Solutions Architect

Introduction

This person must be the translater between technical developers and business managers in order to drive technical solutions that meet business needs. They are ultimately responsible for the How in solutions, supported by a team of the best technical resources in the environment.

Main Purpose

This person must be the translater between technical developers and business managers in order to drive technical solutions that meet business needs. They are ultimately responsible for the solutions, supported by a team of the best technical resources in the environment.

A Solution Architect must be able to see whether the applications in the domain have been built with quality and with reuse in mind and does this with extensive technical experience.

The Solution Architect drives the adoption of standards and best practice with the Application Management team.

Key Performance Areas

Strategy, Consulting & Alignment

• Consult with Business on strategic direction and provide technology alignment in the areas of infrastructure, data, applications and compliance.
• Advise Group IT on the effective, efficient, agile and integral use of technology to solve business problems.
• Understand, catalogue and communicate the technical building blocks in the environment by means of the Technology Repository.
• Drive adoption of Group standard technologies and services.
• Align strategy to group corporate governance

Solution Crafting

• Participate in the crafting of solutions with an eye on Enterprise re-use and shared services.
• Elicit multiple potential solutions based on input of architects and make final recommendations for a chosen approach.
• Hold a relationship with suppliers of technology solutions to stay abreast of the latest offerings and potential applicability to Alexander Forbes.
• Challenge architects in their designs and implementations to drive an increasing level of quality and innovation.
• Assist developers in crafting solutions using best practices.
• Deliver tactical objectives of the strategy through to solutions.

Standards and Best Practices

• Identify and promote best practice in existing areas.
• Publish and entrench technical standards in the environment.
• Stay abreast of the current thinking around best practice and participate in industry forums.
• Set best practices and standards for software engineering for the Group.
• Ensure the adoption of frameworks, standards and procedures.

Technical Evaluations and Assessments

• Participate in the evaluation of new solution requirements and make recommendations on the fit to the enterprise architecture.
• Assess existing implementations and support the application managers to develop roadmaps.
• Establish a structure to facilitate growth opportunities for developers.

TCF

• Ensures that TCF is understood and practiced by the people reporting to him/her, if any.
• Draws on TCF management information (and potentially contributes towards the input thereof) to monitor progress in TCF and address short-comings relevant to his/her area with urgency.
• Keeps abreast of latest TCF information and guidelines as from time to time.

Technical and behavioural competencies

Professional /Technical:

• Business & Financial Acumen (includes ability to identify and manage risk)
• Technical/Professional Competence
• Process Engineering/Systems Competence)

Behavioural (Interpersonal and Intrapersonal):

• Assertiveness (Includes willingness to challenge and confront)
• Ethical Behaviour/Honesty/Transparency/Modelling of Values
• Entrepreneurship/Calculated Risk Taking
• Excellence Orientation
• Flexibility/Adaptability
• Personal Growth Orientation/Learning Agility
• Resilience/Perseverance/Stress Management
• Rule Orientation
• Results & Solution Focused (Drive, Energy & Follow Through)
• Self Management (Planning, Prioritising & Time Management)
• Visibility & Impact (Includes Professionalism & Executive Disposition)
• Building Strategic Partnerships/Networking
• Communication
• Customer Service Orientation/Client Focus (Internal and External)
• Influencing and Negotiation (Including Conflict Management)
• Knowledge Sharing (includes Information Management)
• Managing Diversity
• Organisational Awareness
• Relationship Building, Listening, Interpersonal Sensitivity
• Teamwork

Cognitive Competencies:

• Analytical Thinking and Attention to Detail
• Anticipating, Creating and Managing Change (Tolerance for Ambiguity)
• Holistic/Big Picture Thinking Includes Forward Thinking)
• Judgment and Decision Making
• Innovation/Creativity
• Problem Solving (Includes Reasoning)

Leadership:

• Motivating People (includes Creating and Selling the Vision)
• Participative Leadership (Empowering and Including)
• People Development (includes Identifying and Nurturing Talent)
• Practical Execution Management (Planning, Organising and Mentoring)
• Strategic Leadership (includes Strategic Planning and Implementation)

TCF:

• Highly customer focused
• Deeply ethical
• Aware of his/her role’s impact beyond the immediate
• Profile

Formal Qualifications:

• IT Diploma or Degree

Required Experience:

• Hardware configuration and support
• Software support
• Extensive Application Development
• Management Experience
• Extensive Application Architecture
• Project Management
• 10 years or more experience in the IT industry
• At least 5 years experience implementing enterprise class solutions
• Principal or Lead architect responsibility on at least 2 business critical projects
• 3 years or more experience dealing with senior business leaders
• Extensive technical experience in all aspects of architecture, including infrastructure, data management, solution design and implementation.
• Hands-on experience in Business Analysis
• Experience in Operations Management

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