Job Opportunities at The Shoprite Group of Companies

Purpose of the Job

As a recognized authority in applying a product-centric approach, the API Architect designs API Products using a multilayered service centric approach to orchestrate multiple APIs and combine data to form new Digital Products that are powered by APIs. The API Architect applies an API-First principle and a product mindset to strategically architect the enterprise’s API landscape where APIs are viewed as full-fledged discrete digital products, rather than integrations between systems. Deep subject matter knowledge of omni channel architectures, experience APIs, process APIs, system APIs, microservices, headless architectures, and cloud architectures are essential.

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Job Objectives

Create data, application and technology architectures and designs for enterprise API’s inclusive of non-functional requirements in line with architecture standards. 

• Develop and maintain an understanding of the business strategy and business priorities for   service enabling API’s and platforms.
•  Develop Shoprite’s service enabling API products and platforms landscape roadmap and blueprints in line with the strategic business direction.
•  Analyse and understand business requirements and translate the requirements into the most effective solution architecture with minimal customization and/or advise on suitable solution alternatives that support.
• Engage all stakeholders to obtain agreement on proposed solutions and work closely with business stakeholders, Business Analysts, System Designers, Analyst Developers and Project Managers to architect and implement enterprise services such as Customer, Product and Marketing to name a few.
•  Create business, data, application and technology architectures and designs using the appropriate modeling techniques and methodologies for the various business domains in the enterprise architecture repository in line with architecture principles.
• Keep abreast of the latest trends and emerging technologies, identify and analyze architecture best practices, determine the potential impact on the enterprise, and drive adoption as deemed appropriate.
• Serve as the primary solution architecture and design authority for enterprise API’s for all project and operational stakeholders and ensure architecture quality across all solutions that enable the enterprise across various business domains. 
•  Be clearly identified as the senior design authority as it relates to the enterprise experience layers and provide technical guidance and leadership in solution proposals, RFIs, RFPs, and project teams.
•  Partner with the Enterprise Architects and other Solution Architects in support of the definition and development of the overall retail solution landscape.
•  Detect critical deficiencies in the service enabling digital products and platforms architectures and recommend improvements.
• Work with external service providers to drive projects to successful implementation.
•  Review external and internal designs for service enabling digital products and platforms systems from a risk and technology perspective
•  Ensure applicable Architecture and Design reviews are conducted for service enabling digital products and platforms solutions in line with the defined IT governance and processes.
• Provide architectural oversight and guidance to development teams to ensure high-quality technical solution designs during the detailed design, build, test and deploy phases that conforms to architecture principles and standards.
•  Mentor senior developers / designers / business analysts to become Solution Architects.
• Contribute to solution architecture and design standards and SDLC governance requirements.
• Maintain and manage the service enabling digital products and platforms related architecture artifacts in the Enterprise Architecture repository and ensure that the content is effectively organized and controlled so as to maintain architectural consistency.
•  Contribute to the definition of a framework for Solution Architecture and the policies, procedures and templates that guide and govern Solution Architecture processes.
• Contribute to the development of architecture principles and compliance criteria to guide technology decisions.
• Contribute to the development of solution modeling standards and guidelines.
• Define a set of metrics to measure and report on the performance of the various solution architecture processes.

Qualifications

• Degree in Information Systems / B Sc Computer Science (or similar) - essential Experience
• Working experience within the IT industry.7-10 yrs
• Experience with architecting and designing of API products including experience, process and system API’s 3-5yrs
• Experience in architecting and designing enterprise API’s 3-5yrs
• Experience with API Gateways 3-5yrs
• Experience with API Portals 3-5yrs
• Experience with all aspects of IT projects from business analysis, architectures, system analysis and design through development, testing, implementation, and production support (SDLC).5+ yrs
• Excellent design and architecture skills and proven track record delivering well designed complex enterprise class systems.5+ yrs
• Identification and formulation of solution architecture and solution alternatives and their assessment.5+ yrs
• Experience architecting and developing n-tier applications using multiple programming languages and paradigms 5+ yrs
• Demonstrated expertise in a variety of application development methodologies and practices. 5+ yrs
• Lead a team through an architectural development process and collaborate with application development teams, architects and other members of the software development team. 2-3 yrs
• Experience with current research and standards in Solution Architecture. 2-3 yrs
• Experience in high volume messaging and integration environments - desirable 3+ yrs
• Retail industry experience with an understanding of retail business processes - desirable 2-3 yrs

Knowledge and Skills

• Architecture and design of customer centric services and technical knowledge of Cloud architectures (Cloud, APIs, micro services, omni-channel, security, etc.) and integration to other solutions
• Software development frameworks and methodologies (DevOps, Agile, Scrum, TOGAF, etc.)
• Strong analytical, problem-solving and logical skills
• Excellent team-working, interpersonal skills
• Develop of proposals and excellent written communication & presentation skills
• Excellent organisation and facilitation skills
• Strong conflict management skills

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Purpose of the Job

The purpose of the Organisational Design Specialist role is to leverage Group Organisational Change Management (OCM) assets and collateral, to enable aspects of the change management framework including methodologies and practices as relevant within the end-to-end project management context. With an employee-centric approach, this role identifies people-orientated change impacts andincluding changes to business processes, systems, technologies, job outputs, andor organisational structures. The role participates cross-functionally to create and implement change management strategies and operational plans that maximise employee adoption, minimize resistance, and mitigate any people risks within the project context. Given various cross-functional stakeholders, the role navigates stakeholder management strategies and influences the timing and selected course of action within the project scope, mandate and goals.The role designs and implements robust change impact assessments that enable business to better understand the required approach to reach adoption. The Change Manager builds change capacity and capability by supporting and guiding leaders and Project Managers through change management learning and alignment to frameworks, practices, policies, and processes.

Change Impact Management:

• Leverages the OCM Group framework, methodology, and practices, leverages and aligns relevant strategies and operational outputs, and leads change management activities within the project context.
• Assesses the change impact and completes the relevant change management assessments.
• Creates a project-specific change management strategy, based on the scope, mandate, goals, and context of the project and respective inputs derived from the respective change assessment tools and techniques.
• Identifies, analyses, and prepares risk mitigation tactics.
• Creates actionable deliverables for the five change management levers: communication plan, sponsor road map, coaching plan, training plan and resistance management plan.
• Integrates change management activities into the project plan.
• Defines key change success metrics and continuously links status check-ins and progress to performance (as established and measured against these metrics – as relevant at various stages of the project.

Stakeholder Management:

• Effectively identifies all direct and indirect project stakeholders.
• Defines stakeholders and creates specific stakeholder strategies where relevant within the project context.
• Supports communication and training efforts as defined within the project activities - consults with, and coaches project teams on relevant change topics – works with other functional experts to build content and position visual representations to enhance communications, change readiness and adoption.
• Supports and engages senior leaders, provides coaching to managers and supervisors builds capacity to ensure change readiness and adoption.
• Acquires strong leadership support for the change and positions their role within the change context – to drive change and build ambassadors from within the group of impacted stakeholders.

Collaborative People Solutions and Services:

• Identifies functional areas of expertise within the People team and proactively mobilises support and alignment of approaches, solutions, options and alternatives.
• Facilitates efforts with other functional expertise within the People Solutions and Services team – engages and includes selected functional representatives as stakeholders.
• Builds change ambassadors as relevant.

Adoption Tracking:

• Evaluates and ensures user readiness – devises additional inputs as required to reach acceptable user readiness capacity prior to embarking on changes.
• Manages stakeholders while tracking and reporting issues – gets to the bottom of pockets of resistance and introduces additional steps in the process or communication etc. to ensure successful long term outcomes.
• Defines and measures success metrics, and monitor change progress.

Qualifications

• Degree in Human Resources, Organisational Development or equivalent - (preferred).
• Change Management certification, Prosci certified (ADKAR model) or similar - (highly advantageous).

Experience

• 4+ years in a change management or equivalent role, managing change with large- or medium-scale organisational change efforts within a project context within Group orientated OCM frameworks, policies, procedures, and guidelines - (essential).
• Experience within the FMCG, retail sector, or similar - (preferred).

Knowledge and Skills

• Demonstrable knowledge of HR practices within the FMCG, retail sector, displaying an understanding of how Change can be optimised given the practicalities of the retail environment - (essential).