Senior Specialist; Solution and Enterprise Architect

Job Purpose
The incumbent will be responsible for development of technology solutions, and mapping the business requirements to systems/technical requirements to ensure they are in line with the enterprise architectural plan.
 
Main Responsibilities:

• Play a leading role in setting the architecture and design for current /new emerging bank’s products and technological solutions.
• Review, interpret and respond to detailed business requirements specifications (BRS) to ensure alignment between customer expectations and current or future ICT capability
• Provide detail system specification document, map business requirements to optimal systems requirements; produce detailed functional/configuration designs/specifications and data architecture to match solution design specifications
• Provide accurate development effort estimates for solutions designed by vendors and internal development team to assists project managers in project and resource planning.
• Conducts technical impact analysis of proposed application changes and new system design request.
• Conduct quality acceptance testing to ensure that the systems designs work as expected and according to the design document.
• Provide delivery of high-quality, full-scale technical solutions through collaborative interactions with the customers, business team, technical resources, change delivery team and development team lead
• Ensure compliance to solution architectural design in the implementation of projects
• Explain technical issues and IT solution strategies to stakeholders and other IT professionals
• Ensure that solution architecture (software and programs) designed are in sync with business needs and hardware
• Review the proposal of vendors and suppliers to ensure that quality inputs are delivered at the least possible cost
• Monitor the activities of external programmers and developers on IT solution projects
• Identify and mitigate existing business risk or risks associated with solution architecture.
• Lead the development of an implementation plan for the enterprise architecture based on business strategy and requirements
• Guide on the effective use of solutions and architectures in order to achieve business outcomes in alignment with business requirements and the overall Enterprise Architecture
• Provide solutions and recommendations on architecture designs to the vendor.
• Provide guidance for encapsulating and isolating legacy systems as well as support targeted transitions of features to at-scale architectural patterns based on business goals
• Define and design technology solutions to assist the business in meeting their business objectives
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• Articulate the current enterprise architectural vision, conceptualizing and experimenting with alternative architectural approaches and creating models to communicate the strategic direction.
• Develop architectural standards, workflows and interface specification documents that complement the architectural vision while enforcing best practices.
• Foster repeatable and reusable architectural processes across the enterprise and products to aid in ensuring success of the design process
• Overall ownership of the architectural designs of IT platforms within the bank to ensure it’s within the technology strategy.
• Ensure effective management of risks and issues associated with solution designs and enterprise architecture.
   

Attributes:

• Business analysis
• The ability to work in dynamic conditions, and transition quickly between collaborative and individual work
• An interest in multiple disciplines and approaches, and the ability to quickly dive into a new domain or process
• Software development, technology stacks (open source, Java, etc.), UI frameworks, microservices, RESTful APIs and API management, queuing and messaging, application integration, agile/scrum, and DevOps
• SQL, NoSQL, master data management, analytics
• Identity, directory, authentication/authorization, single-sign-on, access management, data privacy, backup, and disaster recovery
• Innovative and creative
• Ability to develop prototype
• Ability to establish and manage structures, processes and standards
• Strong planning, organization and documentation skills
• Excellent research, analytical, and problem-solving skills
• Ability to conceptualize and systematically work through projects in accordance with a structured methodology
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to interact effectively with people at all levels
• Ability to act as a project "driver", facilitating the achievement of required tasks
• Ability to work effectively within a team
• Coaching, leading and motivating skills
   

Qualifications and Experience:

• Bachelor’s Degree in a relevant field in Computer Science
• TOGAF or ArchiMate certification as added advantage
• Minimum 7 years of experience in software/applications development or system analysis
• Minimum 3-5 years of experience in designing and building software solutions/enterprise architecture
• Experience in IT projects in finance/banking industry will be an added advantage