Term Business Solutions Architect

Cambrian College; Winnipeg; On-site; CAD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries seeks a Business Solutions Architect to define IT strategy, enterprise architecture, and business requirements. The role partners with executives and staff to translate complex technical demands into actionable business outcomes, ensuring alignment with MBLL’s goals and governance frameworks.

The incumbent will lead requirements analysis, process modeling, and solution delivery while supervising junior analysts and collaborating with MBLL stakeholders across

Responsibilities

• Lead business solution architecture and IT strategy development across MBLL.
• Document current and future state processes, requirements and architectures.
• Conduct cost-benefit analyses to support IT investments with enterprise impact.
• Translate technical concepts for both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Education

Degree or diploma in Computer Science, Business Administration, Finance or Information Systems

Job description

Reporting to the Director, Technology Management Services, the Business Solutions Architect is responsible for cross-functional collaboration with all levels of the organization and assisting in defining IT strategy and enterprise architecture, the goals and requirements for products and projects, and supporting continuous improvement within an assigned area of focus. The Business Solutions Architect will apply their strong IT knowledge, excellent communication, analytical, and problem-solving skills to clearly translate technical details into understandable terms to ensure both technical and non-technical partners make optimal technical decisions. The role will play a critical role in facilitating ITS’ comprehension of business requirements.

• Leveraging a strong understanding of IT best practices, collaborate, and consults with partners within an assigned area of focus to understand and articulate the organization’s needs and the rationale for change, proposing solutions that can deliver value.
• Document current state, define future state and determine the activities required to move from current to the future state for a set or processes and / or business and technical requirements.
• Identify project stakeholders and determine the impact of implementing technology and automation to business areas and staffing levels.
• Gather, analyze, and prepare highly sensitive data by using confidential information only available to limited number of individuals with a level of security clearance.
• Perform cost-benefit and return on investment analysis for proposed systems to aid management in making implementation decisions with corporate-wide implications.
• Prepare and present reports, recommendations, or alternatives to senior and executive level management to address existing and potential trouble areas in IT systems and projects across the organization.
• Perform objective analysis of organizational challenges and related efficiency opportunities with the goal of maximizing existing resources and streamlining business operation processes.
• Translate conceptual user requirements into functional requirements in a clear manner that is comprehensible to Solution Architects and the project team; where applicable, develop wireframes and prototypes of interfaces and attributes based on the user requirements.
• Conduct interviews to gather user requirements via workshops, questionnaires, surveys, site visits, workflow storyboards, use cases, scenarios, and other methods.
• Collaborate in the planning, design, development, and deployment of new applications, and enhancements to existing applications.
• Participate in the selection of any requirements documentation software solutions that the organization may opt to use.
• Identify and establish scope and parameters of requirements analysis on a project-by-project basis to define project impact, outcome criteria, and metrics.
• Analyze and verify requirements for completeness, consistency, comprehensibility, feasibility, and conformity to standards and work with stakeholders and project team to prioritize collected requirements.
• Keep abreast of technology industry trends, solutions, standards and methodologies.
• Develop and utilize standard templates to accurately and concisely write requirements specifications.
• Assist in conducting research on software and hardware products to meet agreed upon requirements and to support purchasing efforts.
• Participate in the Quality Assurance and software testing activities of purchased solutions to ensure features and functions have been enabled and optimized.
• Participate in creating and executing test plans and scripts that will determine optimal application performance according to specifications.
• Assist in leading the intake of all requests for IT consulting services, new systems, and major upgrades.
• Participate in developing business cases and cost/benefit analysis for IT spending and initiatives.
• Provide guidance to junior and contracted resource members of the analysis team.
• Develop models that provide the mechanism to clearly explain how strategy, processes, business structure, and staff can best be utilized to delivery reliable and cost-effective operations.
• Record existing business processes to define current business activities for the development of procedures and models.
• Create future state business process models that defines future activities, roles, and changes to organizational structure in support of the change.
• Using critical, objective and established analytical approach, framework and models, identify areas where efficiencies and cost savings opportunities can be achieved.
• Develop business unit and staff roles and responsibilities in support of business and IT operational requirements.
• Create process models, specifications, diagrams, and charts to provide direction to technical subject matter experts and teams.
• Develop new procedures for the purpose of enhancing business processes, operations, and information process flow.
• Coordinate and perform in-depth tests, including end-user reviews, for modified and new processes, and other post-implementation support.

• Perform cost-benefit and return on investment (ROI) analyses for proposed changes to support management in making implementation decisions.
• Identify and establish scope and parameters of process analysis to define impact, outcome criteria, and measure-taking actions.
• Leveraging solid IT experience and knowledge, research, review, and analyze the effectiveness and efficiency of existing requirements-gathering processes, business solution approach, process analysis and develop strategies for enhancing or further leveraging these processes in an IT setting.
• Using business analysis and critical abilities, identify processes, jobs and role changes brought about by implementing new technology systems and automation that have organizational-wide impact.
• On a per-project or initiative basis, lead a small team of internal and external business system analysts and/or technology resources in developing business system analysis processes and procedures.
• Develop and conduct quality reviews of the business requirements, business process architecture artefacts developed by contracted resources and internal business and systems analyst staff to ensure that requirement specifications are correctly interpreted.
• Collaborate closely with ITS teams to ensure BSA practices are aligned with Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries (MBLL) technology strategies and roadmaps and project delivery methodologies.
• As an IT expert and in collaboration with architects and other technology experts, provide business process and operating model design and architecture that support the use of technology to business and technical stakeholders, ITS senior management, Executive Management Committee internal stakeholders, and resource managers.
• Represents MBLL in interactions with peer organizations, government partners and external vendors.
• Maintain consistent communication channels with other business divisions, executives, vendors, other jurisdictions, public sector organizations and other organizations with similar business interest and operations for the purpose of fostering MBLL-wide improvement initiatives.
• Effectively translate technical details into understandable terms for non-technical stakeholders and communicate changes, enhancements, and modifications of business requirements – verbally or through written documentation – to project managers, sponsors, and other stakeholders so that issues and solutions are clearly understood.
• Establish and maintain positive working relationships with all internal and external stakeholders that enhances trust and accountability as the IT subject matter expert.
• Facilitate effective communication and sharing of information, knowledge, and expertise within and outside the division.
• Establish communication plans for business systems analysis-related activities.
• Present and provide objective recommendations to the Executive Management Committee and other strategic committees when required.
• Represent MBLL at various meetings, events, and committees.
• Other related duties as assigned.

• Completion of a recognized degree or diploma program in the field of computer science, business administration, finance, or information systems or an equivalent combination of education, certification, and experience.
• A minimum of ten (10) years’ Information Technology related experience, working as business solution architect or business analyst supporting Data Governance, Data Management or Data Analytics initiatives in a complex organization.
• A minimum of five (5) years’ experience with data governance operating models and experience in data governance roles (e.g., Data Owner, Steward, Custodian, etc.).
• Proven experience with gathering and translating requirements into policies, standards, process flows, and workflow documentation (e.g., data quality, metadata, lifecycle management) .

• In-depth understanding of IT organizations/departments, roles, terminology, trends, and best practices.
• Currency with, and demonstrated conceptual understanding of, leading edge technology options.
• Experience leading small teams andbuilding trust and creating excellent working relationships with partners.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills and demonstrated political acumen.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, including presentation skills, meeting facilitation, and influencing.
• Knowledge of industry frameworks such as DAMA-DMBOK, with hands-on experience in domains like Data Quality, Metadata, Master Data, and Data Security.
• Experience supporting change management, stakeholder engagement, and training or communication planning for governance adoption.
• The core competencies for this position include achieving quality results, adaptability/managing change, communication, customer service, decision making and problem solving, integrity and building trust, teamwork and cooperation and valuing diversity. These competencies are deemed important for the success of the position and organization.

• Experience overseeing the design, development, and implementation of software and hardware solutions, systems, or products is an asset.
• Industry credentials in Business Analysis and/or Architecture Frameworks are considered an asset.
• Project Management training is an asset.
• Experience in, or knowledge of, gaming, retail or distribution industries is an asset.
• Bilingual French/English language skills are an asset.

***Testing may form part of the screening/selection process. Employment Equity will be a factor in the recruitment process. Circumstances may arise where the bulletin may need to be withdrawn or the number of positions may need to be increased.

We thank all interested applicants, however, only those selected for interviews will be contacted.