Solutions Architect at Discovery Limited

Key Purpose

• The Solution Architect is accountable for ensuring that our technology solutions are designed and implemented according to Enterprise Architecture Requirements, Business Requirements and IT Development Standards to deliver towards strategic goals.
•  This is a specialist role, providing technical leadership across a number of disparate solutions for a value driven enterprise journey.
• You will play a key role in designing end to end technology solutions and supporting engineering teams throughout the SDLC.  You will be experienced in providing design documentation, and reviewing or contributing to ICD’s, IT governance and Standards.
• You will work alongside other Architects, Principal Software Engineer, business analysts, UX designs and developer teams delivering incremental releases that generate business value.

Areas of responsibility may include but not limited to:

The Solution Architect is accountable for understanding the business need and translating into technology solutions that are designed and built in accordance with IT Delivery policies and standards. Key responsibilities are:

• Working closely with the technology tribe, designing solutions that cross technical, product and application boundaries, ensuring that changes are designed, developed and delivered in compliance with policies and standards
• Is a point of contact for resolving any architectural issues
• Acts as an SME for technical changes in order to provide estimates for new initiatives or product enhancements
• Owns, creates and maintains Solution Design documentation and seeks relevant sign off
• Contributes to Design standards and patterns, and forms part of the governing body of EADA
• Supports Projects and Product Enhancements throughout the development and delivery lifecycle
• Assists in Incident/Problem management, Root Cause Analysis and definition of solutions

Personal Attributes and Skills

Behavioral competencies

• Customer Service Orientation
• Leadership & teamwork
• Negotiation skills
• Time Management
• Logistical Analysis
• Professional Communication (written, verbal/presenting and listening)
• Creativeness
• Innovation
• Stakeholder Management
• Tenacity
• Risk Management
• Conflict Resolution

Education and Experience

Education

• Matric
• A relevant IT Degree or equivalent professional IT tertiary qualification.

Experience

• Demonstrable experience (ideally 5 years+) working as a Solution Architect using a range of different technologies (ideally including Java/Spring, .NET, JavaScript, micro services, containers, databases, cloud technologies)
• Demonstrable expertise in the use of appropriate tools/technologies for the design, development, build, testing & deployment of a wide range of applications
• Confident communicator - able to present complex technical issues in a clear manner to technical and non-technical audiences
• Experience of Agile Methodology (ideally SAFe)
• Multi-task and prioritise across a number of projects and initiatives.
• Work independently and collaborate effectively across the organization.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, rapidly-changing environment
• Self-motivated, goal-oriented individual with the ability to take ownership of the task assigned
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills

Desirable:

• Financial Services experience is desirable but not essential
• Experience of multiple architecture frameworks
• Experience in both Waterfall and Agile Delivery models and working within the teams
• Experience of multiple cloud technologies.

Knowledge

• Services Design
• Architecture Principles Design
• Business Rule Design