Lead Solutions Architect

OVERVIEW OF RESPONSIBILITIES

Reporting to the Supervisor of Strategy Architecture & Solutions, the Lead Solutions Architect is responsible for orchestrating the delivery of IT solutions aligned with business objectives. This involves the identification, analysis, communication, and validation of business requirements, as well as the deployment of effective business solutions while promoting best practices, standards, and policies to both business and IT stakeholders.

The Lead Solutions Architect is recognized as a technical authority and a vital resource across various disciplines, serving as an internal consultant, mentor, and advocate for both IT and business functions.

This role entails evaluating and determining the most cost-effective solutions to meet the strategic needs of the organization.

The Lead Solutions Architect will guide teams engaged in enterprise data management and systems integration or reengineering initiatives.

This position involves leading and participating in projects to ensure that development efforts align with strategic architecture, S-SDLC, and other standards upheld by IT. Collaboration with IT staff is essential to create high-level and mid-level designs for complex, impactful business application solutions.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Designs enterprise-level data management, application, and custom integration solutions, including significant enhancements and interfaces, to address identified business needs while reflecting overarching IT strategies and standards.

Defines and documents enterprise data management and application integration standards based on industry best practices.

Critically assesses information from various sources, reconciles discrepancies, breaks down high-level information into detailed components, and distinguishes user requests from genuine business needs.

Analyzes and translates departmental business requirements into functional and operational specifications.

Identifies opportunities for technology, systems, and process improvements to enhance business operations and support organizational goals through business process re-engineering and application and data integration.

Reviews and evaluates existing applications to standardize, modernize, and consolidate independently designed applications across business divisions, providing recommendations to IT management and business leaders.

Implements cloud computing strategies by designing cloud-based infrastructures to help organizations achieve their objectives.

Architects cloud-native, hybrid, or multi-cloud solutions tailored to business requirements.

Provides technical guidance and a roadmap for cloud migrations and implementations.

Collaborates closely with IT security to ensure data privacy and security in cloud environments.

Participates in developing IT strategies in partnership with the IT management team, offering insights and recommendations on strategic application development and acquisition expenditures.

Offers functional leadership to a team of Business and Information Analysts, overseeing daily operations, scheduling, skills development, and recommending disciplinary actions when necessary.

Directs, manages, and coordinates team members, including resources for multiple projects, such as Project Managers, staff from other departments, user groups, internal and external consultants, contractors, and vendors.

Contributes to the establishment of section goals, work plans, and objectives through participation in strategic planning sessions.

May act on behalf of the Supervisor or Manager in their absence as required.

Maintains strong business relationships with stakeholders, demonstrating a thorough understanding of their business drivers.

Defines and develops database and application lifecycle standards, procedures, and processes for corporate use.

Communicates corporate procedures, policies, and standards for acquiring, implementing, and operating new packaged applications (COTS).

Develops business case justifications and cost/benefit analyses for business application investments and initiatives related to packaged software purchases/upgrades and custom-developed solutions.

Reviews packaged software specifications to ensure proposed solutions meet business requirements, systems goals, and enterprise application architectures, fulfilling end-user needs and addressing systems issues.

Leads packaged software selection initiatives, including identification, review, validation, and selection of new packaged business solutions, conducting risk assessments and total cost of ownership calculations as part of the process.

Collaborates on the preparation of RFPs, bid proposals, contracts, scope of work reports, and other documentation for projects with team members and managers.

Conducts Quality Assurance (QA) reviews and sign-off on project design deliverables; performs ongoing and retrospective QA reviews on project development, providing documented feedback and results of review processes.

May be assigned to deliver projects using standard project management practices and methodologies.

Establishes and maintains regular communication with the organization's executives, decision-makers, stakeholders, department heads, and end users regarding relevant ITS activities.

May be assigned to initiatives or projects requiring direction from other ITS Unit Managers and/or Project Managers.

Ensures that employees have and utilize the necessary equipment, materials, and procedures to perform their assigned duties, adhering to applicable health and safety legislation and corporate policies. Recommends appropriate actions for employees who do not comply with legislation, policies, or procedures.

Works in accordance with applicable Health and Safety legislation and corporate policies related to Occupational Health and Safety.

Performs additional duties as assigned that are directly related to the responsibilities of the position.

QUALIFICATIONS

A University Degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant business experience.

Seven to ten years of experience across multiple IT domains, with a minimum of three years in architecture, data management, application system design, and integration.

Expertise in current and emerging architecture, database systems, database design, application systems design, and application integration standards and practices.

Demonstrated knowledge of application development lifecycles and supporting practices.

Expertise in cloud computing technologies and contemporary computing trends.

Familiarity with one or more cloud environments, such as Azure Cloud or AWS.

Experience with Microservices, Functions, Event-driven/reactive programming, or other Cloud Native architectures.

Knowledge of quality assurance processes and methods utilizing best practices.

Understanding of the City and IT department's strategic goals and objectives.

Experience with multi-platform environments and infrastructure architectures.

Ability to prioritize and execute tasks in high-pressure environments and make sound decisions in emergency situations.

Strong knowledge of the ITIL standard.

Understanding of project management principles.

Experience working in a collaborative, team-oriented environment.

Exposure to business theory, processes, management, budgeting, and office operations.

Proven analytical and problem-solving capabilities.

Strong leadership qualities.

Ability to make sound and logical judgments.

Demonstrated leadership and personnel/project management skills.

Proven ability to lead small teams to deliver projects on schedule and with quality.

Excellent interpersonal, written, and oral communication skills.