Technology Enterprise Architect

African Parks Network; Randburg; On-site; ZAR 600,000 - 800,000; Full time

Job summary

Join African Parks Network as an Enterprise Architect and play a vital role in conserving Africa’s wildlife through innovative technology and data solutions. You will design scalable systems and enhance operational efficiency across conservation areas, collaborating with stakeholders and vendors to ensure data-driven decision-making.

Qualifications

• Experience with enterprise architecture frameworks.
• Strong analytical skills in system design.
• Proven ability to manage complex data flows.

Responsibilities

• Define and maintain systems architecture processes.
• Create enterprise architecture diagrams for system integration.
• Manage data custodianship and ensure data integrity.

Skills

System Interoperability

Data Management

Security Protocols

API Management

Education

Degree in Computer Science or related field

Certifications in Enterprise Architecture frameworks

Tools

Middleware Technologies

Network Management Tools

Job description

JOB OVERVIEW

The organization was founded in 2000 in response to the dramatic decline of protected areas due to poor management and lack of funding. We have a clear business approach to conserving Africa’s wildlife and remaining wild areas. We currently manage 23 national parks and protected areas in 13 countries covering over 20 million hectares.

Our Organization

African Parks has more than 5700 employees, all of whom are conservationists in their own right. We operate in dynamic and ever-changing environments, and our work demands resilience, adaptability, and a deep respect for nature to ensure the African Parks Model functions optimally. Learn more about our model here.

Our Technology

AP has a variety of interconnected systems. The complexity arises from different types of systems, operating models, and environmental challenges, especially with offline systems due to intermittent/poor connectivity in parks. This results in a hybrid-hosted model of systems, security, and accessibility. Additionally, master-data management is challenging due to offline data sources.

Why you should join our team

African Parks is developing an innovative solution to enable data-driven decision making across ecological, social, financial, and management systems consolidated in a single environment. The enterprise architect role is crucial in making this a reality, pushing the frontiers of big data in conservation. Your work will help park managers understand land cover, species distribution, and their relation to community projects, security, and deployment efforts.

You will be part of a small team building something unprecedented in conservation technology. You will ensure data from various systems, devices, and sensors are integrated into a single dataset, requiring solution-oriented skills and the ability to learn new technologies rapidly. Your role involves coding, building data pipelines, and system configuration while maintaining focus on how data influences conservation decisions.

African Parks manages large, remote conservation areas using various technological tools to gather information, from tracking lions to patrol locations. Our conservation technology department supports all communications and data flow from the parks to operational and management platforms.

The conservation technology aspect

Join us to transform conservation across Africa through innovative technology and data solutions. The Enterprise Architect role offers a chance to design scalable systems that improve protected area management, foster collaboration, and enhance operational efficiency. You will work with cutting-edge tools, partnering across teams to align technology strategies with our conservation mission. This role also promotes continuous learning and professional growth in a purpose-driven environment.

Systems aspect

This role involves designing and implementing scalable systems that improve management, collaboration, and operational efficiency in conservation areas. You will work with advanced tools and technologies, ensuring system interoperability and security, and supporting the technical infrastructure necessary for effective conservation efforts.

IT Aspect

Our IT team supports operations across 24 parks in 13 countries, including remote areas with connectivity challenges. Your role is to drive digital transformation, enabling scientists, field teams, and decision-makers with the tools and data needed to protect biodiversity and respond to environmental challenges effectively. The role involves managing interconnected systems with hybrid hosting models, ensuring security, data integrity, and system scalability.

As an Enterprise Architect, you will integrate complex business systems, ensure security and accessibility, and serve as the link between technical resources and business system owners. Your responsibilities include creating technical documentation, diagrams, and managing system interfaces and data flows.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Define, implement, and maintain AP’s systems architecture processes.
• Ensure all system owners understand operating models and touchpoints.
• Create enterprise architecture diagrams illustrating system integrations.
• Consult with vendors on contractual obligations, APIs, and integrations.
• Manage data custodianship and ensure data integrity across core systems.
• Implement error management, disaster recovery, and business continuity procedures.

Additional Responsibilities

• Develop enterprise architecture diagrams.
• Define API, middleware, and queue management roles.
• Oversee error management, vendor responsibilities, and data profiling.
• Design network management and monitoring solutions.

KEY RELATIONSHIPS

Stakeholders include technology vendors, management, system owners, regional teams, and park officers. Indirect stakeholders encompass end users, park management, IT suppliers, regional staff, and audit teams.

JOB SPECIFICATION

• Engage with business and vendors to define architecture models, security, and hosting needs.
• Manage security constraints, data flows, and offline system management.
• Design network device management and system accessibility protocols.
• Advise on business process analysis, data management, and system interoperability.