Solution Architect

Culture Alberta; Edmonton; On-site; CAD 84,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Benefits package

Job summary

The University of Alberta is seeking a Solution Architect to lead architectural design across IT initiatives at North Campus in Edmonton. You will translate business needs into secure, scalable blueprints and guide project teams through the full solution lifecycle, aligning with Enterprise Architecture Principles.

You will collaborate with IST and stakeholders, champion modernization, manage technical debt, and ensure governance processes are followed while communicating complex concepts to

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in IT, Business, or related field.
• At least five years across IT disciplines with leadership experience.
• Understanding of strategic tech trends and new technologies in business models.
• Knowledge of product management, agile principles and development methods.
• Experience delivering projects under PM principles.
• Hands-on ArchiMate and UML modeling experience.
• Ability to translate future-state capabilities into architecture requirements.
• Strong analytical, planning and relationship-building skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication.
• Organizationally savvy with stakeholder influence.
• Ability to explain ideas to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Balance long-term and short-term decision making.

Responsibilities

• Architect strategic solutions and translate needs into secure, scalable blueprints aligned with Enterprise Architecture Principles.
• Drive modernization and reduce technical debt while leveraging emerging technologies.
• Enforce fiscal discipline and best practices; define reusable design patterns.
• Support IT governance and guide stakeholders through project proposals and lifecycle.

Skills

Bachelor's degree in IT or Business

Mentoring project teams

Technical leadership

Strategic technology trends

Agile principles

Architecture debt reduction

ArchiMate

UML

Translating requirements to solutions

Analytical and planning skills

Communication skills

Stakeholder facilitation

Big picture & short-term thinking

Education

Bachelor's degree in IT, Business, or related field

Job description

This competition is open to all applicants however; internal applicants will be given priority consideration based on minimum qualifications, or a combination of experience, skills, and abilities before external applicants are considered.

This position has an initial appointment of24 months.

Location

This role is in person. Work primarily takes place at North Campus, Edmonton.

The Solution Architect acts as the primary contact for the design and decision aspects of assigned information technology concerns that support the University's strategic directions, initiatives, and service developments that manifest in the form of projects or programs. The Solution Architect cultivates and maintains strong working relationships with senior IST and faculty/college/central unit stakeholders. The position consults with key sponsors to understand the goals and objectives for a specific initiative, project, or program, and using their expertise, provide advice on the effective delivery of technology solutions. This includes supporting the planning, execution, and delivery of mission critical programs/projects that meet the needs and objectives of the institution. The role also participates in the IT governance process through the review and assessment of proposals submitted through the technology governance process as needed.

• Architect Strategic Solutions: Translate complex business needs into secure, scalable, and maintainable architectural blueprints that strictly align with the university's Enterprise Architecture Principles (EAPs).
• Drive Modernization & Mitigate Technical Debt: Continuously assess the IT portfolio to eliminate critical deficiencies, reduce complexity, and leverage emerging technology trends to build a sustainable runway for the future.
• Enforce Fiscal Discipline & Best Practices: Champion "Adopt, Adapt, Develop" methodologies by prioritizing commercial off-the-shelf solutions and defining design patterns that ensure a secure, agile, and highly optimized technology ecosystem.
• Support Technology Governance: Actively guide the university community and IST leadership through IT governance processes, comprehensively evaluating project proposals, prioritizing initiatives, and steering the full solution development lifecycle.

• A bachelor's degree in an area of Information Technology, Business, or an area of related study.
• A minimum of five years of expertise across IT disciplines, demonstrating the ability to mentor project teams and provide technical leadership throughout the solution development and delivery life cycle.
• Good understanding of strategic and emerging technology trends, and the practical application of existing and emerging technologies to new and evolving business and operating models.
• Good understanding of product management, agile principles and development methodologies and capable of supporting agile teams by providing advice and guidance on opportunities, impact and risks, taking account of technical and architectural debt.
• Practical experience in delivering projects under project management principles.
• Hands-on experience with different modeling languages (ArchiMate and UML preferred).
• Proficient in translating future-state business capabilities and requirements into solution architecture requirements.
• Proven analytical, planning, organizational, technical, strategic, and relationship building skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Organizationally savvy, with the ability to navigate organizational politics with tact and ease.
• Skilled at influencing, guiding and facilitating stakeholders and peers with decision making.
• Ability to articulate new ideas and concepts to technical and nontechnical audiences alike.
• Skilled at understanding the long-term ("big picture") and short-term perspectives of organizational decision making and problem solving.

This position offers a comprehensive benefits package, and an annual salary range of$83,913 to $140,055.

The terms and conditions of this appointment are governed by Schedule G of the collective agreement between the University and the Association of Academic Staff of the University of Alberta.