Solutions Architect

IT Solutions Architect

JOB SUMMARY:

The solutions architect proactively and holistically leads and supports Enterprise Architecture (EA) activities that guide the development and management of a portfolio of solutions. Solutions include projects and products, systems (including applications, technologies, processes, and information), shared infrastructure services and shared application services.

They understand the concepts of business goals, objectives and business outcomes, business capabilities, value-streams and business processes and their importance in solution architecture. The solutions architect provides the necessary leadership, analysis and design tasks related to support the development of technology solutions to ensure that solutions meet business needs and align with architectural governance and standards.

They create deliverables for managing the organization's portfolio of "to be" and "as is" solutions including systems (applications, processes, information, and technology), shared infrastructure services, and shared application services and components to enable and drive targeted business outcomes.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

The below listing of essential functions is not an all-inclusive listing of duties that may be requested by your supervisor or manager.

• Translates business and technical requirements into an architectural blueprint to achieve business objectives and documents all solution architecture design and analysis work.
• Works closely with the product owners and product managers to ensure a robust architectural runway that can support future business requirements throughout the product life cycle.
• Understands business drivers and business capabilities (future and current state) and determines corresponding enterprise solution designs and change requirements to drive the organization's targeted business outcomes.
• Monitors the current-state solution portfolio to identify deficiencies through aging of the technologies used by the application, or misalignment with business requirements.
• Monitors micro- and macroscopic trends in EA as well as global currents, including economic, political, social/cultural, environmental, regulatory/legal and/or technological disruptions for effective decision-making.
• Supports product managers in end-of-life product decisions to maintain, refresh or retire services or systems, including applications, technologies, processes, and information.
• Understands emerging technology trends and disruptions and their practical application to enable new and evolving business and operating models.
• Analyzes the technology industry, competitors, and market trends, and determines their potential implications for a given solution.
• Analyzes the business-IT environment to detect critical deficiencies, legacy, and technical debt, and recommends solutions for improvement.
• Facilitates the evaluation, selection and TCO of software product standards and services, as well as the design of standard and custom software configurations.
• Consults with application and infrastructure development projects and products to fit systems or infrastructure to architecture and identify when it is necessary to modify designs to accommodate the solutions architecture.
• Provides deliverables like standard definitions, reference models and architecture designs to support architectural governance to assess the impact of new and ongoing technology investment on the business and IT estate.
• Supports a community of practice (CoP), guiding and helping agile teams, product owners to align with the overall enterprise architecture governance and assurance.
• Designs and directs the governance activities associated with ensuring solutions architecture assurance and compliance.
• Defines the principles, guidelines, standards, and solution patterns to ensure solution decisions are aligned with the enterprise's future-state architecture vision.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

• Knowledge of various backend development languages.
• Good understanding of various database technologies like MySQL, MongoDB and Oracle.
• Skilled in various frontend web development languages like JavaScript, HTML and CSS
• Sound knowledge of relevant enterprise, cloud, or customer relationship management (CRM) systems.
• Knowledge of various artificial intelligence/machine learning frameworks (AI/ML)
• Data savvy with knowledge of various aspects of a technology architecture like integration, network, and security.
• Good understanding of information principles and processes.
• Knowledge of financial models and budgeting including relevant skills for calculating Total Cost of Ownership.
• Understanding and knowledge of system development life cycle methodologies.
• Understanding and knowledge of IT service management (ITSM) and information technology infrastructure library (ITIL).
• Understanding of IT standards and controls.
• Industry experience in applying application development methodologies and infrastructure and network architecture.
• Proven analytical, planning, organizational and technical and skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work with developers in an outsourced environment.
• Good understanding of strategic and emerging technology trends, and the practical application of existing and emerging technologies to new and evolving business and operating models
• Good understanding of product management, agile principles and development methodologies and capability of supporting agile teams by providing advice and guidance on opportunities, impact, and risks, taking account of technical and architectural debt

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

• A Bachelor's degree in computer science, information-technology, engineering, system analysis or a related study, or equivalent experience
• A minimum of 10 years of experience in at least two IT solution development disciplines, including technical or infrastructure architecture, network management, application development, middleware, database management or cloud development
• Exposure to multiple, diverse technologies, platforms, and processing environments
• Experience working in a relevant industry is helpful but not required.
• Experience developing architecture blueprints, strategies, and roadmaps.
• Experience delivering presentations to senior-level executives and technical audiences.

Why Mason?

• Medical, Dental, and Vision coverage
• Employee Near-Site Clinic
• Generous 401k match
• Bonus incentive opportunities
• Tuition reimbursement
• 35% store discount
• Paid volunteer time
• Companywide events

What We Do:

We are a family-owned, multi-channel retailer located in West-Central Wisconsin that has proudly been in business for more than 120 years. We own and operate multiple businesses that sell everything from shoes and apparel to bedding and electronics through our E-Commerce websites and direct mail catalogs, with some businesses offering our own proprietary credit payment option. We have a strong commitment to support the communities where we work and live.

We welcome all individuals, regardless of gender, race, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, national origin, identity and experience, to be part of our family.