Do you have the ability to develop cloud strategies and lead the cultural change required to coordinate and facilitate cloud adoption? Do you have the technical and social skills required to create and manage cloud architecture? Are you an experienced I&IT professional with the ability to manage the planning, design, delivery and implementation of architecture solutions for large scale, strategic and complex multi-year I&IT projects that directly impact Ontarians? Do you want a workplace that draws on your knowledge and experience with a number of complex technologies and platforms? If so, please consider this exciting position within the Children, Youth and Social Services I&IT Cluster (CYSSC), Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services.
The CYSSC is seeking an experienced, results-oriented, motivated IT professional with strong leadership and outstanding architecture skills to provide overall direction and guidance in the definition of CYSSC's current and future state cloud architectures, including developing cloud strategies, roadmaps, principles, standards, and best practices that align with business objectives.
Consider this excellent opportunity to provide your expertise in an IT setting and show your commitment to excellence!
About the job
As a Senior I&IT Architect, you will:
• Provide expertise and leadership in information technology (IT) architecture in a number of the following domains: business, technology, applications, security and/or information and includes enterprise architecture frameworks, strategies, methodologies.
• Manage the planning, design, delivery and implementation of architecture solutions for large scale and complex multi-year I&IT projects required to meet major and critical business requirements of ministry client(s) impacting external stakeholders.
• Define, evaluate and lead the development of architecture policies, standards, guidelines and best practices affecting multi-ministry/cluster initiatives.
• Develop and coordinate cloud architecture across organizational boundaries. Areas include (but are not limited to): application development, technology roadmaps, application portfolio management, architecture governance, identity and access management, application integration and security
• Provide senior level strategic and authoritative advice to support IT architecture, policy, procedures and program development
• Provide leadership for the Children, Youth and Social Services I&IT Cluster Platform Modernization Program
• Develop and maintain relationships with I&IT managers, OPS enterprise architects and project Stakeholders
• Provide leadership, guidance, and training to project teams and consultants. Convey best practices and advise on avoiding the common pitfalls of system architecture
• Construct and oversee the criteria for cloud provider evaluation, comparison and selection, and collaborate with procurement areas for assessing vendor/provider viability and risk
• Collaborate with stakeholders to develop a plan which details a cloud exit strategy per provider or per application
• Establish architecture governance that will allow architecture services to be consumed in a fashion which meets immediate business needs yet balances against runaway spending
• Govern integration, technology, data, security and application aspects of the solution
• Conduct proof of concept, and research and development activities to ensure new technologies meet client requirements
• Participate in feasibility studies and reviews of cloud systems and technologies
• Participate in the organization's innovation program providing the analysis, development and evaluation of new technology directions and options
• Provide consultative guidance and technical advice to ensure architecture services align with OPS directives, policies, and standards
What you bring to the team
Technical Knowledge
• You have expertise of I&IT architecture (business and information), IT strategies (business and technology solutions roadmap development, IT strategic plans), policies, standards, plans, current and emerging enterprise architecture principles, methodologies, mechanisms and techniques (e.g. Zachman Framework, The Open Group Architecture Framework (TOGAF) for enterprise architecture artefacts and processes).
• You have knowledge of concepts of security to provide practical expertise to meet complex or diverse cluster/corporate needs.
• You have knowledge of industry standards (e.g. cloud computing, service-oriented architecture, cybersecurity, emerging technology standards) to provide state of the art advice, including systems analysis, design, development, testing and implementation methods, tools and techniques, technology data, and networking techniques.
• You can apply leading industry and OPS-wide best practices and standards in architecture, software and systems engineering, design and development tools and techniques, and software lifecycle methodologies (e.g. AIX, IBM Power 7/8, IBM WebSphere, IBM Curam, Oracle eBS, Oracle Siebel, Oracle Database, Informatica, Cognos, Java, Python; Waterfall, Iterative (Agile, Scrum) and Lean methodologies; Sybase Powerdesigner, IBM Rational Software Architect).
• You have knowledge of modern operating systems, open source DevOps tools, CI/CD components, deployment pipeline into cloud-based infrastructure, containerization and container management (e.g. RTC, GitLab, Control-M, Jenkins, Ansible, Jira, SonarQube, HP ALM, ELK, RedHat RHEL, RedHat Openshift, Azure).
• You have knowledge of modern software programming languages, full stack development, and cloud technologies.
• You have knowledge of network infrastructure technologies, midrange server hardware/environments, including operating systems, web-based application infrastructure architecture and infrastructure components, application software such as JAVA application servers, web servers, reporting services, business intelligence and analytics, data integration (extract, transform, load), case management systems, workload automation, scripting languages, secured gateways, public/private key management, and application/performance monitoring tools.
• You have knowledge of enterprise IT strategy development, business process modelling, data modelling, and/or information resource management, business analysis, design and process re-engineering.
Analytical and Problem Solving Skills
• You have analytical skills to develop architectural solutions to meet complex, multi-year plans, spanning multiple internal/external stakeholders and broadly defined business objectives.
• You have problem solving skills to resolve significant integration and technical issues to address multiple systems/applications linkages, interdependencies and impacts where requirements are not initially clear.
• You are able to research and recommend innovative solution architecture alternatives and integration strategies at strategic, tactical, operational and project levels.
• You have skills to develop options, reports, and strategic recommendations to support senior level decision-making and have the ability to create and provide input into strategic and operational plans, decisions, and roadmaps.
• You can plan and coordinate all phases of complex multi-ministry/cluster architecture for systems supporting both internal/external clients and stakeholders.
• You can develop appropriate performance measures that are adaptive and responsive to address the continuous introduction of new and emerging technologies, use of unfamiliar or unproven technology, broadly defined or undefined business and systems requirements.
• You can apply leading industry best practices and standards in the areas including: cloud architecture, software and systems engineering, design and development tools and techniques, software lifecycle methodologies.
• You can use your technical experience to resolve significant integration and technical issues.
Communication and Interpersonal Skills
• You have oral and written communication skills to present IT strategies and solutions to senior management, advise regarding approaches to contentious systems architecture issues, deliver presentations to clients, and lead planning sessions with corporate IT groups and stakeholders.
• You are able to show strong leadership and advocate for best practices in cloud strategy and implementation regarding approaches to contentious systems architecture and security issues.
• You are an expert communicator and collaborator by forming strong relationships with subject matter experts.
• You have strong oral communication skills to present IT strategies and solutions to senior management and provide advice.
• You have the ability to establish strong productive relationships with stakeholder and key contacts in order to work across boundaries and obtain buy-in for cloud services and solutions
• You have experience building and leading teams, with the ability to effectively delegate tasks and assignments.
• You have the ability to communicate technical concepts to stakeholders from different business areas, and to inform and advise on potential issues.
• You are able to provide guidance and training to project teams and consultants retained for architecture project activities, as well as provide technical guidance to unit systems staff.
• You are able to establish effective working relationships, obtain buy-in for systems development, and promote systems to senior management and stakeholders.
Consultation, Facilitation, and Negotiation Skills
• You have consultation and collaboration skills to consult with multiple stakeholders and clients to advise on technical issues and provide advice and recommendations to management staff regarding most effective architecture system strategies.
• You have facilitation skills to lead discussions among stakeholders with different interests and encourage participation in the systems design process.
• You have negotiation skills to establish effective working relationships with stakeholders and to negotiate customer service agreements and resource requirements.