Solutions Architect: Usable and consistent with Client’s Enterprise Architecture and Target State Architecture

SUMMARY:
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POSITION INFO:

Solution Architect

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Associated Functional Roles:

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Team:

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Reports to:

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Job Purpose:

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Solution Architecture (Sol Arch) SME Architect (SME Sol Arch) Enterprise Solution Architect (ESA)

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Applied Architecture CoE

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Head Applied Architect CoE (line)

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Solution Architect

Delivery of end-to-end solution architecture and design blueprints. Usable and consistent with Client’s Enterprise Architecture and Target State Architecture

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ROLE OUTPUT / CORE TASKS

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Role operates within specific projects and or initiatives and is accountable for the end-to-end solution architecture design throughout its various elaboration baselines. Although focused on the scope and objectives defined by the initiative the role must continually ensure visibility of alignment to enterprise target state and interim architecture roadmaps. Balance concerns between the delivery and organizations target state.

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Functional Role leverages Enterprise Solution Architect, respective SME Capability Architects and Enterprise Architect as required.

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Specialization areas: Building / developing business solutions, Business / systems analysis and one or more architecture domains (Application, Data, Integration, Infrastructure and or Security). Specific Technology and Application agnostic, comfortable to work across the business value chain and diverse systems and technologies.

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Architecture Discipline - Specific Output/Tasks

• Engage with broad base stakeholders to understand business environment context
• Assist/facilitate the unpacking of solution objectives, problem statement(s) and high-level requirements and associated critical success criteria of an ultimate solution.
• Work closely with Business and Business Analysts to unpack and translate business requirements into the various solution design specification baselines. Elaborating from a Conceptual view through to Physical solution design landscape.
• Support facilitation to unpack of business requirements and process modelling (design)
• Ensure synergy between business processes and systems design, identifying opportunities for process optimisation through system enablement.
• Gather and analyse information to evaluate existing or proposed systems / solution compositions (candidate solution offerings)
• Prepare architecture and design blueprints that cover the required stakeholder viewpoints. Perspectives should provide integrated views including business capabilities and associated functions, processes, information flows, application and systems composition, technologies (infrastructure) and security.
• Review and ensure continued alignment, throughout project lifecycle, of functional solution design specifications across all development domains/systems in the solution landscape.
• Responsible for the integrity of the design and its continued alignment to related solution architecture baselines.

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• Responsible for end-to-end solution architecture of all components (including infrastructure) leveraging relevant SME’s in group architecture functions, system and design SME’s as required. Facilitate the necessary conversation to finalise and drive delivery of solution architecture and design decisions.
• Inform and ensure adoption of methodologies, patterns and analytical mechanisms that drive greater standardisation through repeatable processes and procedures.
• Ensure that design is optimised for use by the organisations preferred and standardised infrastructure platforms.
• Facilitate and foster continuous common and evolutionary understanding between analysts and developer communities.
• Review and provide objective evaluation of vendor and partner solutions articulating clearly architectural Risks Issues and Decisions that need to be considered.
• Responsible architectural design from concept to detailed component level design, interface design, and data design.
• Review appropriateness and integrity of functional design in line with architectural design
• Responsible for ensuring adequate architectural design to support non-functional requirements.
• Continually manage architectural risks, issues, and implications.
• Provide programmes and project owners input on risk that may affect delivery.
• Provide insights that enable informed decisions to be taken by business and IT management about solutions being implemented and their relevance to the broader organisation.
• Liaise, engage, and support Group Architecture principles and standards as part of all solution architectures and design
• Analyse and evaluate existing or proposed business processes to inform and advise business and IT stakeholders on opportunities for leveraging digitisations approaches for process enablement and data processing
• Assist (consult) in the analysis and troubleshooting of solution incidents or problems to inform and advise business and IT stakeholders.
• Relate solution architecture and designs to target state architectural objectives and contextualise as either an interim state towards the target or as a situational response to an immediate business need.
• Analyse and inform initiative stakeholders on anticipated change impact to existing systems from both technical and business impact.
• Ensure that all solutions have well defined non-functional specifications and that the implications all well understood further down into detailed design of each component in the solution.
• Resolves and or escalates issues in a timely fashion to the relevant forums (Architecture, Project, Management)

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Technical Lead function within the role

• Support Programme / Project management / Development Lead disciplines with the planning, shaping and support of Technical Effort Management. This could include:

o Informs, creates and or oversees development plans and its revisions as appropriate to meet changing needs and requirements.

o In the case where there is no Development Technical Lead or the role player is not sufficiently senior, the Solution architect may need to keep project management informed of status of development effort and serve as liaison between development staff and project management.

o Assist and guide in managing technical risks throughout the project linking these back to possible architectural risks and or decisions that may need to be re-assessed.

o Reviewing and supporting were relevant standards specific to application design, solution patterns and code standards.

• In the absence of Technical Development Lead, Solution Architect facilitates team and business (client) meetings effectively.
• Supporting function in regular status meetings with development team as required.
• Provides Development Technical Lead up to date / well informed of changes relevant to the architecture, design and or business context for the solution.
• Delivers engaging, informative, well-organized presentations.

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Leadership l Teamwork

Quality Assurance Component

? Responsible for reviewing business requirements and ensuring that all needs are clearly articulated and have correctly been translated into the architecture and design. Must show traceability

? Peer reviews of business analysis and technical (systems) designs

? Support the technical (systems) design and setup of test cases and test plans

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Governance Component

? Ensure that design blueprints are completed in accordance to architecture design principles ? Alignment to target state architectures

? Alignment to Group architectural principles.

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Additional Responsibilities

? Maintain confidentiality about the information being processed, stored or accessed by the network and applications

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REQUIREMENTS

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Experience:

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Key Competencies:

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5 - 8 years Systems Analysis

3 - 5 years systems analysis (enterprise wide) 1 -2 years integration design

2-4 Architecture practitioner

Experience in design and setup of test cases and test plans

Experience in the application of data analysis and data modelling techniques

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Investigation and analysis of information Planning and shaping complex requirements

Architecture methodologies, frameworks, and processes

Able to communicate difficult/sensitive information tactfully. Systemic thinker for operational problems

Good communicator of technical concepts and constructs, able to hold down a conversation and provide guidance and instruction with diverse stakeholder groups Strong facilitation skills

Technical writer and able to convey architectural concepts and constructs through modelling and white papers

Strong troubleshooting capabilities to determine the nature of computer hardware and systems software problems, facilitating and guiding possible remediation approach through structured analysis

Diverse technology and application background knowledge and experience Interpersonal skills and strong conflict resolution skills

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Ability to communicate effectively with different levels of stakeholders Ability to accept accountability for actions and decisions

Customer Service Orientation

Understand complex database concepts and different database design techniques. Understand Object Orientated (OO) concepts.

Understand SOA as an approach and practical implementation of solutions leveraging a SOA approach

Understand benefits and have an exposure to various programming languages. Significant knowledge of client/server and internet systems architectures. Understand browser / client specific compatibility issues.

Self-starter, self-motivated

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Knowledge: Client supported hardware, software and operating systems Application Architecture and Design

Database Platforms and design

Practical business solutions implementation Information Security fundamentals and architectures

Troubleshooting techniques and resolve hardware, software, and connectivity problems, including user access and component configuration

Knowledge of System Development Life Cycle and know how to practically apply for different project contexts by balancing concerns of overcomplicating the process yet not compromising the process.

Project Management methodologies

Business analysis methodologies and notation Risk Management

Detailed knowledge of business functions in one or more sectors, preferably Banking

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Jino.swart@isilumko.co.za

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