Solutions Architect at Bidvest Bank

Primary Purpose:

• The Solutions Architect will provide leadership and alignment of the solutions architecture and technology design for Bidvest Bank.
• This includes development of architectural principles aligned to business strategy.
• The Solutions Architect will engage with engineering leaders, product managers and business leaders ensure alignment on solutions ensuring technical direction and will provide thought leadership across the company.
• The Solutions Architect will proactively share knowledge of architecture and design and create opportunities to build competitive advantage and improve efficiency and effectiveness of business.
• Solutions Architects must be prepared to collaborate with leaders, managers, and employees across every business unit.
• To successfully align IT solutions with business objectives, solutions architect must have strong leadership and communication skills, as well as both technical and business knowledge.
• As a solutions architect, you will need to understand the business side of the organisation to understand which IT solutions will fit the company’s goals.
• Your leadership skills will be important for steering the overall process of identifying key business objectives and determining the requirements for each solution

Minimum Requirements

Qualifications

•  Bachelor’s Degree, Postgraduate, Business Administration equivalent

Experience

• 10 to 15 years of IT and business/industry work experience
• 5 -8 years management experience
• 5 years developing and executing strategic plans and/or project portfolios

Ideal

• Enterprise Architecture
• Solutions Architecture
• Solutions Design
• IT Architecture
• Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Required
• Strategic thinking and planning
• Operational execution excellence
• Ability to drive change that enables efficiencies and drives growth
• Excellent interpersonal skills to influence, persuade and motivate others
• Systems thinking
• Team and collaboration orientation
• Management and Leadership skills
• Problem solving
• Performance driven
• Learning orientation
• Effective written/verbal communication skills

Duties and Responsibilities

FINANCE

•  Control and manage costs in line with the Business and bank budget expectations

CUSTOMER EXCELLENCE

• Responsible for the solutions architecture for the Bidvest Bank.
• Develop and maintain productive and collaborative relationships with key stakeholders, to support achievement of Business outcomes.
• Proactively serve as a “trusted advisor,” and function as the primary IT point of contact to Bank stakeholders.
• Build and drive successful relationships across the business promoting a best for business approach to solutions, architecture, and design principles.
• Operate as the key business contact representing IT in promoting IT services and capabilities
• Function as the key liaison across all functional areas, including business units, the information technology department, and outside vendors
• Advising on technological solutions available to address business problems, providing timely advice on the feasibility

OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE

Strategy, design, and solutions

• Provide strategic thought leadership with regards to the role IT plays in executing the business strategy.
• Lead the translation of strategy into the development of solution architecture deliverables to ensure alignment with Bank strategies and architecture frameworks.
• Work with application, integration, and supplier architects to design solutions that support the business and assist with the alignment of supporting technology roadmaps.
• Oversee the solution architecture and design of solutions and help to maximise the positive impact on the Business.
• Actively contribute to IT strategy implementations and ongoing refinement activities in line with Bank goals.
• Strive to understand market challenges, including customer priorities and competitive issues
• Provide support in delivering solutions architecture that meet the needs of the business
• Collaborate with program/project teams to reconcile solutions to Bank architecture.

Innovation

• Provide thought leadership on the future of technology as it relates to the Bank, initiative-taking in getting to grips with leading edge technologies and understanding their potential.
• Ensure the business is aware of emerging trends, practice, and technologies in the marketplace and how they may contribute to business outcomes and strategies.
• Actively identify and champion innovation initiatives supporting the Bank strategy.
• Continuously seek improved ways to work and efficiencies within team

People Management

• Promote and foster collaborative team and stakeholder relationships based on growth and resilience, integrity, accountability, and inclusion, and adheres to the Bank value of ‘Leadership’
• Monitoring and managing deliverables, output, and performance of subordinates
• Develops talent by facilitating cross training, developing, coaching, mentoring & growing individuals & teams in the Business Units.
• Encourages career advancement endeavours to staff.
• Following up on disciplinary procedures and any other matters relating to subordinates’ behaviour and activities.
• Ensures that effective training & development practices exist in the BU & that continuous learning is fostered.
• Accountable for providing an environment in which employees can apply what they have learned
• Support & reinforce the application of newly acquired skills. Rewards the application of newly acquired skills & knowledge. Fosters a climate of continuous learning
• Ensure training is a part of employees' daily routine & encourages them to tap into the knowledge of their colleagues & to set performance improvement goals.
• Manage day to day staffing requirements, issues, and performance.

LEARNING AND GROWTH

• Take ownership for driving own career development
• Achievement of objectives/milestones set out in the development plan
• PDP plans and performance discussions with staff
• Recommend and participate in the design and implementation of standards, tools, and methodologies.
• Share best practice, lessons learned and constantly update the architecture requirements based on changing technologies, practice, and knowledge.