Solutions Architect

Job Description

How will this role impact First Command?

The Solution Architect role leads solutions analysis, evaluation, and design for the implementation of a solution architecture across product lines and technologies using enterprise digital strategies, business capabilities, and architecture standards. The role is expected to partner with other architects, senior leaders, and product teams to create scalable, flexible, and resilient architectures that address customer business problems.

First Command is looking to hire experienced and motivated problem solvers who possess a unique balance of technical breadth and strong interpersonal skills to launch and grow new platform services while partnering with some of the most recognizable partners in financial services. To be effective this role must have experience and be comfortable in designing solutions across the domains of business, data, applications, and technology. The Solutions Architect must be a problem solver who has been in design and implementation leadership roles on multiple projects throughout their lifecycles. This person must be able to provide guidance around architecture, technology standards and best practices, and effectively communicate ideas and share information with executive staff, business sponsors, and technical resources.

The Solution Architect role reports to the Associate Director of Solution Architecture in the Business Information Services (BIS) organization.

What will you be doing?

• Collaborating with business and product management and to provide a high-level vision of enterprise solutions
• Understanding and communicating the Enterprise strategy to Technical Architects and technology leaders along with other non-technical stakeholders
• Creating project and solution architecture deliverables that are consistent with architecture principles, standards, methodologies, and best practices
• Research current and emerging technologies and practices and propose changes where needed
• Communicating implications of architectural decisions, technology costs, benefits, and implementation requirements to business and IT Leadership
• Defining and validating non-functional (technical) requirements and establishing traceability between requirements and application architecture/design
• Providing input to the development of project initiation documents including objectives, scope, approach, estimates, and deliverables, when needed
• Instilling a culture of execution, operational excellence, and accountability
• Seeking and capitalizing on the opportunities to improve productivity, improving time-to-market, improving solutions quality, and improving cost effectiveness
• Anticipating barriers to change and creating opportunities to remove them
• Creating a culture that is based on knowledge sharing and learning from best practices
• Exhibiting high level of professional flexibility and volunteering innovation and new ideas

What Skills/Qualifications Will You Need?

Education

• 5-7 years of progressive experience in technology, including application development and engineering
• 3-5 years of experience with business analysis and systems design
• 1-3 years of experience in a leadership role (manager, team lead, etc.)

Certifications

• Azure or AWS Solution Architect preferred or acquired within first 6 months of the role
• Leading SAFe preferred or acquired within first 6 months of the role
• SAFe Architect preferred or acquired within first 12 months of the role

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Ability to design architectural aspects of solutions across architectural domains (business, data, applications, and technology)
• Willingness and desire to learn
• Ability to move things forward in an ambiguous environment
• Strong team player with outstanding communication, organization, and collaboration skill
• Excellent listener with a positive and collaborative attitude who possesses skills in conflict-resolution, behavior influencing, and leadership
• Active engagement in external technology and product communities with a network of professional contacts outside of the organization
• Experienced and comfortable working with executives and senior leaders
• Use experience, knowledge, and expertise to influence decision making
• Proven professional with strong change management and communications acumen
• Able to challenge norms to improve the process and create efficiencies
• Able to hold team members accountable and provide relevant and timely feedback
• Critical Thinking and problem solving
• Able to facilitate group discussions in an effective and efficient way
• Able to resolve interpersonal conflicts among team members
• Able to listen and support teams in problem identification and decision-making
• Able to understand and empathize with others
• Encourage and support the personal development of each individual and the development of teams
• Coach people with powerful questions rather than use authority
• Can think beyond day-to-day activities; thinks big picture
• Be open and appreciate openness in others
• Be a servant leader

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