Principal M-PESA Solutions Architect at Safaricom Kenya

DESCRIPTION

We are pleased to announce the following Job Opportunity in the Digital IT Department within the Technology Division.   In keeping with our current business needs, we are looking for a person who meets the criteria indicated below.

Reporting to Business Engagement Manager – Financial Services, the position holder will facilitate the development of the right future-state architecture and ensures its effective adoption. They provide overall direction, guidance and definition of architecture programs that effectively supports business strategies. Senior MPESA Solution Architects advocate and support the Financial Services IT strategies, identify and analyze Financial Services’ business drivers, analyze the current IT environment to detect critical deficiencies, recommend solutions for improvement and develop strategies aligning IT to the business. They must have significant business knowledge and have one or more areas of technical expertise in software development, solution architecture, enterprise architecture.

Individuals in this role lead, consult or oversee multiple architectural engagements. They work on highly complex projects that require in-depth knowledge within a domain: technical, solutions, business or information. They are viewed as an expert and provide knowledge/ counsel to others. They also may lead a domain specific business domain within Financial Services IT.

ROLE RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provide direction, guidance, and governance to ensure proper alignment with business initiatives and technology strategy/roadmaps.
• Provide technical leadership on strategic, transformational, highly complex enterprise-wide initiatives focused on the financial services domain.
• Engage with various teams, ranging from business and the immediate development team who need to understand and buy in to the architecture, right through to the extended team of those people who will have an interest in the architecture from a security, database, operations, and maintenance or support point of view.
• Works with business leaders to understand business requirements and help them understand how technology tradeoffs influence strategy, and ensuring business intent is understood and effectively carried into development phases.
• Translate documented business requirements into a technical solution design for implementation.
• Collaboratively oversee the development of the solution as per agreed architecture, evolving it throughout the delivery in the face of changing requirements and feedback from the team.
• Lead need analysis, research, concept development, proof of concept and business case development for financial technology. This includes but not limited to by building prototypes, frameworks and foundations to be consumed by the technical team.
• Set baseline through introduction of standards and working practices such as architecture blueprints, coding standards, design principles and tools.

• Responsible for making technology decisions by considering all risk factors, reviewed and evaluated with all the relevant stakeholders of interest.
• Coordinates new development activities and ensures they are consistent and well integrated with the established enterprise information architecture
• Assists in post-implementation continuous-improvement efforts to enhance performance and provide increased functionality

• Contribute to Architecture Review Board (ARB) on monthly basis.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Degree in Science/computer science/Engineering/Business related degree from reputable education institution. Or equivalent work experience
• 5+ technical background in software development inclusive of databases, applications, Infrastructure, cloud development , 3+ years experience in solutions architecture and system design.
• Experience of software development lifecycle is essential, in agile and waterfall methodologies.
• A “hands-on software architect” capable of sharing software development experience with the rest of the team, which in turn helps them better understand how the architecture is viewed from a development perspective.
• Domain experience in financial services, financial technologies will be an added advantage.
• Certification in Solution Architecture, TOGAF  and Certificate in Cloud expertise desired
• Strong business acumen and leadership mindset
• Ability to drive initiatives without any formal authority in an ambiguous environment
• Ability to mentor/coach developers and other solution architects in architecture principles
• Proven track record in designing and implementing large scale, complex projects delivering IT/Telco customer solutions; demonstrable leadership skills and organizational experience
• Strong leadership skills with ability to communicate and influence others.
• Requires exposure to multiple, diverse technologies and processing environment