IT Enterprise Application Architect

PricewaterhouseCoopers is the world's largest professional services organization with over 150,000 people in more than 150 countries. We are committed to attracting and retaining the very best human resource assets possible - one of our 'six forces' shaping the future of business.Industry: Not ApplicableDescription:
The IT Enterprise Application Architect may have management responsibility for
a team. He/she translates strategic business goals into operational strategies
and work plans. Works with sponsors and other stakeholders outside the
function to achieve cross-functional goals. Applies advanced and comprehensive
functional knowledge to resolve complex issues. Develops and implements
changes to processes. If in a technical role, work has a significant impact to
the overall project. Leads complex projects or initiatives which impact a
function, office, region/cluster and may have responsibility for decisions that
may affect them. Regularly interacts with Firm management.Primary Responsibilities of this role may include:IT Enterprise ArchitectAct as a bridge between the business, the project architects, and other members
of the Enterprise Architecture Service team.
Proactively drive the US IT DS solution approach to business driven
requirements.
Establish a partnership with the Business.
Responsible for translating the business' functional requirements into DS
Enterprise Architecture work products.
Create good architectural solution approaches and facilitate good
communications between their business partners and US DS IT.
Leverage broad and deep view of the business domain to provide valuable
insight to the US IT DS organization for the purpose of infrastructure and
resource planning.
Responsible for the architectural approach of one or more initiatives,
releases, or projects and the ongoing integration of the project’s delivered
capabilities into the overall Enterprise Blueprint.
Represents one or more business domains and will work closely with peer
Portfolio, Information, and Technology Architects in order to identify
synergies.Middleware ArchitectDefining application integration, messaging & middleware strategies by
reviewing the current and target PWC application portfolio
Assessing application integration solutions based on strategy and select
product(s)
Implementing middleware solutions within the PWC environment
Implementing adapters for interfaces to applications including Peoplesoft 8.0,
Oracle 11i, File Adapters,etc.
Develop Technical Reference Guides for the integration of the architecture
Develop User’s Manual for the integration of the architecture
Develop the Operations Manual for the integration of the architecture
Implementing process for continual improvements to the integration layer
Work closely with the other teams with the Development and Technology Services
Organizations to achieve a mutual end result
Defining and applying standards and measures of quality based on customer
requirements and statistical analysis. Rigorous approach to planning,
execution, and project control. Ability to manage the details as well as the
big picture. Flexible and dynamic in management techniques.
Translating detailed system or software requirements into written requests for
proposals or quotes that are objective, fair, specify structures and describe
evaluation criteria.
Serve clients’ needs and solve clients’ problems in a proactive manner, which
is designed to give strategic advantage to the firm.
Tax J.D.Selects the paradigm and technology for application program-to-program
communication among the components
Determines the overall priority ranking of each of the possible system
qualities (cost, reusability, robustness, etc.) so the other architects can
design models that enforce the balance of concerns.
Responsible for defining the application tiers, frameworks, components types
and interfaces
Specifies and provides ownership of reusable application components or reusable
application code
Remove project and approach ambiguity to ensure Business Intent is clearly
understood and all enterprise and project related impacts are identified.
Decompose Enterprise Process Areas into high-level Business process flows for
the purpose of identifying inter-application or inter-portfolio system
capability gaps.
Provide and support both Enterprise and Project level blueprint deliverables in
support of the Enterprise Architecture Planning process and the SDLC.
Facilitate and consult with EA peers and project/release focused resources
regarding project/release approach and document as-builds to the original
approach blueprints when necessary
Deliverables that must be created or contributed include: Enterprise
Architecture Blueprint, Project Architecture Blueprint, Business Process
Models, Process Areas to Application matrix, and Enterprise Architecture
Inventory database
Model business processes to a level required to understand Process Areas,
Application capabilities, Information needs, and Integration technologies for
the purpose of identifying and finding resolution to gaps within existing
applications and interfaces.
Assess impact to modeled business processes as it relates to a Release or
Project functional requirements, and support efforts that require business
process re-design.Education and Other Typical RequirementsFour year degree in any business or technical area or equivalent experience is
preferred plus six or more years relevant
work experience.Productivity, initiative, professionalism, customer service attitude, attention
to detail and quality, ability to multitask, team focus, strong interpersonal
skills, strong verbal and written communication skills and adherence to firm
and US IT standard operating procedures.Ability to adapt to a rapidly changing environment.Strong skills utilizing Lotus Notes databases and Microsoft Office SuiteUnderstanding of technology/software relevant to teamMust be willing to work overtime as necessary. Required to carry cell phone,
pager or blackberry.Ability to develop work approach and project plans to meet client requirements,
manage and monitor progress of planFamiliarity or experience with Project Management skillsExcellent client service skills
Ability to organize, plan and carry out complex assignmentsAbility to work effectively with tight deadlines and firm schedulesEffective Problem Solving and negotiating skillsTravel Requirements
0-20%
REQUIREMENTS
Education Requirement:
Four year degree in any business or technical areaEssential Requirements:
Unique Aspects of the Position, Specialized Knowledge or Skills
Understanding of Business’ context and processes
Excellent communication skills
Broad technical knowledge
Architected large systems
Architectural experience with broad knowledge of Business, Application,
Information, and Technology Architecture.
Ability to scale into understanding of Business strategic intent.
In- depth experience in the areas of Business and Application Architecture.
Demonstrated ability to discover, analyze, and communicate complex
inter-related concepts, while also being able to provide the required business
and technical contexts to make these concepts actionable by a wide variety of
consumers. (i.e.users, developers, architects and management)
Familiarity with key Process Areas and Functions that are critical to the
success of their Business representatives.
Ability to articulate the relationships between these Process Areas and the
applications, both existing and needed, in order to influence the application
development approach and priority.
Ability to translate well between the business and technical domains.
Demonstrate a solid understanding of US IT DS’s internal processes, such as
Enterprise Architecture Planning, SDLC, and IRP, in order to help their
Business partners navigate them effectively.
Experience analyzing, developing, deploying, and supporting computing
applications in a large-scale enterprise.
Experience in leading technology initiatives
Experience in the implementation of enterprise application integration
solutions
In-depth experience in J2EE architecture including EJBs, Servlets, JMS, JNDI,
J2EE Connectors, JDBC, etc
Design and development of multi-tier software applications experience
Knowledge of Web Services and experience with Object Oriented methods
Experience in application servers such as BEA WebLogic, IBM WebSphere, or SUN
iPlanet
Experience building scalable, mission critical applications
Strong technology acumen and track record of hands-on production
implementations particularly in the areas of middleware, application tools and
methodologies
Expert knowledge of Business Process Modeling (modeling the inputs, outputs,
key functions, steps, value-added tasks and organizational structures in
business processes and
information flows. Gathering, compiling, interpreting, synthesizing and
normalizing information from business processes or technology systems).
Expert knowledge of Data Communications (Theories, technologies, methodologies
and architectures used in the movement and management of data. Architecture,
Standards,
Protocols of TCP/IP, Domain Names, Network Security, Routers, Virutal LANs,
Connectivity, Addressing, etc.).
Expert knowledge of Architecture Design (Developing detailed statements of the
internal hardware, software, control, maintenance, physical design,
engineering, and deployment
design requirements).
Knowledge of the principles, theories, practices and techniques for managing
the activities associated with planning and implementing projects.
Knowledge of quality management. principles applied to the design,
development, engineering, production, deployment and maintenance of products,
services, software and processes.
Experienced in Software Evaluations, Vendor Negotiation and Integrated
Testing.
Rigorous approach to planning, execution, and project control. Ability to
manage the details as well as the big picture.
Flexible and dynamic in management techniques.
Software Configuration Management & Release Management Expertise: Managing
system integrity and version control by documenting changes to components and
configurations and producing release documentation. Using configuration
management tools and checklist documentation to mechanically assemble and link
components for inclusion in a release, including the software build and
integration of third party components. Analyzing open items for impact/risk,
negotiating release contents/deadlines, developing release schedules,
coordinating release delivery. Proactively identify business process
re-engineering opportunities made possible through technology and/or
application re-engineering.
Ability to demonstrate a strong character established through a strong work
ethic, the ability to be accountable, the ability to take ownership, and the
ability to assume ownership and be held accountable for decisions as
demonstrated through the events of everyday work situations.
The ability to act as a resource for his/her colleagues and can maintain
up-to-date knowledge of all areas
within the technology arena.
Solid understanding of the total business process and the need for teamwork
between technical functions
of the firm, staff, and operations functions.
The ability to appreciate a non-traditional hierarchy in an environment that
fosters a team oriented mentality where individuals are expected to work
together to fill common goals and objectives.
A self-starting leader who has a passion for building and is capable of quickly
taking control of the technology function and developing it into a
strong resource for the company.
The ability to attract and retain quality people to PwC, while developing and
motivating these individuals into a cohesive team.
Self-confidence and assuredness to serve the company in a best practices
mentality, but yet humble and respectful of
others and willing to utilize the resources available in order to provide a
quality service to the client.
Working knowledge of one or more of PwC’s business domains.
Working knowledge of the applications and data required by those business
domains.
Ability to communicate with developers, PMs, IT management, and Business
management to convey pros and cons of various project approaches to the benefit
of the Enterprise.
Use of methodologies for defining and conveying process, information, and
application requirements.
Use of applications and tools for collection, transformation, management, and
presentation of user requirements.
Ability to keep up with industry trends, relevant system development
technologies and the business domains.
Understanding of Object Oriented and legacy application capabilities.
COTS package evaluation.
Familiarity with Buy vs. Build decisions.
Ability to participate in multiple teams and promote teamwork.
Broad knowledge of the discipline required to develop object-oriented and
packaged applications, preferably using one or more of the following
programming environments:
Java (J2EE), .NET, PeopleSoft, SAP
Experience developing and deploying into a production environment (full project
lifecycle) an enterprise n-tier application system.
Working Knowledge of the SDLC activities required to develop custom developed
and packaged applications with specific knowledge in:
Business Process Modeling and/or Re-engineering Conference Room Pilot / Facilitation Business Use Case Development Business Rules Development Use Case Driven Requirement Methods UML Enterprise Application Portfolio Strategy/DevelopmentFamiliarity With Analysis and Design Patterns, Service Oriented Architectures,
J2EE, .NET, Messaging (Point-to-Point and Publish/Subscribe), Web Services