- Follow Us

6 min read

Solutions Architect

Published September 21, 2024

Role Title: Solutions Architect	Department or Function: ICT
Reports to Role: Digital Solutions Manager	Location: Kenya
About ACRE Africa Agriculture and Climate Risk Enterprise Ltd (ACRE Africa), a subsidiary of ZEP-RE is a for-profit social enterprise and designer of risk management solutions for farmers with operations in Africa since 2009. Agriculture and Climate Risk Enterprise Ltd. (ACRE Africa) is a risk management solutions designer linking stakeholders to localized solutions such as insurance and climate change adaptation strategies to reduce agricultural and climate risks. ACRE Africa operates as a licensed insurance intermediary supporting local insurers to offer agricultural insurance across value chains with offices in Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Zambia and projects in Uganda, Ghana, Malawi, Senegal, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, and Somalia. As a for-profit social business company pursuing financial sustainability and social impact, ACRE endeavours to work sustainably through its partnerships to continuously bridge this protection gap for farmers in Africa.
JOB PURPOSE Responsible for developing and refining solution designs, reviewing completed implementations, and making recommendations to align technology solutions with the company’s overall business goals. The role will involve leveraging their knowledge of current technologies to recommend the best solutions that meet documented requirements and fit within the existing environment. The primary goal of this position is to provide a set of technological solutions and strategies for their implementation while minimizing technical debt.
RESPONSIBILITIES AND ACCOUNTABILITIES: 1. Solution Development and Control – Participate in the development of IT solutions to ensure they meet both technical specifications and business requirements. – Document and monitor any deviations from the solution design to address technical debt and ensure future remediation. 2. Analyzing and Documenting Requirements – Elicit and document business requirements through interviews, workshops, surveys, and other methods. – Analyze Acre Africa’s business processes to identify gaps and opportunities for improvement through IT solutions. 3. Analyzing Enterprise Specifics – Facilitate the identification and analysis of Acre Africa’s business drivers to determine technical and solution architecture requirements. – Ensure alignment of enterprise architecture with business objectives and strategies. 4. Solution Design – Lead the end-to-end solution and architecture design for assigned projects, ensuring that designs meet business needs and technical requirements. – Ensure alignment among stakeholders on the solution design before implementation begins. 5. Setting the Collaboration Framework – Collaborate with business subject matter experts to develop clear and actionable roadmaps for IT solutions. – Foster strong relationships with stakeholders to ensure alignment on business objectives and solution strategies. 6. Analyzing the Technology Environment – Conduct thorough analysis to determine the best approach for solving business problems, including process improvements and IT system enhancements. – Provide recommendations for technology adoption and integration to meet business needs. 7. Supporting Project Management – Offer architectural oversight for projects, ensuring that all solutions align with the business architecture roadmap and framework. – Assist project managers in identifying risks and ensuring that solutions are delivered on time and within budget. 8. Leveraging Business Capabilities – Use business capabilities as a foundation to illustrate the connection between business needs and decisions related to technology, solutions, and architecture. – Translate strategic initiatives into focused change initiatives, converting business processes and issues into effective conceptual and logical models. 9. Repository Management – Build and maintain a comprehensive repository for deliverables, methodologies, and business development documents. – Ensure that all documentation is up-to-date and easily accessible for relevant stakeholders. 10. Conflict Management – Independently manage conflicts among diverse stakeholders with competing interests and requirements. – Facilitate discussions to help stakeholders differentiate between actual needs and wants, guiding them toward collaborative, win-win solutions. 11. Design Pattern Development – Develop and promote the adoption of standardized design patterns to ensure consistency and efficiency in solution development across the enterprise. – Continuously evaluate and refine design patterns based on project learnings and industry best practices. 12. Quality Assurance Support – Collaborate with the quality assurance team to plan and execute performance testing and other non-functional tests. – Ensure that solutions meet quality standards before deployment. 13. Capacity Management – Lead efforts in capacity planning for current and future solutions, ensuring scalability and performance. – Monitor and adjust capacity to meet the evolving needs of the business and its IT infrastructure.
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS – Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Information Technology, or a related field. A master’s degree is a plus – Minimum of 5 years of experience in IT architecture, with at least 3 years in a solutions architect role. – Relevant certifications such as CBAP, TOGAF, ITIL Foundation, Design Thinking and Innovation (One or more certification) CSPO and PRINCE II/PMP/MSP/SMC/CSM/PMI-ACP/CSPO. – Proven relevant experience in Full Stack developer, Database Integration and Management COMPETENCIES AND ATTRIBUTES – Strong analytical and problem-solving skills. – Excellent communication and stakeholder management abilities. – Proficiency in cloud computing, software architecture, and systems integration. – Knowledge of security protocols and regulatory compliance standards – Ability to manage conflicts and negotiate solutions among diverse stakeholders Interested candidates who meet the above requirements are invited to apply by emailing an application to the HR department at recruitment@ACREAFRICA.COM, attaching a detailed cover letter and CV, by Sunday, October 6th, 2024.

Next Post

Finance Officer/Clerk – Tanzania

Leave a Reply Cancel reply