Purpose & Overall Relevance for the Organization:

 

The design and communication of high-level structures to enable and guide the design and development of integrated solutions that meet current and future business needs. In addition to technology components, solution architecture encompasses changes to service, process, organization, and operating models. The provision of comprehensive guidance on the development of, and modifications to, solution components to ensure that they take account of relevant architecture, strategies, policies, standards, practices (including security) and that existing and planned solution components remain compatible.

 

Key Responsibilities:

 

Specialist advice

Actively maintains knowledge in one or more identifiable specialisms. Provides detailed and specific advice regarding the application of their specialism(s) to the organization's planning and operations. Recognizes and identifies the boundaries of their own specialist knowledge. Collaborate with other specialists, where appropriate, to ensure advice given is appropriate to the needs of the organization.

 

Network architecture

Design and implement robust and secure network architectures that align with industry best practices. Evaluate existing network designs and propose enhancements to enhance security and performance. Develop and implement scalable network architectures.

 

Research

Within given research goals, builds on and refines appropriate outline ideas for research, including evaluation, development, demonstration, and implementation. Applies standard methods to collect and analyses quantitative and qualitative data. Creates research reports to communicate research methodology and findings and conclusions. Contribute sections of material of publication quality. Uses available resources to update knowledge of any relevant field and curates a personal collection of relevant material. Participates in research communities.

 

Emerging technology monitoring

Supports monitoring of the external environment and assessment of emerging technologies to evaluate the potential impacts, threats, and opportunities to the organization. Contributes to the creation of reports, technology road mapping and the sharing of knowledge and insights.

 

Solution architecture

Contributes to the development of solution architectures in specific business, infrastructure, or functional areas. Identifies and evaluates alternative architectures and the trade-offs in cost, performance, and scalability. Produces specifications of cloud-based or on-premises components, tiers, and interfaces, for translation into detailed designs using selected services and products. Supports a change program or project through the preparation of technical plans and application of design principles that comply with enterprise and solution architecture standards (including security).

 

Requirements definition and management

Defines and manages scoping, requirements definition and prioritization activities for small-scale changes and assists with more complex change initiatives. Follows agreed standards, applying appropriate techniques to elicit and document detailed requirements. Provides constructive challenge to stakeholders as required. Prioritizes requirements and documents traceability to source. Reviews requirements for errors and omissions. Provides input to the requirements baseline. Investigates, manages, and applies authorized requests for changes to base-line requirements, in line with change management policy.

 

Systems integration and build

Defines the software modules needed for an integration build and produces a build definition for each generation of the software. Accepts completed software modules, ensuring that they meet defined criteria. Produces software builds from software source code for loading onto target hardware. Configures the hardware and software environment as required by the system being integrated. Produces integration test specifications, conducts tests and records and reports on outcomes. Diagnoses faults and records and reports on the results of tests. Produces system integration reports.

 

Technical Skills

Proficiency in network technologies (Routing & Switching, MPLS, BGP, SDWAN/SDA, Wireless, IoT, ZTNA). Experience with network virtualization and network integration designs and security (e.g., NSX, AWS, GCP, Azure, etc.). Ability to maintain and modify Firewall/IPS rules based on business needs (design wise and roadmap development perspective, not in terms of operations or NOC). Familiarity with intrusion prevention, network authentication, distributed and cloud- based security solutions (Checkpoint, Palo Alto, Fortinet, Zscaler, Netskope, Cisco, etc.).

 

If required: People Management / Resource Management:

 

May be involved and gives some input on hiring Transition decisions Ensures appropriate leadership skills are present at every level through creating a motivational and supportive work environment in which employees are coached, trained, and provided with career opportunities through development Allocates the different work to the respective employees considering experience, complexity, workload, and organizational efficiency Continuously monitors and evaluates team workload and organizational efficiency with the support of IT systems, data and analysis and team feedback and make appropriate changes to meet business needs. Provides team members/direct reports with clear direction and targets that are aligned with business needs and GIT objectives.

 

Key Relationships:

 

Global IT Respective business functions (GOPS, Finance, HR, Brand Marketing, Wholesale/Retail) HR Management Controlling

 

Requisite Education and Experience / Minimum Qualifications:

 

Four-year college or university degree with a focus on Business Administration or IT or related areas, or equivalent combination of education and experience Proficient spoken and written command of English At least 5 years of experience in IT 2 years of experience in relevant area 1 year of experience in team management Understanding of different cultures Participated in projects with people from other functions/markets