Solutions Strategy and Architecture at Barclays Africa Group Limited

Job description

The Infrastructure Designer will ensure that all the technicalities are proven to be feasible on all the items that are being decoupled from Group for Africa to own/manage thereafter. The Infrastructure Designer requires a vast range of technical knowledge across multiple platforms (Networks, Storage, Backups, Windows, Unix &Linux, Mainframe) Cloud experience and dev ops is required.

To create end-to-end functional, efficient and implementable technology solutions for Business projects. This is achieved through a process of evaluation of the business project requirements and the definition of a technology solution, including application, integration, infrastructure and communications technology components.

Key Accountabilities

Accountability:

• Ensure all project designs comply with Absa Group Technology (AGT)/BARCLAYS design, architectural policies and standards. Comply with the defined policies and standards, or participate in sessions with architects to obtain inputs to determine how they view the standards and policies.
• Participate in and contribute to the creation of technology landscapes (document that defines 'as is' technology environment), updates and maintenance thereof. Update the existing landscape documents to ensure it is current
• Identify systems that are at risk as part of the design process (age, support, stability & technology) and update landscape document.
• Propose continuous improvement initiatives to enhance design work methods and service offerings e.g. conceptual design, high-level design, review forums, etc. Where gaps have been identified, come up with
• improvement proposals to be assessed.
• Provide requirements to Enterprise Architects that drive strategic direction for business, application, information, and technology architectures e.g. receive new business requirement which is not catered for in the current architect standards and liaise with architects to cater for this going forward.
• Work with the domain architects to provide input into the new technology strategies within the understanding of the total environment as a whole.

Accountability: Service Delivery

• Deliver all contracted designs within budget as per the service agreement. On engagement from business for a new project, a service agreement is put together which stipulates adherence to the timelines and within the allocated budget.
• Maintain Stakeholder Relationships. Act in a facilitative capacity and engage all stakeholders e.g. architects, other designers, Group Technology Services, and business, etc.
• Produce weekly status reports to keep stakeholders updated on the progress of each design. This should include all design issues. Escalate issues and concerns to team leads as and when required.
• Participate in and provide input into the Design Forums which ensures the designers are part of a community i.e. knowledge sharing and standardization.
• Work closely with team members from various areas within Absa.

Accountability: Governance

• Address any audit issues resulting from non-adherence to technology/architecture standards. Where standards are not adhered to, obtain approval for non-standard technologies.
• Ensure that all designs are approved by the three (3) Governance Forums.
• Adhere to the governance process.

Accountability: Solution Design

• Facilitate workshops to help determine the proposed solution. Attend workshops with business to ensure business requirements are understood; attend workshops with architects, other solution designers, vendors and services to obtain input into the solution design.
• Ensure that all designs created are resilient, effective and can be integrated into the ABSA technology landscape thereby ensuring sustainability and strategic intent of the BU.
• Facilitate JAD sessions with key stakeholders to understand customer requirements and to translate these into an appropriate solution per the service agreement.
• Design a Disaster Recovery solution which must support Business Continuity Management (BCM) utilising the required word document template.
• Present designs to the appropriate forums e.g. ISO gated reviews, application architecture community forum (AACF), peer reviews, etc. prior to Enterprise Design Authority (EDA) submission.
• Ensure that the solution conforms with the original design by performing design alignment reviews during and post implementation. Follow through during the implementation process and ensure the design is implemented as planned.
• Provide comprehensive design consulting advice to business for the purpose of guiding the development of business case formulation
• Provide comprehensive design documentation as per design department standards and guidelines.

Accountability: Personal Development

• Identify all relevant training requirements and discuss with management. Take responsibility for own training needs and take initiative in obtaining technical product/skills.
• Document and share knowledge to support succession planning.
• Comply with HR/IR Barclays and Absa regulatory and governance obligations.
• Provide mentorship and coaching as and when required in line with guidelines.

Role / Person Specification
Education and Experience Required

• NQF Level 5: 3-year National Diploma/Higher Cert
• National IT Diploma
• 4 year B Degree in Computer Science or Information Technology

Essential:

• Five (5) years’ experience within an IT environment
• Five (5) years’ experience with IT Applications, Integration and Infrastructure

Preferred:

• Exposure to IT/Architecture principles, policies and practices with enterprise systems in a corporate environment
• Knowledge & Skills: (Maximum of 6)
• Presentation skills Level: Do without Supervision
• Analysis skills Level: Do and Check
• Facilitation skills Level: Do and Instruct
• Usage of required products and tools Level: Do without Supervision
• Conflict resolution skills Level: Do and Check
• Negotiation skills Level: Do without Supervision
• Communication skills (verbal and written)
• Competencies: (Maximum of 8 competencies)
• Delivering results and meeting customer expectation Formulating strategies and concepts
• Relating and networking Planning and organising
• Persuading and influencing Adapting and responding to change
• Applying expertise and technology

Mental & Environmental Demands

(RSA Specific)
Special work requirements:
Required to travel to other Absa sites.

• Most complex decision that can be taken without referral to the manager:
• To make the right technology decision e.g. identifies the appropriate technology to deliver a functionality amongst 2 or 3 solutions.
• Proposals are made in terms of design, however all design decisions are ratified at peer review and design forums.
• Take decision on best fit technology to deliver to the business (choices between technologies) i.e. cost, time to deliver, vendor support