Job Specification

Purpose of Position :

To provide professional technical architecture expertise, and undertake comprehensive architecture needs assessments and complex reviews in support of systems/infrastructure needs for OPS clients (i.e.: I&IT clusters, their clients and enterprise I&IT organizations). To prepare and advise on technical architecture policies, standards, processes and controls. To participate in enterprise-wide and cross-jurisdictional architecture projects with technical components.

Duties / Responsibilities :

As a resource in the I&IT enterprise organization assigned to a wide variety of I&IT projects, the Job requires;
1. Project Management
• Defines and agrees technical architectural requirements with clients, and obtains I&IT management approval.
• Develops and obtains approval for detailed plans and resource estimates for large-scale and complex technical architecture projects and/or components of other projects with technical architecture elements.
• Undertakes and/or leads in-depth and complex technical architectural reviews and assessments, development and/or support projects, to support new and changed enterprise priorities and initiatives, and client clusters' and their clients' technical architecture and/or business needs. (Eg: regarding technical architecture planning and implementation; related applications and hardware; monitoring tools; technical research and application, methodologies and tools development and assessment; business and IT risk research and identification; root cause analysis and identification and problem-solving, etc).
• Establishes priorities and critical path schedules, and allocates work to staff or consultants.
• Provides technical expertise and guidance.
• Monitors progress, resolves problems and reports regularly with recommendations to I&IT management and clients' decision makers.
• Develops performance measures for technical architecture evaluation and conducts follow-up (eg: to ensure integration, reliability, pertinence, efficiency, effectiveness and ongoing compliance with client cluster and corporate I&IT strategies, policies and priorities).
• Ensures proper documentation and maintenance of approved technical architectures.
2. Standards and Policies
• Researches, develops, implements and maintains technical architectural policies and standards, as approved by management.
• Ensures integration with related corporate and client cluster policies and standards, and incorporation of best practices in the industry.
• Develops and implements approved assessment criteria to monitor and report on policy and standards relevance, effectiveness and compliance to management, with recommendations for policy and standards change.
3. Advice and Expertise
• Provides general and situation-specific technical architecture interpretation advice and expertise to other project and/or enterprise level I&IT project teams, client management and staff, cluster clients, and external contractors.
• Participates in training to deliver technical architecture elements.
4. Other
• Participates in steering committees and other stakeholder forums as needed to ensure business alignment.
• Leads and/or participates in highly sensitive technical architecture investigations (eg: examining hardware, software applications and data where technical breaches require architecture review, analysis, etc). Provides professional opinions for inclusion in issues management briefings, etc. Provides expertise, offers solutions and leads implementation of approved recommendations.
• Participates on enterprise-wide projects and committees involving other clusters, jurisdictions or broader public sector, providing expertise and hands-on technical architecture integration, development, review, implementation and risk assessment/control skills.
• Remains current with state-of-the-art developments and trends.
• Develops technical architecture specifications for RFPs and participates in assessing bids and negotiating SLAs with vendors.
• Provides input to cluster/their clients' operational plans, technical architecture policy changes, and project resourcing decisions.
• Acts for the Manager in a non-managerial capacity, as assigned.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Knowledge :

CPIC 1 level clearance and/or enhanced security clearance may be required. - Available for travel within the Province.
• Expert knowledge of and advanced professional skills in all aspects of technical architecture; strategic architecture planning; related enterprise level and client cluster strategies, plans, standards, directives, policies; related applications, technology, tools, methodologies, monitoring, trends etc; architecture-related technical infrastructure and business planning; strong appreciation of all other architecture domains; and thorough knowledge of concepts of architecture, current trends and emerging technologies, in order to: provide practical expertise to meet quickly-evolving, complex and/or diverse needs; lead complex I&IT technical architecture projects: assess technical needs and breaches; ensure integrity of technical architecture models; and ensure/monitor compliance with policies and standards.
• Comprehensive understanding of clients' and their clients' and users' business and technical infrastructure I&IT needs, operations and objectives, and related architectural solutions, in order to assist in defining and developing the technical architecture; assess technical and other applications, technology and architecture plans from a technical perspective, and ensure integration with enterprise level and other clusters' architectures.
• Sound understanding of all other architecture domains and architecture management; the software development life cycle; software integration, management, evaluation and control mechanisms; database concepts; networking; hardware environments; change management; business analysis, including business design and I&IT business management; capacity planning; quality assurance; risk management; disaster/recovery planning; business process modeling and process re-engineering; and standards, trends, methods, tools and techniques, etc. for all these, in order to: advise on technical architecture-related approaches and issues, and develop/assess solutions; assess technical architectural plans, business models, proposals and existing structures; and evaluate their ability to meet future needs from a technical architecture perspective.
• Excellent project/work management skills, including planning, estimating, budgeting, scheduling, measuring, monitoring and controlling, to manage multiple, concurrent, complex large-scale technical architecture projects.
• Superior research, analytical, evaluation and practical problem-solving skills, and strong goal and results orientation; resourcefulness; innovation and creative thinking, in order to provide cost-effective and reliable technical architecture expertise and solutions;
• Knowledge of OPS formal procurement processes and standards, in order to write technical specifications; prepare input for RFPs; participate in evaluating proposals, selecting and negotiating SLAs with vendors; and manage vendor performance against contract requirements.
• Understanding of administrative policies and procedures, to manage project budgets.
• Polished all-round communications, relationship management skills, to listen and consult with I&IT management, clients, business partners, stakeholders and project staff; communicate technical information to non-technical parties; establish effective working relationships; make persuasive presentations; represent the organization to external and/or internal stakeholder groups; provide technical architecture expertise and technical instruction to project/Section staff; and manage vendors;
• Proficiency with common office and specialized software, in order to prepare technical architectural designs, reports, recommendations, briefings and correspondence, and make presentations.

Judgement :

Works under administrative direction of the Resource Development Manager, and with technical direction from I&IT client management, and within the framework of the mandate of the OPS, its objectives and policies and within industry, I&IT trends and standards. Judgement exercised in:
• Providing technical architecture expertise as input to client clusters' infrastructure architecture strategies, plans and decisions, including evaluating the environment to take advantage of opportunities, identifying and addressing business risks, recommending alternatives which will improve technology infrastructure capacity and availability, and provide appropriate access for users.
• Identifying technical or other architecture issues, determining and recommending most appropriate solutions to resolve them and meet goals, needs and standards.
• Planning and implementing assigned phases of large-scale, complex technical architecture projects which impact on the client and internal and external stakeholders and partners; estimating costs; determining priorities and schedules; determining and managing allocated resources (financial, human, material/asset, time); weighing and advising on risks, constraints and contingencies.
• Recommending new or revised technical architecture policies and standards to senior I&IT management which reflect current industry trends, effective use of resources and are in line with approved goals and needs (ie: ensuring technical architecture integrity, quality and compliance with enterprise and cluster directions, standards and priorities, user needs and industry best practices).
• Undertaking highly complex reviews to assess causes and recommend solutions for technical architecture problems.
• Preparing and applying detailed technical architecture specifications for procurement purposes.

Accountability - Programs :

• Planning, co-ordinating and leading all phases of assigned technical architecture projects/services from start through completion within risk, time and resource constraints to meet agreed client needs.
• Ensuring the quality of technical architecture recommendations and implementation and ensuring integration with enterprise and cluster standards and directions.
• Developing technical architecture standards and policies for approval.
• Conducting highly sensitive technical architecture reviews, recommending changes and contingency provisions.
• Providing technical architectural expertise, to ensure that a valid plan is developed, implemented and evaluated according to approved standards and policies.
• Assisting in issues management.

Accountability – Personnel :

Providing functional expertise to assigned project staff, and assessing their learning needs in order to provide technical guidance.

Accountability - Finance and Materials :

• Preparing and controlling assigned project budget expenditures and meeting project goals within budget.
• Managing the work of external contractors.
• Participating in evaluating RFPs to acquire consulting services and to assess new technologies, etc. Managing vendors' performance; monitoring and recommending 3rd party contractor payments.

Accountability - Impact of Errors :

• Inadequate needs assessment, analysis, planning, professional expertise and project management could result in severely misguided architecture, policies, standards and recommendations, leading to very costly technical architecture decisions which lack relevance, integration, compliance, efficiency and effectiveness.
• Failure to manage project resources could lead to waste and incomplete, poor quality work.

Contact - Internal :

• Frequently with Section, I&IT client management and their clients' management, to provide project status reports, advice, and recommendations, explain resource requirements, provide briefings, and assist in resolving issues.
• Frequent contacts with peers, management and clients, to solicit input, share plans and concerns, and provide professional expertise and guidance.
• Frequently with OPS I&IT community, to co-ordinate, integrate, ensure effective implementation of technical architecture solutions, participate on task forces and projects, and participate in resolving common problems.
• Regularly represents the organization on I&IT committees.

Contact - External :

• Regularly with professional peers in the I&IT community to keep abreast of developments.
• Regularly with vendors, suppliers and external consultants to assess trends and developments, or to address problems related to quality or services.
• Regularly with contacts in broader public sector, private sector, and other jurisdictions (eg: federal, other provincial governments), to participate in joint projects, exchange information, and share experience.