Solution Architect

PURPOSE

The purpose of the Solution Architect role is to provide strategic technical enablement through the design planning and delivery of fit-for-purpose solutions that address complex business needs. The architect is accountable for translating strategic initiatives into actionable technical visions by collating design considerations defining solution architectures and ensuring alignment with enterprise standards and business objectives. This role requires a strong ability to visualise the big picture while abstracting and modelling solutions as a set of integrated components and services within the broader enterprise context. The architect must develop a deep understanding of relevant business capabilities and through technical insight and experience define solutions that meet both functional and non-functional requirements while delivering measurable business value.

The Solution Architect brings a broad base of technical knowledge business acumen and implementation experience. They are expected to influence and collaborate with product owners peer architects engineers and subject matter experts to evolve solution architectures that support desired outcomes. The role may also involve leading technical streams or small teams particularly within agile or legacy environments.

In addition to technical leadership the architect must balance competing priorities navigate stakeholder interests and ensure that all solutions are well-documented governed and compliant with organisational controls and standards.

You will engage with the following stakeholders:
Internal and External

• Technical and business product owners and SMEs
• ICT heads and architecture peers
• Business architecture analysts and stakeholders
• System and technical SMEs across the organisation
• Technical vendors and service providers
• Research institutes and industry bodies
• Technical forums and collaborative platforms
• Regulatory and industry governing bodies
• EPMO including both project and agile delivery management
• Operational support and process owners
• Security and security governance
• Data and data governance
• Internal IT governance bodies

Your key responsibilities include:

Architecture and technology requirements

• Provide and maintain solution recommendations designs and roadmaps to support PayIncs current and future business and technical strategies.
• Documenting and sharing best practice knowledge for new solutions.
• Advocating for process improvements and helping develop solutions.
• Design specify and select application/information system solutions considering functionality data security integration infrastructure and performance.
• In collaboration with the Product Owners and peer architects to develop and maintain current and future state architecture outcomes across all technical domains including application security data and infrastructure.
• Conduct reviews and validate solutions designs from other team members.
• Participate in business case delivery for recommended technology solutions and ensure adherence to architecture and other governance and approval processes.
• Work with the project technical and business peers to craft out appropriate projects or release train schedules and technical runways for resourcing and delivery planning.

Business Support and Development

• Partner with the organisation to understand the business and technology strategies and through effective collaboration determine the appropriate technology solutions/outcomes to meet these requirements.
• In collaboration with business product owners establish awareness and an understanding of the business solutions designed and provided to our clients
• In collaboration with technical and business peers research and stay abreast of technology and solution options that may benefit the client business and product owners needs.

QUALIFICATIONS / KNOWLEDGE

• Related Degree or Diploma
• Related IT qualifications and or experience (supported by a portfolio of evidence)
• Relevant IT and architecture certifications (TOGAF Cloud Agile Zachman etc.)
• Strategy translation techniques and roadmap development
• Solution Architecture modelling methods and techniques
• Exposure to application development and coding best practices
• Modern platform development practices (e.g. APIs micro-services and containerization)
• Cloud infrastructure and platform services preferably supported by relevant cloud certification.
• Information and data resource management constructs and practices
• Full stack engineering practices and related technologies.
• Agile and DevOps methods tools and practices
• Non-functional assessment and testing practices
• Security architecture practices and measures
• Business analysis experience
• Knowledge of the Financial Services industry (Payments) with a sound understanding of payment systems architecture including real-time and batch payment processing.

EXPERIENCE

• More than 10 years IT Sector experience
• Minimum 5 years experience in an IT Solution Architecture role
• Strong collaboration and presentation skills across all technical and business levels
• Minimum of 3 years experience in designing and delivering payment solutions.