Faculty/ School/Department EMRG5 DATM6 DESN5

Transcription

1 Job Title Faculty/ School/Department Responsible to: Responsible for: SFIA Codes Chief Technical Architect IT Services Chief Information Officer Technical Architects ARCH6 EMRG5 DATM6 DESN5 Job Purpose Sets the design and communication of high-level structures to enable and guide the design and development of integrated solutions that meet current and future business needs. In addition to technology components, solution architecture encompasses changes to service, process, organisation, and operating models. The provision of comprehensive guidance on the development of, and modifications to, solution components to ensure that they take account of relevant architectures, strategies, policies, standards and practices (including security) and that existing and planned solution components remain compatible. Identifies new and emerging hardware, software and communication technologies and products, services, methods and techniques and the assessment of their relevance and potential value as business enablers, improvements in cost/ performance or sustainability. The promotion of emerging technology awareness among staff and business management. The management of practices and processes to ensure the security, integrity, safety and availability of all forms of data and data structures that make up the organisation s information. The management of data and information in all its forms and the analysis of information structure (including logical analysis of taxonomies, data and metadata). The development of innovative ways of managing the information assets of the organisation. The specification and design of information systems to meet defined business needs in any public or private context, including commercial, industrial, scientific, gaming and entertainment. The identification of concepts and their translation into implementable design. The design or selection of components. The retention of compatibility with enterprise and solution architectures, and the adherence to corporate standards within constraints of cost, security and sustainability. Evaluates, verifies and quality assesses all IT technology and associated business solutions implemented by the University. Ensures that underlying technology is fit for purpose and meets business objectives. Main activities and responsibilities 1. Provides leadership in architectural design, best practice and establishes standards and structures to ensure that they are correctly embedded. 2. Leads the development of systems architectures, ensuring consistency with specified requirements agreed with both external and internal customers. Takes full responsibility for ensuring that systems architectures balance functional, service quality and systems management requirements and costs. Ensures that appropriate standards (corporate, industry, national and international) are adhered to. Within a business change programme, manages the programme's target design, policies and standards, working proactively to achieve stable, viable designs, and ensuring consistency of design across

2 projects within the programme. Defines the migration path from current mode of operation to the future mode. 3. Establishes policy and strategy for the selection of systems architecture components, and takes responsibility for the strategy and methods used in implementing a systems architecture in a significant organisation. Manages the organisation's technical strategies, policies, standards and practices, ensures that they are applied correctly, and promotes consistency. 4. Creates roadmaps for establishing architectural improvements across programmes and projects. 5. Co-ordinates design activity, within a programme, acting as custodian of plans for the infrastructure. Takes responsibility for the technical integrity of projects, ensuring that common technical elements are recognised and that work is not unnecessarily duplicated. Assists in the development of service level agreements and any associated service guarantees. 6. Monitors technical progress, ensuring that co-ordination and change control are applied to technical specifications and to the technical infrastructure. Advises on the impact of changes to the programme and on the process for assessing such impact. Informs project management of major technical issues and makes recommendations on their resolution. 7. Provides project management oversight of the ongoing IT technical strategy and its implementation taking a practical hand on role where necessary. 8. Develops new techniques for use in systems architecture. Promotes the systems architecture discipline within the wider IT community. 9. Manages the systems architecture function within an organisation and line manages two permanent Technical Architects and contracted Technical Architects and/or third-party technical architecture resources as required. 10. Reviews product release notices, academic research and other learned publications to identify emerging technologies in areas of interest to the organisation. Develops relationships with technology providers and researchers to better understand their areas of expertise. 11. Assesses the potential benefit to the organisation of specific technologies, products, methods and techniques. Investigates these in detail, recognises further avenues of research and identifies early users, if any. 12. Assesses likely products and developments and their applicability within an overall IT strategy and their potential to influence the IT strategy. 13. Documents and communicates information about emerging technologies to relevant management and staff, giving consideration to the social and ethical landscape, and any issues around privacy, ownership etc. 14. Contributes to the research, development or testing of new products which are of interest to the organisation. 15. From an understanding of current and future business, derives an overall strategy of data management, within an established Information Architecture, that supports the business model. 16. Identifies information and data structures and detail to enable the development and secure operation of new information services. 17. Specifies and designs large or complex systems, covering for example: objectives, scope, constraints (such as performance, resources etc.), hardware, network and software environments, main system functions and information flows, data load and implementation strategies, phasing of development, requirements not met, and alternatives considered. 18. In consultation with more senior management and taking account of enterprise and solutions architectures agrees appropriate design standards, methods and tools and ensures they are applied effectively.

3 19. Takes a leading technical role in systems development projects, both within systems design and in interfaces with other stages of development. Evaluates and undertakes impact analysis on major design options. 20. Leads on the practical design and implementation of IT technology and solutions. 21. Ensures all work is documented using the appropriate standards, methods and tools, including prototyping tools where appropriate. Ensures that designs take full account of specified requirements and constraints, including any potential safety-related aspects, and are appropriate to the target implementation and support environments. 22. Leads technical design teams and plans, schedules and reports on their work. 23. Working with colleagues where appropriate, reviews and revises cost benefit analyses, risk analyses and development plans to take account of design decisions. 24. Assesses software packages on their ability to meet all or parts of specified requirements and advises colleagues and management on their technical suitability. 25. Leads the assessment and selection of suitable software packages to meet all or parts of specified requirements. Additional Key Requirements: Managing people and resources Take overall responsibility for the organising and deployment of resources within own areas of responsibility. Undertake regular appraisal reviews of staff as appropriate, ensuring clear performance expectations and supporting personal development plans are agreed as well as encouraging the continuous professional development of staff within area of responsibility. Communication Absorbs complex technical information and communicates effectively at all levels to both technical and non-technical audiences. Complex and important negotiations with internal and external contacts will be a part of this role. Collaborative working Develops influential relationships with internal and external customers / suppliers / partners at senior management level, including industry leaders. Initiative, problem solving and decision making Has defined authority and responsibility Performs highly complex work activities covering technical, financial and quality aspects. Creatively applies a range of technical and management principles. Influences policy formation on the contribution of own specialism to business objectives and influences a significant part of own organisation Makes decisions which impact the work of employing organisations, achievement of organisational objectives and financial performance. Work Environment Exercise overall responsibility for Health and Safety in area of work Ensure appropriate risk management processes are operational. Have expertise in statutory health and safety requirements relating to working environment. For example: building services, standby power systems, communications towers/masts, antenna erection. Person Specification Degree (or equivalent) in relevant subject Professional qualification

4 Chartered IT Professional (CITP) Status or eligibility for this Proven skills in organised and documented techniques, intended to facilitate the structured development of technical architectures eg: TOGAF Proven knowledge of techniques to aid modelling and understanding the University and its operation. Expert knowledge of IT systems across the ISO/OSI layers (including infrastructure, hardware, databases, operating systems, networks etc) and the IT applications, data and service processes used within own organisation. Experience of providing analytical comparisons of IT products against specified criteria to determine the best solution to the business need. Expert knowledge of the principles and practice of good system design Highly developed skills in performing a proof of concept or prototyping exercise to demonstrate or evaluate the feasibility and potential benefits of applying a particular technology, product or toolset to meet a business need. Proven experience of preparing and presenting business cases, invitations to tender and statements of requirements both orally and in writing. Proven leadership and management skills with the particular ability to handle innovation and change resulting from the implementation of new information and communications technology solutions. Experience of line management. Professional Status Chartered IT professional or eligible for this status. Special requirements Able to undertake duties at different premises including any University campus as required. Travel may be necessary from time to time in order to attend conferences and events, undertake University business and effectively represent the University in key professional networks. IT Services provides services across extended hours. A variety of shift patterns, duty management rotas and on-call arrangements will be applicable. Expectations of all staff Professional standards All staff employed by Birmingham City University are expected to exhibit high professional standards which promote and demonstrate the University s core values of Excellence, People Focused, Partnership Working, Fairness and Integrity. Equal Opportunities All staff are expected to understand and enact the University s commitment to ensuring equality and diversity in all activities. This commitment is enshrined in the Equality Statement and core values. Dignity at work Every member of staff has a responsibility to ensure colleagues are treated with dignity and respect. The University is committed to creating a work environment for all staff that is free from harassment, intimidation and any other forms of bullying at work, where everyone is treated with dignity, respect and professional courtesy. Health and safety

5 The arrangements for meeting the University s health and safety objectives are contained in the Birmingham City University Health and Safety Policy. This includes the responsibilities of key staff and procedures covering the main activities of the University. All staff are expected to take reasonable care of themselves and those that may be affected by their actions. Dress code The University does not operate a formal dress code for its employees, other than for those who are provided with uniform and/or protective clothing. However, employees must ensure that their dress is professional, reasonably smart and appropriate for the situation in which they are working. All staff should ensure that they present a professional image and one that reflects sensitivity to customer perceptions. This may reflect their ethnicity and lifestyle, but should not be provocative or cause offence to those with whom they have contact. Citizenship All staff are expected to adhere to good citizenship, being generous with help and support to others, collaborating with colleagues and working for the benefit of the University as a whole. In particular working to provide a positive student experience and achieving excellence in all the University s activities. This job description indicates the expectations of staff at this level. Job descriptions are not exhaustive and you may be required to undertake other duties of a similar level and responsibility. Birmingham City University has adopted the Skills Framework for the Information Age (SFIA) to describe and manage competencies required of its ICT professionals. Further detailed information about job requirements, skills and knowledge requirements and additional work activities can be found in the full SFIA profile for this role.