IT& Data D&A architect

Job Overview:

• Objective of the Role
• The Data Analytics (D A) function serves as a pivotal driver for strategic growth.
• The architecture capability is structured as a Chapter, which delineates the expected framework of solutions and maintains architectural integrity across various product teams.
• The D A Architecture Chapter Manager acts as the leadership figure for architecture within a specified range of product domains.
• In contrast to engineering roles, architects are not dedicated full-time to a single squad; they operate across multiple product lines.
• This position guarantees that data solutions are crafted within established guidelines and align with OneSource 2.0 by adhering to standards set by the Chapter Lead without altering them.
• Note on Dual Roles: Depending on the scope of the perimeter, this position may function as a dual role.
• For smaller perimeters, the Chapter Manager may also take on D A Solution Architect responsibilities, generating designs and Architecture Decision Records (ADRs).
• As the perimeter expands beyond a designated threshold, the focus of the role shifts to management and governance, delegating architectural production to the chapter’s Solution Architects.
• Any such arrangements will be clearly defined.
• Note on Sizing: The need for an additional Architecture Chapter Manager is determined by the product domain workload rather than the number of architects.
• Guideline 1: One Architecture Chapter Manager per 8-12 active product domains, adjusted for product complexity, criticality, ADR decision frequency, and the number of external architects managed.
• If the number of managed contractors surpasses the playbook’s span of control guideline of 15-20 individuals, this also warrants a second Chapter Manager.
• Exceptions will be addressed through the Product Centricity GUILD.
• Primary Responsibilities
• Oversee the architectural coverage across the product perimeter, primarily involving external architects, their management, and ensuring governance on the expected characteristics of solutions so that product squads can deliver scalable, secure, and compliant data solutions while balancing demand, architecture quality, and cost-effectiveness.

Core Responsibilities:

• Coverage, Staffing, and Vendor Management
• Allocate external architects to product squads based on demand in a cross-product approach, without assigning an architect full-time to a single squad.
• Guide vendors in sourcing, scoping, ensuring deliverable quality, and managing costs during ramp-up and ramp-down phases.
• Anticipate architectural requirements in collaboration with Product Owners and the Chapter Lead.
• People Leadership and Capability Development
• Onboard, coach, and enhance the skills of external architects, ensuring knowledge transfer to internal staff for continuity.
• Evaluate vendor performance across the perimeter, focusing on quality, timeliness, and compliance.
• Governance of Architecture - Defining the "What"
• Responsible for solution architecture within defined guardrails, domain modeling, boundaries, integration patterns, security models, and non-functional requirements.
• Own Architecture Decision Records (ADRs) and preside over the Solution Design Forum as the final decision-maker, with engineering input being consultative and strategic architecture decisions escalated only as necessary.
• Standards Implementation
• Ensure that solutions adhere to chapter standards, patterns, and guardrails while governing any architectural exceptions.
• Dual Role for Smaller Perimeters
• Contribute as a Solution Architect in designing ADRs with cross-reviews to maintain a clear distinction between the production and validation of architectural decisions.

Technical Qualifications:

• Expected Expertise
• In-depth knowledge of data analytics architecture, with practical experience on modern cloud platforms such as Azure, ADF, Databricks, ADLS, lakehouse architecture, and distributed data processing.
• Proficient in data ingestion, sharing patterns, data modeling, and non-functional requirements, focusing on security, scalability, and resilience.
• Ability to navigate complex architecture decisions across a product perimeter and arbitrate high-impact decisions effectively.
• Leadership Skills
• Demonstrated experience in guiding external architects and making autonomous decisions within established standards.
• Exceptional communication, stakeholder management, and servant leadership abilities.

Supplementary Responsibilities:

• The D A Architecture Chapter Manager is accountable for architect coverage within a product perimeter, primarily involving external architects, their oversight, and governance of the solution characteristics, owning the ADRs and chairing the Solution Design Forum while applying, but not defining, chapter standards.
• In smaller perimeters, the role may also encompass D A Solution Architect duties with cross-reviews until the perimeter expands beyond the established threshold.

Preferred Skills:

Technology->Data Management->Data Architecture