Application Support Analyst

The Application Support Analyst is responsible for supporting the operation, maintenance and continuous improvement of critical market applications, databases, interfaces and supporting technology platforms used in the administration of the Single Electricity Market (SEM).

Working as part of the SEMO Market Systems Support team, the postholder will provide application support and technical expertise across a range of operational and project activities. This includes incident and problem management, system monitoring, supplier engagement, change and release support, documentation maintenance and service improvement initiatives.

The role will work closely with business stakeholders, subject matter experts, technology teams and third-party support providers to ensure the ongoing availability, performance, resilience and integrity of market systems and services. You will support day-to-day operations while helping to improve and develop the systems that underpin the electricity market.

This role is employed by SONI and reports operationally to the Market & Operational Systems Manager and forms part of the wider Market & Operational Systems team., * Provide first and second line support for market systems, applications, interfaces and supporting technologies used in the administration of the Single Electricity Market (SEM).

• Monitor system health, service availability and application performance, taking appropriate action to resolve issues and minimise service disruption.
• Investigate, diagnose and coordinate the resolution of application incidents and service requests, ensuring timely communication with stakeholders.
• Log, prioritise, track and manage support activities in accordance with agreed service management processes and service level targets.
• Participate in problem management activities, including root cause analysis and implementation of preventative measures.
• Support the deployment, testing and implementation of application upgrades, patches and configuration changes.
• Assist in the planning and execution of system maintenance activities, ensuring risks and operational impacts are understood and managed.
• Support business and technical testing activities associated with application enhancements, projects and releases.
• Maintain system documentation, operational procedures, support materials and knowledge repositories.
• Liaise with third-party support partners, software vendors and service providers to assist in the resolution of incidents and technical issues.
• Monitor supplier performance against agreed service levels and contribute to regular service reviews where required.
• Work closely with Market Operations, Technology teams and subject matter experts to support business requirements and operational objectives.
• Contribute to service improvement initiatives aimed at improving system availability, support processes and user experience.
• Assist in requirements gathering, impact assessments and change request activities.
• Provide operational support and system knowledge to technology projects and market change initiatives.
• Identify opportunities to improve support processes, automation, monitoring and operational effectiveness.
• Support activities relating to business continuity, disaster recovery and operational resilience.
• Contribute to maintaining compliance with organisational policies, security requirements and regulatory obligations.
• Participate in out-of-hours support arrangements and major incident activities as required.
• Undertake other duties as reasonably required by management in support of departmental and organisational objectives.

• Third-level qualification in Information Technology, Computer Science, Business Information Systems or a related discipline, or equivalent relevant experience.
• Experience supporting business-critical applications within a structured IT environment.
• Experience investigating and resolving technical incidents and service issues.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to diagnose complex issues methodically.
• Experience working with users, stakeholders and third-party suppliers to deliver support services.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and work effectively within agreed service levels.
• Good verbal and written communication skills.
• Experience producing and maintaining technical and operational documentation.
• Strong organisational skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to work effectively as part of a multidisciplinary team.

Desirable:

• Experience supporting systems within the energy, utilities or other regulated sectors.
• Experience working with market systems, settlement systems, trading platforms or other transaction-processing applications.
• Knowledge of ITIL Service Management processes, particularly Incident, Problem and Change Management.
• Experience supporting applications hosted within cloud or hybrid environments.
• Working knowledge of SQL and relational databases.
• Experience working with application interfaces, batch processing and system integrations.
• Experience participating in testing, release and deployment activities.
• Knowledge of business continuity and disaster recovery principles.
• Understanding of cyber security and information security best practices.
• Understanding of SQL Scripting.
• Experience working in a Linux based environment

If you are seeking a challenging and impactful role within the energy sector, we’d love to hear from you. Join us in shaping the future of SONI and delivering a cleaner and more secure energy future for everyone living in Northern Ireland.

SONI is responsible for operating Northern Ireland’s electricity transmission system and ensuring the secure, reliable and efficient operation of the power system. Technology and operational systems play a critical role in supporting SONI’s core remit and the continued evolution of the electricity sector.

The Single Electricity Market (SEM) is the wholesale electricity market for the island of Ireland. A range of applications and technology platforms support its day-to-day operation, enabling market participants to buy and sell electricity securely and efficiently.

To support the ongoing operation, maintenance and enhancement of these platforms, SONI is seeking an Application Support Analyst to join the SEMO (Single Electricity Market Operator) Market Systems Support team on a 12-month fixed-term basis. The role offers the opportunity to work within a specialist technology environment supporting critical market systems and collaborating with colleagues across SONI, EirGrid, SEMO and external service providers.

While employed by SONI, the successful candidate will be embedded within the SEMO Market Systems operating area and will report operationally to the Market & Operational Systems Manager based in Dublin. The role operates under a hybrid working arrangement, requiring attendance in the Belfast office a minimum of three days per week, occasional travel to Dublin, and participation in an out-of-hours support rota as required.