About the position
Our client is a firm believer in technical innovation, to help them guarantee exceptional client service and leading-edge financial solutions. Their growing global success reflects our commitment to the latest solutions, the best people, and a uniquely flexible and vibrant working culture.
To help our drive their success into the future, we are looking for an experienced Solution Architect, PBB SA to join the team at their Johannesburg offices.
Job Purpose:
- Develops and maintains the focus area (domain) architecture and design for specific business functional/technical area.
- Provides a high level roadmap for the implementation of the solution.
- Matrix manages Architects delivering on projects/initiatives within focus area (domain).
- Provide thought leadership throughout the programme
- In cooperation with the Product Manager, the Senior Solution Architect plays a critical role in helping align team in a common technical direction toward accomplishment of the roadmap.
Key Responsibilities/Accountabilities
Function as Lean-Agile Architect Leader
- Take on the role of the Lean-Agile leader who understand the complexities of large-scale solution development and apply Lean and Agile practices to address them.
- Plan and develop the architectural/solutions runway in support of upcoming business features with the Enterprise Architect (EA)
- Work with portfolio stakeholder, particularly the Enterprise Architect (EA) to develop, analyse, split and realise the implementation of enabler Epics
- Define, explore and support the implementation of value stream and programme enablers to evolve solution intent, working directly with the Agile teams to provide support
Develop and Validate Reference Architectures
- Responsible for reference architecture by collaboration with key stakeholders (EA, BIO,CIO, Business) to understand the strategy and target of the IT & Business in order to develop, separate and implement the enabler epics.
- Ensure conformance of reference architectures to aligned to strategic and target roadmaps.
- Conduct research and or investigate in order deliver reference architectures.
- Responsible for the developing and contributing to architecture principles for downstream consumption
Develop and Validate Domain/Segment Architectures
- Responsible for the creation and validation of domain/segment architectures by collaborating with key stakeholders, peers and/ or feature teams, aligned to reference architectures and roadmaps.
- Manage deviation and exceptions of domain/segment architectures that vary from the reference architectures/principles.
- Coordinate activities across areas and domains in order to facilitate and deliver relevant artefacts.
- Manage technology complexities and conflicts relevant to the domain/segment architecture.
- Explore and propose new concepts and solutions through innovative thinking.
- Ensure advice and validate that the Formulated Architectures are be at the appropriate level (conceptual, logical and or physical) for the correct understanding and importance.
- Investigate and research in order deliver relevant domain/segment artefacts
- Produce and contribute to target architectures.
- Produce and validate transitional architectures aligned to the target architectures.
- Influence and communicate all stakeholders across all levels to accept and adopt architectures.
- Develop and validate domain/segment architecture patterns to be consumed in Solution, Segment or Domain Architectures.
Develop Solution Architectures/Designs
- Responsible for the creation and validation of solutions by collaborating with key stakeholders, peers and/ or project teams, aligned to reference, segment and domain architectures and roadmaps.
- Manage the technology/engineering aspects of Programme and value stream Kanban’s
- Manage deviation and exceptions of solutions that vary from the reference, segments and domain architecture and/or architecture principles.
- Coordinate activities across areas and domains in order to facilitate and deliver relevant artefacts.
- Manage technology complexities and conflicts relevant to the solution architecture.
- Explore and propose new concepts and solutions through innovative thinking.
- Ensure advice and validate that the solutions are at the appropriate level (conceptual, logical and or physical) for the correct understanding, interpretation and importance.
- Investigate and research the problem statement or programme needs in order deliver relevant solution artefacts
- Produce and contribute to target solutions.
- Manage architectural runway and backlogs for the programmes overall solution intent
- Articulate solution risks and impacts to relevant stakeholders.
- Influence and communicate all stakeholders across the programme to accept and adopt solutions.
Architectural Assessments of technology solutions and or Proof of Concepts
- Perform technical assessments of new and proposed technologies, products and services as well as concepts (proof of concepts) for possible adoption by the organisation.
- Document, advice and validate proof points or success criteria for assessments and or proof of concepts.
- Create position papers or assessment reports for technology, assessments, technology evaluation, or IT solutions.
- Assess and articulate proof of concept findings and impacts to strategy and target architectures to relevant stakeholders.
Architecture Collaboration and Review
- Provide an assessment, review, recommendation and or opinion of Solution, Domain and Segment architectures for alignment to IT & Business Strategies, legislation and regulation and other relevant governance processes.
- Participate, support, position and or present in relevant IT Architecture Governance forums or related forums (Internal and/or External associations) where applicable.
- Act as quorum member or chairperson at the relevant IT Architecture Governance forums.
- Solution & Specialist Consulting
- Provide advice on the following aspects:
o Planning & Analysis
o Design, Build, Test & Deploy
o Identification of Opportunities and Enablement
o Risk & Impact analysis for Solution execution.
- Provide architectural, technical advice and insights too resolve critical situations affecting the organisation.
- Recommend pragmatic remediation options inclusive of advantages and disadvantages to Business and IT.
- Consult with internal and external suppliers.
Requests for Information & Proposals (RFI/ RFP) Consulting
- Provide and validate input and evaluation criteria during the RFI & RFP process.
o Provide advice on weightings.
o Evaluate, score and validate the RFI & RFP response.
- Create, validate and present report by providing recommendations and findings in writing.
Adheres to Agile methodologies and follows Agile principles through work outputs and behaviours.
- Strives to reach mature levels on the Continuum model by building own and team competence to work in a continuous delivery environment: Champion team learning and adopt suitable methodologies and practice
- Collaborates with colleagues from different disciplines in a cross-functional team to deliver against iteration target
- Works in partnership with Business representatives (e.g. Product Owner, Product Manager) ensuring alignment and value to the customer
- Is able manage their work effectively as an individual and team member including the reprioritisation of backlogs and reacts flexibly to changing demands through:
- Managing their work using available resources and methodologies ensuring full team engagement
- Estimating the size and complexity of the work within the team and managing this appropriately
- Determining the technical design in their area of concern, within the architectural guidelines
- Driving team commitments to the work in every iteration or Program Increments
- Is responsible for value and builds to continuously improve the quality of deliverables
- Continuously finding ways to improve own and the teams delivery and value to the customer
Preferred Qualification and Experience
Qualifications:
- Honours' Degree in Information Technology, Engineering or Commerce.
- Relevant Architecture certification.
- Business type Qualification (e.g. MBA) would be preferred.
Experience:
- 7 – 10 Years’ experience in multiple IT disciplines e.g. Development Hardware, analysis, design, service management, architecture.
- 5 - 7 Years' experience as an architect across domains.
Knowledge/Technical Skills/Expertise
Technical Competencies Benefits Management
- Monitoring for the emergence of anticipated benefits (typically specified as part of the business case for a change program or project). Action (typically by the program management team) to optimize the business impact of individual and combined benefits. Emerging Technology Monitoring
- The identification of new and emerging hardware, software and communication technologies, products, methods and techniques and the assessment of their relevance and potential value to the organization. The promotion of emerging technology awareness among staff and business management. IT Application
- Ability to navigate the system, enter data and monitor the process or transaction to delivery and/or completion using the basic modules of one system. Able to carry out routine programme enhancement within a particular IT application and has an understanding of all relevant backup and security procedures. Undertakes routine analysis and works with
developers and analysts to clarify and improve specifications or to identify alternative programming solutions.
IT Architecture
- Possesses basic understanding of architecture principles. Reads and understands architecture specifications and models. Distinguishes between different architecture domains. Creates basic models based upon specifications & demonstrates awareness of other architectures. Development
- Monitoring for the emergence of anticipated benefits (typically specified as part of the business case for a change program or project). Action (typically by the program management team) to optimize the business impact of individual and combined benefits. Solution Assessment
- Understands the design principles in the vendor's product or a key internal application. Competent to discuss the underlying technology with a vendor first-line response team. Aware of new information technology platforms and technologies. Identifies applications/ enabling components that support that business.
Desired Skills:
- Benefits Management
- IT Application
- Emerging Technology Monitoring
- Solution Assessment
