Solution Architect at Santam Insurance

JOB DESCRIPTION

The incumbent will ensure that Santam’s Business Development (SBD) solutions are designed, integrated, developed, maintained and enhanced efficiently and effectively and that it delivers against business needs.  The incumbent is further tasked with the maintenance of the SBD blueprint that is usable and consistent with Santam’s Enterprise Application Architecture and future technology direction

PRINCIPLE ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Understands how the business requirements can be met using the implemented Santam, Sanlam Group and Third party package solutions, or defines what additional solutions is needed
• Accountable for design of solutions to meet the business requirements
• Consulted in the provision of cost estimates
• Ensuring the alignment of initiatives to the target application architecture and standards with Santam and the Sanlam Group
• Assessment of the impact of new business solutions on the Information Technology landscape. Includes execution of technical due diligence across all dimensions of IT
• Defines high level data flows between solutions
• Work as a team member with Development Managers and other technical staff, to ensure application is implemented according to requirements
• Identification of potential risks / issues and give input into risk plan
• Active engagement with technology partners to deliver an integrated solution across platforms

Generic Functions

• Ensure that the Solution implementation is coherent and consistent with technology strategies, governance and architecture
• Respond to business requests for extensions to the scope of the solution through the creation or enhancement of the application and strategies
• Provide advice and consultancy across the team on the above strategies and architecture
• Participate in reviews and provide guidance to teams to ensure that the architecture and strategies are followed
• Establish and participate in design reviews, regular architectural reviews and technical issue management meetings
• Ensure that design is optimised for use on the organisations infrastructure
• Provide support to other members of the Development Team and members of the Business Management team as required
• Develop and maintain a deep understanding of the internal workings of software packages 
• Work effectively in a team with other Solution Architects, Business Architects and Lead developers to consider design alternatives and agree on appropriate design decisions in support of business requirements

Integration Functions

• Maintains and publicizes interfaces between internal Santam, Sanlam Group and external systems
• Facilitates design and implementation of interfaces between internal Santam, Sanlam Group and external systems
• Ensures interfaces defined by different teams are consistent
• Maintains a register of published interfaces
• Reviews designs to avoid duplication and proliferation of interfaces
• Defines messaging architecture and standards

Quality Assurance

• Review agreed implementation, to ensure correct interpretation of the requirements and architecture and strategies
• Ensure there is adequate testing of configuration or bespoke development
• Facilitate and lead the quality assurance processes for design and development to ensure the ongoing integrity of the end-to-end Systems landscape

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• Relevant Tertiary IT qualification or qualification through experience 
• Minimum 6 years’ IT development experience
• Experience in design and development
• Application of IT governance principles
• Experience in application development, support and release management
• Experience in messaging middleware, web services, SOAP, REST, JSON, SOA, ESB, SMTP, FTP, secure FTP
• Experience in systems development upper life cycle quality assurance
• Understanding of Santam systems and specifically software development experience a benefit

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

• System Development Life Cycle
• Agile Scrum
• Atlassian Tools
• Java, Groovy, C#, SQL, Application Servers
• Experience in SOA
• Troubleshoot and resolve software, and integration problems 
• Risk Management
• Quality, risk and  organisational change  management 
• Investigation and analysis of information
• Planning
• Communication of technical guidance and instruction to users
• Ability to write technical instructions in the use of programs and / or program modifications
• Interpersonal skills, ability to engage with senior business stakeholders as well 
• Ability to accept accountability for actions and decisions
• Problem resolution
• Deciding and initiating action
• Leadership
• Building networks and good relationships
• Develop and implement strategy
• Santam implemented hardware, software and operating systems a benefit
• IT language knowledge 

COMPETENCIES

• Client focus
• Cultivates Innovation
• Drives Results
• Collaborates
• Flexibility and adaptability
• Technical specifications
• Component design
• Database design 
• System architecture