Architect Infrastructure CORE Services

Role purpose:

We are looking for a highly motivated, experienced, and enthusiastic individual for a System Architect role. In this senior role, you will play a crucial part in the design of

• Business Applications and APIs
• IT infrastructure.
• Networks and Integration into local market, cloud hosted and on-prem infrastructure

Reporting to the Head of Architecture, M-Pesa, the Systems Architect is responsible for producing and reviewing detailed application and infrastructure architecture designs covering the functional and non-functional requirements for the Mobile Payments platform. The Solutions Architect will work closely with the Head of Architecture, Release Train Engineers, Systems Teams and local market technology and business stakeholders to ensure that the platforms meet the needs of the business within the boundaries of the architectural roadmap and strategy.

You will have the opportunity to learn and grow within a dynamic IT and Fintech environment while contributing to the efficiency and reliability of our systems.

Your responsibilities will include:

Intentional Architecture design

• Ensure that M-Pesa has a fit for purpose and future proof, highly resilient and performant infrastructure in place to deliver services across existing and future markets in Africa
• Define a set of purposeful system strategies, blueprints and roadmaps and initiatives which enhance solution design, performance, and usability
• Provide guidance for inter-team design and synchronise architectural implementation activities of systems
• Designing architecture that enables testability, deploy ability and releasability.
• Ensure Security by Design to ensure compliance with all Security Controls.

Emergent design

• Security: Security should a top priority. Infra Architect to design security measures to protect data, systems, and networks, including firewalls, encryption, intrusion detection systems, and access controls.
• Provide the technical basis for a fully evolutionary and incremental implementation approach helping developers and designers respond to immediate user needs allowing the architectural design to evolve.
• Performance Optimization: Continuously monitor and optimize the infrastructure for performance, resource utilization, and cost efficiency.
• Virtualization: Implement virtualization technologies to optimize resource utilization, improve scalability, and simplify IT management.
• Cloud Integration: Evaluate and integrate cloud computing solutions when appropriate, including public, private, or hybrid cloud deployments.
• Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity: Develop disaster recovery and business continuity plans, including backup and recovery strategies, to ensure data and system availability in case of disruptions.

Architecting for DevOps and Release on Demand

• Ensuring systems and infrastructure is in place to allow solutions to be continuously developed and deployed.
• Define Systems that comply with local regulatory requirements around data sovereignty by implementing Cloud, Hybrid or On-prem solutions as required.
• Deliver Infrastructure as code through usage of tools and common repositories with appropriate naming conventions, attributes, and annotations
• Build quality in by automating architectural compliance checks
• Promoting and building trust in the Continuous Delivery Pipeline for Agile Release Trains to independently explore and test ideas in a true production environment.
• Audit solution implementations to ensure alignment with Infrastructure Operations Design and M-Pesa architecture standards.

Support Alignment

• Collaborating with Solution Architects to ensure discrete solutions created by ARTs (Agile Release Trains) and Suppliers fit into and support the larger capabilities of the overall solution
• Collaborate with Operations to ensure systems adhere to availability SLAs (Service Level Agreements).
• Participate in backlog refinement and prioritisation sessions
• Define enabler capabilities and NFRs
• Participate in regular Architect Sync sessions to ensure consistency in emerging designs and managing trade-offs across all ARTs and Shared Service teams
• Participate in Pre- and Post-PI Planning to work with relevant stakeholders and define the architectural approach and high-level objectives for the upcoming PI planning
• Participate in regular Solution Demo sessions to demonstrate new implemented approaches and assessing fitness for purpose
• Collaborate with Release Management to assess releasability of elements of the solution in line with the Release Strategy
• Actively working with Agile Teams to ensure that emergent design choices minimise technology complexity and avoid unnecessary duplication of capabilities

The ideal candidate for this role will have:

Knowledge and experience:

• Science/Computer Science/Engineering related degree or equivalent work experience
• 5+ years technical background inclusive of systems architecture, systems design, with a strong background on infrastructure design
• Certification in Solution Architecture, TOGAF, Cloud expertise is desired
• Domain experience in Financial Services and Financial technologies will be an added advantage
• A hands-on system architect capable of sharing best principles and practices with the broader Architecture Team
• Ability to mentor/coach developers and other architects in architecture principles
• Strong business acumen and leadership mindset with the ability to communicate and influence others
• Has demonstrable knowledge and experience in both Agile and Waterfall methodologies

Essential

• Producing High- and Low-Level designs (using industry standard notations) for infrastructure required to run Tier 1 Business Critical Applications.
• Expertise in deploying, configuring, and supporting physical and virtual infrastructure hardware, storage, and networking
• Experience in best practice implementation of VMWare.
• Previous experience of AWS and/or Azure public and private cloud technologies (actual hands-on work will be required)
• IP networking and Firewall rules (design and guidance only)
• Windows and Linux Operating Systems Administration skills (actual hands-on work will be required)
• Active Directory design (design and guidance only)
• SQL Server and Oracle Administration (actual hands-on work will be required)
• Any J2EE middleware experience (working with application vendor)
• System and monitoring experience.
• An understanding of system performance and hardware sizing.
• Experience of working with vendors and COTS products
• Experience in Service Management and knowledge of ITIL
• Experience of implementation projects.

Desirable

• Negotiating hardware upgrade sizing and costs with vendors
• Experience of continuous delivery and release automation processes.
• Experience in analysing application demands to ensure correct sizing of infrastructure
• Experience working in or with countries other than origin
• Experience running and maintaining an asset library
• Experience with implementing design governance processes and methods
• Knowledge and interest in market leading Mobile Money technologies, suppliers, and innovations
• Knowledge of Mobile Network Operators
• Understanding of Programme level technical and architectural policy and ability to transform that policy into detailed technical design.
• Ability to convey technical details at technical review forums (e.g., technical change advisor boards)

Closing date for Applications: 02 November 2023.

The base location for this role is, Cape Town.

The Companys approved Employment Equity Plan and Targets will be considered as part of the recruitment process. As an Equal Opportunities employer, we actively encourage and welcome people with various disabilities to apply.

Vodacom is committed to an organisational culture that recognises, appreciates and values diversity & inclusion.