Solutions Architecture

We require the appointed Solution Architect to render the below services for the stipulated duration.

The Solution Architect works in the Technology Enterprise Services Planning area and is considered the interface between customer facing entities or business entities and the various technical areas for the design, architecture and development of new sales engagement processes.
Undertake Technical Regulation assessments in order to take solutions to clients.
Develop and continually Optimize the end-to-end process flow to ultimately ensure customer satisfaction.
Gather and analyse product & service requirements from multiple customer facing entities.
Develop relevant documents as input to technical teams.
Provide feedback to requestor in the form of consolidated high-level solution architecture documents, costing and time lines.
Design and implement workaround solutions and out-of-the-box thinking to ensure speed to market.
Develop bespoke SLAs that meets customers’ requirements.
Develop innovative network solutions with a strong focus on converged products that differentiate the company in the market.
Ensure product integration management by defining an end-to-end network architecture to support converged approach.
Provide consolidated technology based innovation, concepts and roadmaps to satisfy business requirements and create new demand.
Ensure vendor management of equipment and solution providers.
Ensure Solution Architecture business plan objectives are met.
Drive implementation of solutions and inventory
Ensure solutions provide excellent customer experience for the subscriber.
Match solution requirements to device capabilities during solution development process.
Understand industry trends and adopt them in customer solutions.
Provide input into the demand management of network and platform infrastructure for Fixed and Enterprise networks
Ensure the right forecasting and demand management processes to cater for capacity and growth.
Ensure the right technological trends are incorporated into infrastructure planning to build a future proof network.
Develop and grow long term relationships with key corporate customers, vendors, Company’s Business, Wholesale stakeholders & Consumer divisions.
Initiate required technology changes to ensure alignment with the strategic direction of the company.
Define architectural requirements for converged solutions and required processes.
Manage business analysis of customer demand correlated to existing and possible solution deployment.
Develop integrated costing models and scenarios for requested solutions.
The Solution Architect is accountable to the planning manager for ICT & fixed-line solutions to be delivered.
The individual projects are highly specialized and as such the Solution Architect will be required to have an in depth understanding of ICT, fixed-line and IP Technologies and thus will be required to have the necessary certifications as such engineering degrees supported by CCIE, CCDP or CCNP equivalent certifications, CECP will be advantageous, with the supported years of experience in the enterprise Infrastructure environment.
The company will provide the necessary support required for the Solution Architect to develop an understanding of the company’s Policies, Processes and Procedures (PPPs) pertaining to company’s network. It is important for the Solution Architect to familiarise themselves with such PPPs as they will be expected to analyse and provide in depth explanations to senior company’s customers. In addition, the process of timeous and effective decision-making will need to be facilitated and at times escalated by the Solution Architect.
External planners (i.e. those that are not the company’s permanent staff) will have an explicit objective for skills transfer, and measurable targets for the support of company's own development thereof.

The Solution Architect will be directly responsible for the following:

1. Analyse and evaluate customer business and technical requirements

2. Architect solutions using appropriate technologies which meet functional and non-functional requirements

3. Document, design, develop and support the management of:

· ICT

· Mobile

· Fixed

· Converged

· Wholesale

4. Define and maintain standards, procedures and policies related to Solutions management

5. Assess risk factors and limitations of current systems and identify areas of opportunity for mitigation and improving team performance

6. Provide technical assessments of current and proposed methodologies for Enterprise and Wholesale Business Units

7. Perform analysis of alternative and market research studies that provide data which aid in the selection of tools, technologies, solutions and methodologies

8. Interpret, implement and adhere to applicable and/or prescribed level technology standards, policies and directives

9. Collaborate with other technical leads, participate in problem-solving and root cause analysis efforts

10. Articulate, in writing and verbally, the impact of architecturally significant change requests

11. Maintain knowledge of current and emerging tools, technologies, solutions and methodologies

12. Provide subject matter expert support to Sales teams, Systems Engineers, other Systems Architects, and application teams

13. Provide detailed development cost, resource, and technology estimates for proposed solutions.

14. Ensure accurate and timely business and performance reporting process

15. Ensure appropriate business predictability across all infrastructure projects

16. Ensure the right service organisation structure to enable better client experience

17. Ensure the client-centric tools / systems are implemented, accurate and accessible to all stakeholders

18. Continuously develop and recommend internal client service models to align the business performance

19. Ensure that a process is in place for seamless handover between all divisions and client service

20. Effective budget management - The Solution Architect will be required to produce an work with commercial teams, planning and delivery teams to analysis the costs of the project, comparing the costs of the originally proposed solution presales vs the actual costs of the solution to be delivered to the customer, accounting for changes from self-build to 3rd party solutions, change of self-build mediums etc.