Solution Architect I - Enterprise Solutions at UST in Aliso Viejo, California

Job Description:

Welcome aboard! You are about to join a winning team!

UST is looking to hire a Solutions Architect that has depth and breadth of techno-functionaldomain know-how and specializes in your competency area. Being able to work independently on defining solutions with responsibility for the implementation of Supply Chain Planning applications. These include implementing various modules/applications of the overall Retail focused merchandise planning and management products including upgrades. Creative thinking and the ability to problem-solve, manage customer expectations are required.

Proficiency:

Provide technical and/or business consultative guidance for Enterprise-Class Solution implementations, including Review, Design, and Optimization of enterprise systems, during both pre-sales and/or post-sales cycles

Expectations from this role:

• The Solutions Architect-I leads technical strategies and architectures for systems-wide solutions.


• Expectation from this role involves leading the implementation of large projects, including development and documentation of architecture/configuration strategies and standards, to meet business objectives within the confines of the solution.


• Use independent judgment to design, analyze, document, and develop process and configuration capabilities and solutions for complex enterprise solutions.


• Implement solution architecture by configuration, scripting, and optimization and maintaining technical integrity


• Identify, analyze, recommend, implement improvements in system architectures


• Perform technical feasibility and impact analysis and make recommendations for software architecture or software solution/product selection


• Perform design reviews


• Lead, direct and participate in requirements definition and supporting VOC to the package solution design and development team.


• Build strong internal or external customer relationships and manage expectations at all levels


• Lead the due diligence phase of pursuit and validate and revise the solution as necessary


• Supervise other team members to develop system recommendation documents by researching, evaluating, analyzing, and selecting the best choices to meet needs.


• Use expertise and skills in enterprise solutions technologies to develop/enhance the Planning Practice.


• Set goals in NorthStar and timely measure the progress and update accordingly.

Typical performance measures:

• Meeting project objectives within agreed time frames


• Maintaining implementation quality


• Customer feedback on overall technical quality (zero technology-related escalations)


• The breadth of technology knowledge (no. of technologies)


• # of ideas conceptualized for Planning Practice.

Performance Areas:

Solution Definition & Design:

• Ensure alignment of the high-level architecture with the existing client need and business logic/review design prepared by architects.


• Ensure the involvement of the right teams in solution design.


• Ensure technical integration ability, requirements compliance of the solution, especially in case of a multi-group / multivendor program, or where multi-system integration is required.


• Involve external partners/horizontals as appropriate.


• Provide guidance to solution architects around the usage of patterns/anti-patterns in the solution.


• Identify opportunities for efficiency improvements (e.g., automation), risk reduction in the transformation process.


• Understand the various work streams and the technologies necessary to deliver on large programs.


• Resolve any issues based on industry expertise/partners' leverage.


• Provide best-in-class technology and solution options to customers with detailed examples and case studies; Guide customers on process and technology improvements to achieve agility and quick results.

Asset Development and Governance:

• Provide thought leadership in conceptualizing the need and design of assets.


• Project Control and Review:


• Perform architecture design review.


• Identify opportunities for optimization of cost/time/asset utilization in complex projects and advise relevant teams accordingly where possible.


• Provide advice to teams facing complex technical issues in the course of project delivery.


• Define and measure project /program-specific architectural and technology quality metrics.


• Review outputs to ensure NFRs are met


• Knowledge Management & Capability Development:


• Provide inputs to teams for training etc.


• Identify the training needs and conduct internal sessions to meet the same.


• Update collateral on to the knowledge management repository.


• Gain and cultivate domain expertise to provide the best and optimized solution to customers.


• Requirement gathering and Analysis:


• Understand and transform the requirements using the Planning Solution best solution approach.


• Validate the cross-application / cross-technology requirements to ensure integrate ability and reconciliation of conflicting requirements, by working with customers and other stakeholders


• People Management:


• Provide support to various project managers in the identification of training needs of the team.


• Conduct training and mentoring with respect to technical skills on projects.


• Support technical evaluation of external and internal candidates to meet project requirements.


• Perform career guidance and performance management for team members.


• Innovation and Thought Leadership:


• Participate in external forums (seminars, paper presentations,etc.) to showcase UST capabilities and insights.


• Interact and engage with customers/ partners around new innovative ideas, concepts, assets as well as industry trends and implications.


• Participate in Beta testing of products / joint lab setup with customers to explore the application of new technologies/products.


• Identify areas where components/accelerators or design patterns could be reused across different accounts.


• Create documents, reports, white papers (international/national) on the research findings


• Sales Support and Project Estimation:


• Conduct workshops at the client site to assist the sales team in sales support, if required.


• Calculate and present estimates based on high-level designs to management for supporting in go/ no-go decisions.


• Review estimations and resource plan.


• Review risk and mitigation plan.


• Participate in client presentation and client visits

Skill Examples:

• Proactively identifying solutions for technical issues


• Ability to maintain technical evaluation procedures


• Ability to estimate project effort based on the requirement


• Perform and evaluate test results against product specifications


• Break down complex problems into logical components


• Interface with other teams, designers, and other parallel practices


• Set goals for self and team. Provide feedback for team members


• Create and articulate impactful technical presentations


• Follow a high level of business etiquette in emails and other business communication


• Drive conference calls with customers and answers customer questions


• Ability to work under pressure, determine dependencies, risks, facilitate planning, and handle multiple tasks.


• Build confidence with the Customers by meeting the deliverables in time with quality.


• Use knowledge of Domain/ Industry Knowledge to understand business requirements, interact with SMEs at various stages of the development, translate business requirements to system requirements and perform impact analysis of changes in requirements


• Use knowledge of Technology Trends to identify technologies/ product relevant to UST in the short term (1- 2 years) within own area/ multiple areas, forecast trends on new solutions/products/ technologies required in UST, create/ review technology roadmap for the client


• Use knowledge of Project Metrics to understand the relevance in the project, collect/ collate project metrics, and share it with the relevant stakeholders


• Use knowledge of Estimation and Resource Planning to consolidate estimates at a solution level, evaluate risks and validate estimates from a technical standpoint, assumptions, scope, and boundaries defined, conduct resource planning (pyramid, people development) at a project level based on project requirements, conduct impact analysis for changes and analyze corresponding impact to overall estimates, resource loading and MPP (re-baseline)


• Use knowledge of Requirement Gathering and Analysis to create requirements documents and high-level process maps, identify gaps on the basis of business process, analyze responses to clarification questions, produce design documents, RTM independently, create/review estimates and solutions at the project level, create/review design artifacts, update resourcing and schedule based on impacted areas identified, create a design specifically for the non-functional requirements

Knowledge Examples:

• Focus on performance improvement


• Functional & technical designing


• Experience working in Agile methodology.


• Requirement Gathering and Analysis: Applies specialized knowledge of requirements gathering for (non-functional), requirements analysis for functional and non-functional, requirement analysis tools (such as functional flow diagrams, activity diagrams, blueprint, storyboard), techniques (such as business analysis, process mapping, etc.) and requirements management tools (such as MS Excel) and basic knowledge of functional requirements gathering