Position Description

Section A | Position Purpose

The role of the solution architect is to produce a workable solution design specification for an application development project that balances the best practices in architecture and frameworks with the real world constraints and limitations of the corporate landscape and business objectives.

The Solution Architect also provides an important function in the validation of business data architecture and business, functional and non-functional requirements. You will liaise with and diplomatically negotiate agreed technical solutions with senior IT managers, project managers, senior business analysts and senior developers.

The Solution Architect will make recommendations on policies for the production, review, quality control, delivery and maintenance of development project artefacts including source code management, technical design documentation, code reviews, SDLC governance, solution architecture specifications and many others.

Section B | Key Areas of Responsibility and Key Performance Indicators

Specific Accountabilities

Key Performance Indicators

Projects

• Setup, organize, co-ordinate and chair design and code review sessions

• Articulate technical options highlighting pros & cons with recommendations

• Ensure complex Architecture and Solutions are scalable, reliable, re-useable, secure, manageable and operational

• Leveraging proven design patterns and anti-patterns

• Good Communication and presentation skills (Written and verbal)

• Works well within Team environment is essential

• Validation of input requirements such as functional requirements and exit requirements such as test summaries and user and/or administration manuals

• To maintain technical specification templates and architectural templates and ensure their usage within software projects

• Deliverables comply with standards and instructions

• Timely completion of assigned tasks

• Communication of information required by project team

• Organisation and management of requests in a visible manner

• Quality of deliverables, measured by output with required input as communicated

• Code is maintained in accordance with code standards

• Solution specifications detail and optimized solution utilizing best practice frameworks and standards

• Solutions are real world and workable, scale to meet demand and can be maintained independently from development

• Usage of design patterns

• Conflict free execution of the SDLC

Audit & Compliance

• Ensure systems are documented in accordance with the documented development process

• Achieve satisfactory external and internal audits of all systems in the VE application portfolio

• Ensure system deployment plans maintain a safe and secure production environment free from unnecessary risk and in a consistent state

• Ensure compliance with security standards at all times and inform manager/team leader of any security breaches and/or risks.

• Systems documentation is in place and maintained in line with releases

• Satisfactory audits

• Production environments are not exposed to risk and keep in a secure state at all times

• Maintain a safe and secure environment and alert manager of any known risk exposure

Workflow Management

• Ensure work commitments are met within agreed deadlines and schedules

• Discuss with manager issues around meeting deadlines to ensure risk free management of the problem

• Ensure timely and accurate resolution of incidents arising from the business operational areas and IT

• Timely delivery of architectural activities to the agreed schedule

• Risk free software development solution architectures and delivery of specifications

• Minimized down time for affected applications and SLA response time within agreed ranges

Training & Development

• Keep abreast of developments within the industry

• Make proposals from time to time on adoption of technology to achieve strategic aims.

• Completion of planned training modules

Section C | Experience and Qualifications

Mandatory Skill Requirements

• Web-Based Application Development (PHP, CSS, Ajax and HTML)

• Database Development (MS SQL server, TSQL, SQL, ER Modeling, Database Design, ORM Strategies)

• Application Design (Solution Architecture, API Design, Interface Specifications)

• Business Consulting (Presentations, Technology Options, Research)

• Documentation (Source Code Management, Deployment Plans, Coding Standards, etc)

• Network Topology (IP, load balancing strategies)

• Web Security (https, SQL injection, security protocols and standards)

• Database Optimization (Query Re-Factoring, )

• Dot Net Application Development (any)

Qualifications:

• Completion of bachelor degree in Computer Science or similar and 3 years experience in a similar role, or:

• Minimum 7 years experience in a similar role, or:

• Completion of an equivalent TAFE diploma in Systems Engineering and/or Programming and 5 years experience in a similar role

Section D | Behaviours

Victoria Electricity takes pride in its culture of professionalism, commitment and energy. All employees are required to adhere to this set of values. Employees are required to adhere to this set of values at all times:

• Energy

• Professionalism and Commitment

• Identify and Implement Solutions

• Individual Accountability

• Pro Active Collaboration with Peers

Section E | Relationships

Section F | Dimensions of Role

Section G | Authorities