Enterprise Architecture

To contribute to and facilitate the implementation of an enterprise-wide architecture and associated processes. This ensures the strategic application of change is embedded in the management of the organization. This role involves driving buy-in from all stakeholders, facilitating compliance analysis between business strategies, enterprise transformation activities, and technology directions, and setting related strategies, policies, standards, practices, and KPIs. The Specialist will also facilitate and participate in the creation and review of a systems capability strategy to meet overall business strategic requirements.

Key Job Accountabilities & Responsibilities

1. Architecture Design & Refinement: Independently design or refine architectures in specific business, infrastructure, or functional areas, utilizing appropriate EA tools and methodologies.

2. Stakeholder Communication: Effectively communicate complex architectural ideas and concepts to both highly technical and non-technical internal and external audiences.

3. Specification Production: Produce detailed specifications for cloud-based or on-premises components, tiers, and interfaces for translation into detailed technical designs using selected services and products.

4. Architecture Evaluation & Trade-offs: Identify and evaluate alternative architectural approaches and analyze the trade-offs in cost, performance, and scalability to recommend the optimal solution.

5. System Expertise: Demonstrate an in-depth understanding of both cloud and on-premise systems to create robust and efficient specifications.

6. Program Support: Support change programs or projects by preparing technical plans and design principles that strictly comply with enterprise and solution architecture standards (including security standards).

7. Quality Assurance: Set standards and provide guidance for quality reviews of solution architecture components across projects.

8. Post-Program Review: Conduct formal reviews and evaluations upon project and program completion, documenting and socializing lessons learned from the architecture development process.

9. Technical Brainstorming: Conduct and make useful, proactive contributions to technical brainstorming sessions and working groups.

10. Research & Development (R&D): Identify R&D topics, gain knowledge and understanding of the relevant research field, and share findings with the team to foster innovation.

11. Technical Consultancy: Proactively and reactively provide expert technical advice to IT staff and related functional areas (e.g., budgetary planning, legal, health, and safety) where the technical specialism is applicable.

Internal & External Relationships

• Internal: IT SMEs, Leads, Heads, Managers; Supply, Finance, Legal departments.

• External: Vendors.

Part B: Person Specification – Minimum Requirements
Education & Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor degree level in a relevant discipline OR holds a relevant professional qualification OR relevant experience (typically at least 8 years) in a techno-management IT and/or business architecture role with a widespread knowledge of IT.

  • Desirable: May hold a postgraduate qualification such as an MSc, MBA, or other appropriate business, engineering, scientific, or industry qualification.

• Mandatory Certification: Architecture qualification like TOGAF/Zachman is mandatory.

• Desirable Certification: Qualification on project management methodologies like PMP from PMI or Prince2 from BCS is desirable.

Knowledge and/or Experience

• Minimum 8 years of experience communicating with stakeholders at all levels, singly and in groups.

• Experience with the systems development lifecycle (SDLC) and an appreciation of both functional and non-functional requirements.

• Awareness of IT infrastructure, software development and maintenance methods, tools, and techniques.

• Familiarity with the organization's IT strategy, policies, and standards, and any industry regulations/constraints.

• Awareness of risk management, change management, configuration management, reliability, and safety methods, including the use of metrics.

• Experience in setting and applying specific quality standards to all tasks to ensure deliverables are accurate and complete.

• In-depth knowledge of more than one specific area and a broad understanding across a wide IT field, with a proven track record of applying such knowledge successfully.

Technical & Business Skills

• Good working experience in Finance and Supply tools (e.g., SAP) and Project Management tools (e.g., EPM, MS Projects).

• Excellent written and oral communication skills, with the ability to influence through persuasion in a formal context.

• Good overall knowledge of wide areas of information systems practice and applications.

• Proficiency in applying standards, practices, codes, and assessment and certification programs relevant to the IT industry and the specific business domain.

• Trained in data and business analysis methods and techniques.

• Achieved proficiency in Systems Development, User Experience, or Business Analysis OR gained substantial practical experience in programming and creating designs/layouts.

• Ability to facilitate the analysis and re-design of business processes, articulate potential changes clearly, and evaluate new ideas and opportunities objectively.

Depth of Technical Knowledge
Knowledge Area
Depth
Description & Examples
Infrastructure Architecture
Proficient
Frameworks and principles for on-premises and cloud-based networks, systems, and resources (e.g., Azure, GCP, VMWare). Conceptual models (e.g., SOA).
Business Environment
Proficient in
The business environment relevant to the sphere of work, especially aspects the specialism supports (localized organizational awareness).
Application Systems
Familiar with
Applying automated systems to support business functions and operational support systems (e.g., ERP, Email services).
National/International Standards
Familiar with
Current and emerging standards published by authorities like IEEE, IEC, BSI, ISO (e.g., ISO20000, IEEE 802).
Operational/Service Architecture
Familiar with
The IT/IS applications and service processes within the organization, including sustainability and efficiency aspects.
Design Principles
Familiar with
Principles of good sustainable, secure, maintainable, and efficient system design (e.g., pattern recognition, loose-coupling, good interfaces/APIs).
Database Software
Aware of
Software to capture, create, populate, and manipulate data structures (e.g., MongoDB, NoSQL).
Product Evaluation and Selection
Aware of
Analytical comparison of IT products against criteria (including costs) to determine the best solution.
Middleware
Aware of
Software that forms part of the operating platform infrastructure.
Cloud/Virtualization
Aware of
Principles and application of cloud/virtualization (including ownership, security, and use of management tools like SDDC).
Proof of Concept and Prototyping
Aware of
Performing exercises to demonstrate or evaluate the feasibility and benefits of applying a technological business change.
Experimental Work
Aware of
Techniques for systematic design, running, analysis, and reporting of experiments for new IT understanding.
Generic Accountabilities & Behavioral Competencies
Generic Accountabilities (All Employees)

• Safety Health & Environment (SHE): Ensure all activities comply with Company SHE and Quality policies, regulations, and standards.

• Qatarization Program (for Expatriate Employees): Contribute to the development of Qatari employees.

• Firewall Compliance: Ensure all activities comply with anti–trust and competition laws and Company firewall policies/procedures.

Behavioral Competencies (Required)

• SHE Understanding

• Quality/Quantity of Work

• Ethics and Integrity

• Planning and Organizing

• Trust and Empowerment

• Initiative/Commitment

• Teamwork/Supporting Others

• Interpersonal Skills

• Communication and Information Sharing

• Service Orientation

• Innovation

• Problem Solving

• Job Knowledge

• Supervising and Coaching Others

 

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