Applications Architect

Key purpose:

Accountable for the design of software development and application lifecycle principles, frameworks, governance, and technology ecosystem. Assist with the design, delivery, and lifecycle of the application landscape in line with the organisations strategy.

Duties and responsibilities:

• Participate in the development and execution of Enterprise Architect strategies and tactical plans aligned with the corporate strategy.
• Plan and implement an Applications Architect Strategy, principles, framework, policies, and domain processes.
• Deliver a roadmap aligned with set budgets, resource requirements, market, industry, and business trends.
• Assess the application landscape against current and future business requirements, strategic goals, and development requirements.
• Examine market trends and leading best practices in automation and digitisation to drive ICT transformation.
• Research and develop new solutions in support of continuous improvement.
• Propose forward-looking solutions to unmet and unrealized business needs, establishing the company as an industry trailblazer.
• Maintain the latest methodologies for software development, including AI and machine learning tools for improving coding quality and reducing testing and debugging time.
• Collaborate with business to define and compile business application requirements.
• Compile and implement application development plans for new or existing applications.
• Develop, document, make recommendations, and communicate plans for investing in application infrastructure, including analysis of cost reduction opportunities.
• Together with the business, identify and recommend critical success factors for measuring performance.
• Define technical requirements, assist with functional requirements, develop standards that govern system development and implementation, design and develop architectural systems.
• Identify, review, and recommend new software applications or innovations, considering their design, integration, and technical fit with other systems.
• Assess the current application landscape for adequacy of resiliency controls and end-to-end systems design and implementation.
• Develop innovative and sustainable application architecture designs that are future-proof with risk management and controls.
• Support business and Development teams throughout the project lifecycle to help understand designs and refine them as necessary.
• Demonstrate application prototypes and integrate user feedback.
• Perform application integration, maintenance, upgrades, and migration.
• Document application development processes, procedures, and standards.
• Integrate trends in application architecture in application development projects.
• Assure that uniform enterprise-wide application design standards are maintained.
• Analyse risks and threats associated with applications and systems and determine the appropriate action to control and/minimize those risks or threats.
• Manage the application of software security principles during the development, integration and testing of a program or project.
• Maintain clean audit results by conducting monthly self-assessments based on defined internal controls, anticipating and documenting risks, and reporting on gaps and mitigation activities.
• Establish a common understanding of the interventions to resolve audit issues.
• Comply with POPI Act requirements and data management privacy regulations.
• Keep up to date with the latest data protection and security threats within our own area to safeguard company systems and applications.
• Provide weekly, and monthly management and status reports in accordance with the Business Unit metrics and requirements.
• Develop business cases that outline alternative solutions to existing applications and assist the business in making the right choice.
• Facilitate communication across Business Units, identify change management interventions and timelines from the project's perspective, and present the project status to the steering committee.
• Work with external software vendors on designs for new features or feature enhancements.
• Manage the integration of vendor deliverables by tracking and reviewing vendor performance.
• Implement good governance by confirming that SLAs with clients and service providers are in place, including contracts for information technology resources, i.e., hardware, software, human resources etc.
• Work with internal and external stakeholders to understand the needs for the various software applications.
• Coordinate with Enterprise and Data Architecture to maintain a broader understanding and define the architectural components for application design.
• Engage with business intelligence (BI), Data and Applications Teams in designing and delivering development approaches.
• Provide technical guidance and support to Project and Programme Managers to support smooth interfacing between vendors, internal designers, and business units
• Enhance stakeholder engagement to address issues, improve relations, and provide information on the project status.
• Participate in the preparation of the operating and capital expenditure budgets.
• Participate in all technical quotes, analyses, and specifications for accuracy and risk management.
• Manage the budget in accordance with the financial parameters and standards of the projects/programmes.
• Manages the effective use of the department's resources to improve organisational productivity and delivery.
• Provide Subject Matter Expertise in critical support issues where your experience is required to ascertain the issue quickly and to find the more appropriate resolution.
• On a monthly basis, manage the headcount in accordance with company principles and policies, including notifying HR of team cancellations, new business and new initiatives.
• Manage recruitment, performance management, training, career development programs, succession planning, resource planning, and HR processes across the team.
• Lead and manage employees' end-to-end performance management process, inspire and encourage your team to deliver on key performance areas, and provide the necessary support, coaching, and training.
• Manage and lead the Talent Management Process within one's area of responsibility to create value for high-value contributors.
• Comply with company Human Resources/Employee Relations policies and procedures and applicable Labour Laws.
• Drive employee training and development, maintaining that employees are provided with refresher courses in conjunction with the Training Academy

Qualifications and experience:

• 7 years of architecture experience in the development, application design and build.
• Extensive experience in aligning application development with business needs.
• Experience in a solutions architecture role across a variety of technologies and business spaces
• Familiarity with industry standard architecture frameworks
• Bachelors degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Engineering, or related discipline required
• Certification in relevant Enterprise Architecture or Technology frameworks and methodologies (Advantageous)
• Cloud certifications AWS or AZURE OR GCP (Advantageous)