Job Title: Technical Enterprise Architect
Location: Cape Town
Reports To: CIO / Program Director
Team Size: Leading a team of 12 Solutions Architects
Contract: 6-12 months
Overview
We are seeking an experienced and visionary Technical Enterprise Architect to join a leading retailer’s IT department. This role is integral to guiding the architectural transformation, ensuring alignment with both current and future business goals. The Enterprise Architect will steer complex projects, drive innovation, and provide thought leadership, all while leading a talented team of Solutions Architects.
Key Responsibilities
Leadership and Team Management
Lead and mentor a team of 12 Solutions Architects, fostering a collaborative and high-performance culture.
Ensure the team delivers scalable and efficient solutions aligned with the retailer’s strategic objectives.
Provide technical oversight, ensuring that solutions are aligned with enterprise architecture best practices and governance.
Strategic Enterprise Architecture Leadership
Serve as the visionary leader for the TO-BE enterprise architecture, ensuring the organization adopts best-in-class architecture principles and practices.
Define and drive the architecture strategy across various technology domains, ensuring that the architecture roadmap is future-proof and scalable.
Influence the evolution of enterprise standards and the adoption of emerging technologies.
Technology Scope and Domain Expertise
Architect solutions that span all technology domains, including the Enterprise Integration Hub (AWS and IBM IPaaS), Oracle ERP/Planning, and the integration of approximately 40 legacy and modern systems, such as PLM, WMS, POS, and Online platforms.
Oversee the design and integration of the full technology stack, ensuring seamless interoperability and minimal disruption during system changes.
Senior Stakeholder Engagement
Act as a key member of the program’s senior leadership team, providing clear and concise communication to both IT and business stakeholders.
Provide timely updates and reporting, translating complex technical details into business-friendly language to inform decision-making.
Lead the architectural discussions with business units, ensuring alignment between technology capabilities and business strategies.
Leveraging Global Expertise
Leverage the scale and global expertise of Cognizant by engaging international experts when necessary.
Stay ahead of technological trends and disruptions, bringing in the latest insights to ensure the architecture remains relevant and robust.
Collaborate with third-party vendors and partners to bring cutting-edge solutions and innovation to the enterprise architecture.
Qualifications and Experience
- Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field.
- 10+ years of experience in enterprise architecture with a focus on large-scale retail environments.
- Proven experience in leading architecture teams, delivering large transformation programs, and driving enterprise architecture strategy.
- Deep expertise in AWS, IBM IPaaS, Oracle ERP, and experience integrating complex systems (e.g., PLM, WMS, POS, eCommerce).
- Exceptional communication skills, with the ability to present complex architectural solutions to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
- Experience working with global teams and leveraging external expertise to enhance architecture.
Key Competencies
- Strategic thinking with a strong understanding of retail operations and the technology landscape.
- Strong leadership skills with the ability to inspire and drive performance across the architecture team.
- Excellent problem-solving skills, with a focus on delivering pragmatic solutions to complex challenges.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
- Strong vendor management and stakeholder engagement abilities.
Desired Skills:
- Oracle ERP
- Enterprise Integration Hub
- PLM
- WMS
- POS
- AWS
- IBM PaaS
- Cognizant
Desired Work Experience:
- More than 10 years Technical / Business Architecture
Desired Qualification Level:
- Degree