Digital Solutions Architect

What will I be doing?

• Champion modern technology product development & deployment processes and procedures, adhering to IT protocol for digital solutions architecture, following best practices of scalability, security, error handling, monitoring, post go live monitoring and support
• Designing robust solutions to deliver a great member experience using hybrid-cloud and mobile first approach
• Accountable for maintaining digital architectural landscape within DL IT landscape
• Accountable for design blueprints of the entire digital landscape
• Responsible for relevant touch points in the DL architectural landscape
• Ensure solution fits data journeys - full end to end thinking
• Collaborating with business stakeholders, IT Design team and all vendors involved
• Work with IT Design/Secure Team to ensure broader solution architecture goals are being met
• Provide technical solution designs by taking into consideration business requirements, industry best practices, models, frameworks and security/compliance
• Ensure solutions are designed to be compliant with data protection, information, security and PCI standards
• Manage the Digital architecture works pipeline closely liaising with POD Heads & Project Managers
• Collaborate with PODs (BA/Product Owner/PM) and the vendor architects to produce design blueprints, considering full end-to-end processes / data flows / security / business processes / reporting and impacts to operations and members
• Agree with the PODs and IT Programme Management team the scope of works for the POD and IT Project in order to deliver the complete solution
• Provide digital requirement definition support - collaborating with Digital Business Analysts during (to educate) and after (to draft solutions) request capture, in order to understand functional, technical, reporting, and user experience requirements
• Collaborate closely with the Digital Data Architect to understand the impact of data demands and volumes on existing infrastructure capacity/scale and data interfaces
• Embrace/embed 'security by design' principles for all Digital design
• Clearly communicate design solution options to business owners in order to seek design approval
• Oversee formal approvals process for technical design of Digital products - hand to Security & Legal, Support for formal sign off
• Chair monthly Digital Architecture Review Board
• Attend weekly Digital/IT Architecture meeting
• Follow principles that allow for multiple option design thinking
• Design full end to end test plans including Load & Performance stress points
• Validate development and testing work carried out by third-party vendors to meet the design requirements
• Input to solution cost estimates to ensure accurate budgeting
• Produce, manage and keep up to date all Digital designs, architecture, policy and specification documentation
• Working jointly with the Digital Data Architect, prepare documentation/work closely with IT support team on handover to support tasks
• Adhere to design principles and DL security standards in all design works
• Ensure landscape is fit for purpose and identify areas of optimisation required: infrastructure and architecture review, identify technical debt, capacity planning, environment management, review incident trends and automation
• Join critical P1s or major incidents to assist with troubleshooting scenarios (when/where relevant)
• Work with Director of Digital Engineering to refine digital technology strategy for David Lloyd Digital
• Develop Digital architecture/technology roadmaps
• Represent Digital Architecture at the IT Change Advisory Board

How will I be measured?

• Digital pod team deliverables start and finish on time with minimal solution/technology barriers
• No design/architecture related escalations to Director of Digital Engineering and Head of Design & Data
• Digital Solutions Architect is the go to for all Digital IT architecture queries - seen as knowledgeable and able to provide the complete apps, data and infrastructure view point
• For all new service introductions/enhancements in infrastructure/apps/data: no service issues are generated due to design flaws
• Service optimisation delivered & or service optimisation papers that are approved
• All solution designs are approved within SLA
• 360 feedback including from vendors - is supportive of the role and the incumbent is seen to be expert in the field of Digital solution architecture
• All Digital/IT management meetings, Digital Architecture Review Board, CAB are attended

What qualifications, skills and experience do I need?

• Ability to work in a multi-speed organisation, and coordinate the different moving parts required to deliver new functionality
• Experience in dealing with and prioritising the requests of multiple stakeholders
• Experience overseeing modern development processes, including: Native mobile app development, Back-end microservices development (Java, NodeJS), IaC approaches to infrastructure provisioning (Terraform/Terraform Cloud)
• Systems design/architecture experience, particularly in modernisation/Digital Transformation projects
• Diverse solutions architecture experience covering modern cloud infrastructure, modern technology & legacy systems
• Background in dev ops, engineering, infrastructure AS code
• Degree in Computer Science or a technology-related field
• Experienced in applying commercial judgement to ensure recommendations are in line with budgets
• Comfortable with documenting and communicating the model used to understand the enterprise, system, application, and network through a series of viewpoints
• Strong influencing and engagement skills
• Skills in presentation, communication, facilitation
• Adept at working collaboratively both within the Digital & IT functions and across the broader business teams as well as with a diverse set of 3rd party vendors

Desirable

• Agile application development

Key behaviours

• Pragmatic creative, agile, can do, option generator, energetic, self-motivated , sense of ownership
• Communicates complex IT solutions & concepts in plain easy to understand language
• Must have skill: with multiple-PODs potentially running, must have the ability to work across multiple design requirements
• Able to juggle project priorities and stakeholders
• Collaborative working, one team culture, supportive: no idea is a bad idea
• Stay abreast of latest tech innovations
• Think holistically to understand how our technology and solutions impact member/team member/club experience