Digital Solutions Architect in Hatfield

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.