Service Architect
Location: West Wiltshire
Position: 4-6 Month contract
Salary/Rate: £350 - £450 per day Negotiable
Must be Security cleared
The Service Architect designs service architecture for each business service by identifying and integrating business, information, and technology architecture, in alignment with service strategy. Works closely with business, information, and technology architects to identify impact on service architecture. Collaborates with Service Managers to define service objectives, service levels and other performance indicators.
Work closely with Demand Manager, Request Manager, business representatives and other stakeholders to understand functional requirements of a given work request/project/application
Design all functional and technical aspects of a service.
Develop a service design to meet those requirements and including defined cost, security and service level requirements, leveraging standard service building blocks as much as possible.
Work closely with client and Service Provider Subject Matter Experts, architects (e.g. representing areas of expertise, individual technologies or Service Towers) and other stakeholders, to review new or changed service requirement.
Identify solution gaps and work to define mitigation actions or alternative solutions
Review responses to RfPs and submitted solutions for feasibility of architectural requirements and compliance with client standards and policies
Monitor Service Provider’s compliance with Enterprise Architecture standards and regulations
Verify that all Changes comply with architecture and standards
Periodically produce and disseminate consolidated compliance reports
Select areas for compliance audits and conduct regularly audits as requested by the client
Meet with client and/or Service Provider to understand variances, attempting to find and agree resolution
Define and document acceptable variance from architectural standards
Review requests for exception to Architecture and Standards
Track all non-compliances and any remediation where Service Providers are not compliant with current Architecture standards and guidelines
Review new work or projects for Enterprise Architecture compliance
Approve or reject requests and assess financial Impact of exceptions
Develop and align (e.g. with Enterprise Architect, Infrastructure Architect, Application Architects, Security Architect etc.) Service Architecture standards and policies, and maintain such standards and policies
Develop and update the long-range, comprehensive plan for client's Integrated Services, IT Systems, processes, technical Architecture and standards (the “Long-Range IT Plan”)
Align service architecture with Enterprise Architecture standards, technology standards, equipment and software architecture and standards, Industry and technology trends, Regulatory requirements, Data and lessons learned from the operating Environment, Trend analysis from resource and consumption data to predict future demand, Good practice etc.
Multi-Year Experience as Architect (e.g. Infrastructure Architect), and/or software developer in addition to skills as Service Architect
Broad technical knowledge
Working knowledge of TOGAF, ArchiMate, ISO etc.
Proven experience managing and working with geographically distributed and culturally diverse teams
Excellent oral and written communication and presentation skills
Excellent ability to interpret customer business problems and technical issues and effectively explain how a solution will align to the customer’s needs or requirements
Knowledge of enterprise solutions and architectures (e.g. cloud, Big Data, virtualization, storage, RDBMS and ERP (Oracle, SAP), clustering, and high availability
Works under broad direction. Work is often self-initiated. Is fully accountable for meeting allocated technical and/or project/supervisory objectives. Establishes milestones and has a significant role in the delegation of responsibilities.
Influences organisation, clients, suppliers, partners and peers on the contribution of own specialism. Builds appropriate and effective business relationships. Makes decisions which impact the success of assigned projects i.e. results, deadlines and budget. Has significant influence over the allocation and management of resources appropriate to given assignments.
Performs an extensive range and variety of complex technical and/or professional work activities. Undertakes work which requires the application of fundamental principles in a wide and often unpredictable range of contexts. Understands the relationship between own specialism and wider client/organisational requirements.
Advises on the available standards, methods, tools and applications relevant to own specialism and can make appropriate choices from alternatives. Analyses, designs, plans, executes and evaluates work to time, cost and quality targets. Assesses and evaluates risk. Communicates effectively, both formally and informally. Demonstrates leadership. Facilitates collaboration between stakeholders who have diverse objectives. Understands the relevance of own area of responsibility/specialism to the employing organisation. Takes client requirements into account when making proposals. Takes initiative to keep skills up to date. Mentors colleagues. Maintains an awareness of developments in the industry. Analyses requirements and advises on scope and options for
continuous operational improvement. Demonstrates creativity and innovation in applying solutions for the benefit of the client / stakeholder. Takes account of relevant legislation.
Has excellent collaboration and partnering skills. Is firm but fair with regard to cooperating with colleagues and partners (suppliers). Creates a sense of belonging among team members. Motivates team members, coaching as required and promoting mutual support and interaction. Listens carefully and provides advice, facilitates discussion and resolves conflict. Establishes trust.
Experienced in managing Services and/or relationships in a many-to-many client - provider environment. Has taken lead role in negotiation and/or management of provider contracts and relationships, successfully resolving escalations and conflicts.
Has excellent analytical and problem solving skills. Adept in finding solutions to complex problems, engaging required stakeholders to obtain an overview of different perceptions, solution scenarios and options, and to receive respective input or buy-in. Willing to take the necessary decisions and accept related responsibility, working to obtain stakeholder buy-in.
ARCH 5: Uses appropriate tools, including logical models of components and interfaces, to contribute to the development of systems architectures in specific business or functional areas. Produces detailed component specifications and translates these into detailed designs for implementation using selected products. Within a business change programme, assists in the preparation of technical plans and cooperates with business assurance and project staff to ensure that appropriate technical resources are made available. Provides advice on technical aspects of system development and integration (including requests for changes, deviations from specifications, etc.) and ensures that relevant technical strategies, policies, standards and practices are applied correctly.
REQM 5: Facilitates scoping and business priority setting for large or complex changes, engaging senior stakeholders as required. Selects the most appropriate means of representing business requirements in the context of a specific change initiative. Drives the requirements elicitation process where necessary, identifying what stakeholder input is required. Obtains formal agreement from a large and diverse range of potentially senior stakeholders and recipients to the scope and requirements, plus the establishment of a base-line on which delivery of a solution can commence. Takes responsibility for the investigation and application of changes to programme scope. Identifies the impact on business requirements of external impacts affecting a programme or project.
DESN 5: Specifies and designs large or complex systems. Selects appropriate design standards, methods and tools, consistent with agreed enterprise and solution architectures and ensures they are applied effectively. Reviews others' systems designs to ensure selection of appropriate technology, efficient use of resources, and integration of multiple systems and technology. Contributes to policy for selection of architecture components. Evaluates and undertakes impact analysis on major design options and assesses and manages associated risks. Ensures that the system design balances functional, service quality and systems management requirements.
TECH 5: Maintains an in-depth knowledge of specific technical specialisms, and provides expert advice regarding their application. Can supervise specialist technical consultancy. The specialism can be any aspect of information or communication technology, technique, method, product or application area.
Architecture Board
Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Computer Science, IT, or equivalent relevant work experience in IT.