Job Summary
Drive the design and delivery of complex fit for purpose, business strategy-aligned, high impact, cross domain technology solution blueprints & associated solutions & build architectural capability in Dev teams across an estate.
Job Description
Architecture
- Leverage a solid & deep understanding of the organization strategy to identify, design & deliver relevant, scalable, testable, re-usable technology solutions
- Work in collaboration with delivery teams to independently analyse customer requirements & varying business capabilities & leverage analysis to identify & accurately spec / frame ‘the complex business problems we are aiming to solve’ with each solution design or solution evolution
- Through the above processes, leverage emotional, social & business / commercial quotient to understand consumers and the broader range of stakeholders, their opinions & perspectives and reconcile these within the solution designs (negotiation skills and dealing with complex and divergent stakeholder opinions are a must)
- Leverage expertise in analytical & creative problem solving to synthesise a solution design (build a solution from its components) beyond the analysis of the problem
- Lead design thinking processes to successfully deliver solution blueprints & associated roadmaps
- Create end to end solution blueprints & ensure these can be implemented across all phases of the initiative life-cycle (ideation through to product launch & commercialization)
- Design & or contribute to the design & implementation of detailed feasibilities & business cases
- Leverage a strong engineering background to make the right choices in solution design – this knowledge includes but is not limited to: domain driven design, loosely coupled integration, microservices and other modern software design practices
- The above extends to identifying the best fit tools to be used for a particular solution, understanding those that would not be a good choice and leveraging researching skills to pivot towards something better
- Assume ‘one stop’ shop accountability for solution blueprint design & delivery decisions within an organization based on the above
- Work with project / program management teams to design solution roadmaps aligned to the strategic requirements of an organization and through which the solution can be implemented across all phases of the initiative life-cycle (ideation through to product launch and commercialization)
- Work embedded, as part of a delivery team, to ensure the successful design & implementation of solution blueprints
- Ensure that the detail of the solution (across all architecture domains) is accurate to the implementation of the initiative, true to the bank’s architectural principles/preferences, implementable by the different teams involved in the solution
- Work as part of embedded delivery teams to conduct solution reviews, code reviews, testing and other disciplines associated with solution design & delivery
- Attend various Group & Business specific architectural design forums and present solution designs and detailed business cases for approval
- Leverage synthesis & creative problem skills to identify risk (impending danger & challenges) and work with a cross functional group of stakeholders across the value chain for support & direction
- Conduct solution reviews against defined customer metrics and ensure the ongoing achievement of business results through solution implementation
- Ensure a solid understanding of emerging & evolving architectural principles and hold one stop shop accountability for the evolution of solutions in alignment with these principles (where it makes sense to do so)
- Build architectural capability across delivery teams in a business to ensure ongoing evolution of skills in solution delivery
- Contribute to the architecture body of knowledge
- Contribute to the design & evolution of architectural principles and preferencesPeople
- Participate in peer reviews (code, solution, testing etc.) and transfer knowledge and capability across delivery teams for improved solutioning & evolving architectural practices
- Set & Cascade solution direction across technology delivery teams
- Build & evolve the architectural capability of Delivery teams across the business – through active coaching & information / knowledge sharing
- As an SME, support the proactive attraction, recruitment, development, & retention of strong technology teams across an estate
- Leverage and embed agile practices in delivery teams and work to build strong self-directed, high performance teams through agile working practices (including daily, weekly, etc. sprint routines, regular & honest feedback etc.)Financial & Vendor Management, Risk & Governance
- Carry the ‘one stop shop’ accountability for all risk associated with solution design (from ideation to deployment)
- Apply the organization risk & governance frameworks
- Ensure solution design alignment to Group guidelines & ensure solutions are sustainable for the enterprise
- Proactively involve / engage chapter & guild leads in solution decision making, applying an enterprise wide lens to product & service development
- Ensure solution design alignment to regulatory requirements and continuously update knowledge on regulatory requirements for the successful design of new & evolution of existing solutions
- Deliver on time & on budget (always)
Bsc ComSci or BIS
- BBA, MBA a bonus but not essential
- Certification in one or more agile frameworks
- Experience or training in Design Thinking and associated disciplines.
- Exposure to Cloud Technologies (AWS, Azure, GCP, other SaaS offerings)
- Min 5-10 years solution architecture experience (prefer 8 and more years)
- Min 5-10 years hands-on technology and engineering experience (prefer 8 and more years)
- Min 2-3 years in customer-facing experience disciplines (prefer 3 years)
- Min 3-5 years in agile delivery disciples (prefer 5 years)
- Ideally these should run concurrently so all skills are current
- T-shaped expertise with a breadth of skill, understanding and experience across different areas of delivery, different banking functional/business domains as well as a depth of skill in technology and integration architecture
- Proven track record in implementing complex architectures and solutions with deep hands on experience in complex technical implementations (engineering backround).
- Practical understanding and experience in Design Thinking, Jobs to be Done, Customer Journeys, Experience Design, CEM, etc.
- Hands-on software engineering experience which should feature some of the following: Java, .Net, Scala, Spark, Spring, Integration (ESB/SOA/API/Microservices), Application Security, DDD, NoSQL
- Technology Management and Strategy including TCO modelling and analysis, application portfolio management and cost optimization.
Desired Skills:
- Solution Architecture
- aws
- microsoft azure
- Java
- scala
- spring
- integration
- Agile
- scrum
- Technical Architecture
- Integration Architecture
Desired Work Experience:
- 5 to 10 years