Job description
Role Purpose
The role of the Solution Architect is to help the Firm deliver its business strategy through technology. They must work with technology delivery projects to translate the business requirements into detailed solution architecture designs; ensure that solutions align with the relevant technology and capability roadmaps; ensure that transformation projects deliver the business and technology strategies; influence business and technology stakeholders to adopt the strategic technology solutions; guide technology projects through the Technology Assurance processes and escalate risks, issues and critical dependencies to the appropriate leaders as required to ensure the successful delivery of the project.
You will be required to maintain your core knowledge of wider technology trends and the KPMG technology ecosystem; build conceptual and detailed solution architecture designs; and ensure alignment with the Firm’s technology policies and standards.
KPMG Overview
Joining KPMG means joining a talented team of exceptional colleagues who bring innovative thoughts and a natural curiosity to the work they do each day. No one type of person succeeds at KPMG; a diverse business requires diverse personalities, characters, and perspectives. There really is a place for you here.
Service line Information
Enterprise-Wide Technology (EWT) is an internally facing, dedicated team of over 450 technologists and other specialists, focused on keeping technology running seamlessly for everyone in KPMG.
The Team
Strategy & Architecture sit within EWT. The team provide technology solutions to the firm, covering Design, Assurance and Strategic Direction to the firm.
Core Knowledge
Extensive Solution Architecture Experience
· Work with Capability CTOs, technical SMEs, and specific projects to analyse and translate business requirements into technical requirements, ensuring that these are feasible
· Maintain a high level of technical knowledge incl. current, emerging and future technology market trends and their impact on the business
· Develop and maintain expert knowledge of KPMG’s technology ecosystem, incl. the main applications and technologies that support one or more KPMG Capabilities, e.g., Tax, Audit, etc.
· Develop and maintain expert knowledge of the Microsoft Dynamics domain.
· Develop and maintain expert knowledge of the Microsoft Dynamics supporting ecosystem. To include; third party applications, data architecture, process automation, integration, MSFT Power Platform etc.
· If required, provide advice to and/or seek to learn from other Member Firms, client teams and/or clients that are seeking to implement or improve their use of Microsoft Dynamics or the supporting CRM/Sales Ecosystem.
Skills, Knowledge and Qualifications
Manage a portfolio of work, whilst supporting the Solution Architecture team as they work on a diverse range of projects and programs.
· Create and develop the requisite documentation – conceptual and detailed solution architecture design documents.
· Contribute to governance processes where applicable – this will include helping the project navigate the Technology Assurance Process
· Work closely with the Strategy & Architecture team, development teams, other architects and 3rd party suppliers.
· Create & maintain a detailed view of existing architecture in order to help manage the transition to future state architecture.
· Identify business/project risk and mitigate or communicate as necessary.
· Ensure progress updates are communicated to relevant parties both formally and informally.
· Carry out additional duties as may occur from time to time as instructed and agreed by leadership.
· Assist the CIO and CTO with key enterprise application and platform reviews and other strategic initiatives that affect functional areas.
· Develop relationships within the KPMG business and technology functions.
· Business focused, with the ability to communicate and convey messages to both technical and business stakeholders.
· All-round competence in Application, Integration, Data, Technology and Security architecture
· Good understanding of SaaS, Cloud hosting and Integration technologies, specifically of the Azure technology stack
· Stakeholder management to ensure the end-to-end solution is designed and developed to meet requirements and best practice standards.
· Broad understanding of software development lifecycle with experience of Agile and Waterfall methodologies
· Expert knowledge of at least one technology domain, incl. Application Architecture; Automation; Data Science & AI; Data; Integration; Infrastructure / Cloud; Security; and Dev-Sec-Ops - Good knowledge of at least 2-3 other domains
· Good knowledge of EA governance incl. steps required, e.g. Info Sec approval, conceptual and solution architecture reviews, security assessments, pen tests, code reviews and service acceptance criteria
· Good understanding of technical debt, incl. its causes, how to measure it, and remedial actions incl. decommissioning
· Considerable amount of experience as a Software Engineer/Architect working on industrial strength software and a proven track record of technically leading commercially successful software products
· Demonstrated ability to identify implementation issues, determine root cause by collecting data from various sources, and determine solutions that account for business needs drive implementations to success
· Experience of working with Agile SDLC (Software Development Lifecycle Management) methods
· Understanding of common business analysis techniques and approaches
· Able to explain technical concepts to a non-technical audience in a way that is relevant, easy to consume and compelling
· A high level of general, technical knowledge incl. current, emerging and future technology market trends and their impact on business
· Good understanding of project management concepts, incl. Gantt charts/plans, risks, assumptions and dependencies, etc.
· Good oral and written communication skills
· Good interpersonal and leadership skills
· Ability to leverage networks in KPMG, e.g. to tap into additional expertise if required
· Comfortable working with ambiguity at the beginning of projects, with ability to drive clarity of direction despite this
· Good knowledge of Business Architecture, incl. business and technology strategies, operating models, process models, business and technology capability models and taxonomies
· Experience of leading offshore teams
· Practical understanding of GDPR and ISO 27001
· Qualified in ITIL and TOGAF (The Open Group Architecture Framework)
· Bachelor’s degree or equivalent
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