission have adapted to support the firm's strategic decisions, such as enabling an integrated firm ethos, maintaining a single brand promise, and supporting growth. The objective is to support and enable cross-border client work. These strategic choices required a technology team with a global focus to; enable and support a unified domain, embrace early cloud adoption, implement shared systems, and develop a common digital platform for global integration and collaboration. This has led to the creation of systems that aggregate data for client and people management and support cross-border incentive programs.

Global Business Technology is shaped by industry best practices and is designed to optimize technology delivery within the firm's Federated IT model. The team is structured around four core groups: Global Technology Programs, Global Data & Application Services, Global Technology Services, and Global Commercial Services. Each group is responsible for specific areas of technology and business, ensuring effective collaboration and clear accountability. This structure enables GBT to focus on delivering on its promise of Service Excellence.

Role

The Global Power Platform Engineer will play a pivotal role in leveraging data analytics and visualization tools to enhance decision-making processes within our Firm. Reporting directly to the Global Digital Solutions Manager, the role involves collaborative efforts with cross-functional teams to conceptualize, develop, implement, and refine Microsoft Power Platform solutions. The primary goal is to ensure the efficient utilization, adoption and reporting of data for strategic insights, with a focus on seamlessly integrating AI-driven capabilities. In close collaboration with stakeholders throughout the Firm, the Power Platform Engineer will actively participate and lead key initiatives and the continual improvement of our data-driven decision-making framework and operations.

Success in this position can only be achieved by building a culture of collaboration across the team, with colleagues throughout GBT, fostering positive relationships with local technology teams and key stakeholders within the firm.

Key Accountabilities

•Develop and implement PowerBI dashboards and reports aimed at transforming complex data into actionable insights.

•Administer the PowerBI environment.

•Develop solutions using various Microsoft tools (PowerApps, PowerBI and other).

•Integrate diverse data sources into PowerBI, ensuring seamless connectivity and accurate representation.

•Utilize PowerBI functionalities and integrating AI-driven methodologies for data exploration, ad-hoc analysis, and effective storytelling through data.

•Collaborate closely with stakeholders to deliver on reporting requirements and design visually compelling and user-friendly reports.

•Participate in cross-functional projects focused on integrating PowerBI into various business processes.

•Conduct thorough data analysis to identify trends, patterns, and optimization opportunities.

•Efficiently manage stakeholders, ensuring effective communication and alignment of objectives.

•Collaborate with and supervise external vendors delivering services, ensuring strict adherence to service level agreements.

•Uphold data governance principles and ensure compliance with data protection regulations.

•Contribute actively to the development and implementation of data governance practices.

•Provide ongoing support and troubleshooting to ensure a smooth user experience.

•Develop and maintain technical documentation for PowerBI and other solutions and overall architecture.

•Continuously striving to look for innovative ways to use the Power Platform at the firm.

The Global Power Platform Engineer must demonstrate a diverse set of skills and competencies to effectively oversee, contribute to organizational growth, and ensure the optimal performance of the PowerBI environment.

Technical Skills

•Proficient in advanced data modeling, demonstrating the ability to design and implement robust data models within PowerBI to accurately represent organizational data.

•Well-versed in emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence, and machine learning.

•Proficient in Microsoft Power Platform.

•Experienced in integrating data from diverse sources into PowerBI, including databases, Excel files, APIs, and other data connectors.

•Strong understanding and proficiency in using Data Analysis Expressions (DAX) to create custom calculations and aggregations within PowerBI.

•Expertise in using Power Query for data transformation, cleaning, and shaping before loading it into PowerBI.

•Skilled in creating compelling and insightful visualizations using various chart types, maps, and graphical elements in PowerBI.

•Familiar with the PowerBI Service for publishing, sharing, and collaborating on reports and dashboards.

•Knowledgeable about PowerBI Embedded for embedding reports and dashboards into custom applications or websites.

•Understanding of SQL for querying databases and enhancing data retrieval capabilities within PowerBI.

•Ability to seamlessly integrate PowerBI with Excel for enhanced data analysis and reporting capabilities.

•Familiarity with PowerBI security features and governance best practices to ensure data integrity and compliance.

•Knowledge of PowerBI Data Gateway for securely connecting on-premises data sources to PowerBI.

•Proficient in integrating AI-driven capabilities, such as machine learning models or natural language processing, within PowerBI for advanced analytics.

•Ability to perform advanced analytics within PowerBI, including forecasting, trend analysis, and outlier detection.

•Skills in optimizing PowerBI reports and dashboards for performance, taking into account factors like data volume and query efficiency.

Personal Skills / Attributes

•Exceptional written and verbal communication skills in English, and interpersonal skills to effectively collaborate with diverse stakeholders.

•Effective negotiation and influencing skills to achieve successful outcomes with colleagues and other stakeholders.

•Demonstrated experience in managing relationships, including effective collaboration with vendors.

•Robust analytical and problem-solving skills for addressing complex data-related challenges.

•Adept with global business practices and adeptness in coordinating and aligning data systems across diverse regions.

•Displays adaptability to evolving technologies and a commitment to staying informed about industry trends in data management.

•Adopts a customer-centric approach, ensuring that data services align with and meet the needs and expectations of internal stakeholders.

•Possesses the skill to assess and mitigate risks effectively in the context of business analytics.

•Shows a commitment to identifying and capitalizing on opportunities for continuous improvement in data-related processes.

Requirements

Education, Experience and Certifications

•Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, or a related field.

•Certification in PowerBI or related technologies is beneficial.

•Demonstrated expertise in a Power Platform role or a similar position, preferably in a law firm or legal services setting.

•Proficient in developing intricate PowerBI reports and dashboards.

•Possesses robust analytical and problem-solving skills, demonstrating the ability to interpret and analyze data effectively.

•Knowledgeable about data governance principles and compliance requirements.

Benefits

Language Capabilities / International Experience

We are a truly global law firm and as such, always welcome individuals with foreign language capabilities. Additionally, we welcome individuals with a global background including professional experience gained across different geographies.