Cloud Architect (Insurance) [JHB/CPT]

Role Overview

A great career opportunity exists for a Cloud Architect in the Western Cape or Gauteng.

The purpose of a Cloud Architect is to align the organisation’s business strategy and objectives with its information technology infrastructure.

Being involved in the complete organisation's landscape, the Cloud Architect ensures that the organisation’s systems, processes, and resources are effectively designed, implemented, and managed to support the overall business goals.

In effect, the Cloud Architect bridges the gap between business and technology allowing the organisation to achieve its long-term goals by leveraging appropriate solutions.

Principal Accountabilities Include

Architecture Functions:

• Analyse Santam business strategy and translate it into an IT strategy that supports the business vision.
• Design and develop enterprise-wide technology architectures that encompass various aspects, including business processes, applications, infrastructure, and security, with a focus on cloud solutions.
• Establish and enforce architecture and design governance processes, principles, and standards to ensure consistency, interoperability, and compliance across IT projects and systems.
• Oversee the alignment of IT initiatives with the enterprise architecture and facilitate decision-making regarding technology investments.
• Collaborate with stakeholders, including business leaders, project managers, developers, and other architects, to understand their requirements and constraints.
• Understand how business requirements can be met using available cloud solutions or define what additional solutions are needed.
• Evaluate cloud solutions, emerging technologies, industry trends, and best practices to inform decision-making regarding technology adoption, modernization, and retirement.
• Assess the impact of new cloud business solutions on the information technology landscape, including execution of technical due diligence.
• Work as a team member with Development Managers and other technical staff to ensure the application is implemented according to requirements.
• Identify potential risks/issues and provide input into risk plans.
• Engage actively with technology partners to deliver integrated solutions across platforms and cloud solution partners.

Generic Functions:

• Ensure that solution implementations are coherent and consistent with technology strategies, governance, and architecture.
• Provide advice and consultancy across the organisation on enterprise architecture matters.
• Participate in reviews and provide guidance to teams to ensure that principles, architecture, and strategies are followed.
• Establish and participate in design reviews, architectural reviews, and technical issue management meetings.
• Ensure that design is optimised for use on the specific cloud infrastructure.
• Provide support to other members of the development team and business management team as required.
• Develop and maintain a deep understanding of cloud architectures, solutions, and packages.
• Work effectively in a team with other Enterprise Architects, Solution Architects, Business Architects, and Lead Developers to consider design alternatives and agree on appropriate design decisions in support of business requirements.

Cloud Functions:

• Establish and maintain the organisation's cloud architecture principles.
• Develop and maintain specific cloud architectures for each major cloud provider – AWS, Azure, and any future providers.
• Calculate total cost of ownership options and advise on best and most cost-effective implementations.
• Accountable for establishing and maintaining Santam Group Logical cloud architecture.
• Accountable for establishing and maintaining Santam Group Cloud Platform architecture.
• Maintain and mature the architecture capability as per the Zachman framework.

Quality Assurance:

• Ensure alignment of initiatives to the target cloud architecture and standards with Santam and the Sanlam Group.
• Design and improve the Santam STS Enterprise Architecture Governance framework.
• Accountable for regulating and enforcing adherence to the above framework, focusing on cloud aspects, in the Santam Solution Design Forum, Sanlam Saser, and other forums.
• Review agreed implementations to ensure correct interpretation of requirements and architecture strategies.
• Facilitate and lead quality assurance processes for design and development to ensure ongoing integrity of the end-to-end systems landscape.

QUALIFICATION:

• BSc / BCom / BTech / BEng/ Honours with Information Systems or Business as a major.
• AWS Certified Solutions Architect (preferred) or Microsoft Azure Solutions Architect Expert.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

• Minimum 8 years of experience in technology roles.
• 3 years in enterprise architecture, solution architecture, systems design, operating at the enterprise level.
• 3 years of experience in applying IT architecture governance principles.
• 2 years of experience in cloud architecture, cloud designs, and cloud implementation on AWS (preferred), Azure, or both.
• Experience in cloud security concepts such as virtual private cloud, subnets, routing, firewalls, VPN connections, identity, and access management.
• Experience in cloud concepts such as infrastructure as code, continuous integration and continuous deployment, containers, and serverless computing.
• Experience working in hybrid and multi-cloud environments.
• Experience in providing cost estimates for cloud solutions and designing alternative solutions in the event of cloud cost increases.
• Understanding of Santam systems and specific software development experience is a benefit.