Senior Solutions Architect-Cloud

Salary range is $81k to $186k, with a midpoint of $133k. New hires typically receive between minimum and midpoint, however, we may go slightly higher based on experience, internal equity and market.

Sound Transit also offers a competitive benefits package with a wide range of offerings, including:

• Health Benefits: We offer two choices of medical plans, a dental plan, and a vision plan all at no cost for employee coverage; comprehensive benefits for employees and eligible dependents, including a spouse or domestic partner.
• Long-Term Disability and Life Insurance.
• Employee Assistance Program.
• Retirement Plans: 401a – 10% of employee contribution with a 12% match by Sound Transit; 457b – up to IRS maximum (employee only contribution).
• Paid Time Off: Employees accrue 25 days of paid time off annually with increases at four, eight and twelve years of service. Employees at the director level and up accrue additional days. We also observe 12 paid holidays and provide up to 2 paid floating holidays and up to 2 paid volunteer days per year.
• Parental Leave: 12 weeks of parental leave for new parents.
• Pet Insurance.
• ORCA Card: All full-time employees will receive an ORCA card at no cost.
• Tuition Reimbursement: Sound Transit will pay up to $5,000 annually for approved tuition expenses.
• Inclusive Reproductive Health Support Services.
• Compensation Practices: We offer competitive salaries based on market rates and internal equity. In addition to compensation and benefits, you’ll find that we provide work-life balance, opportunities for professional development and recognition from your colleagues.

GENERAL PURPOSE:

This position will perform work in an Azure environment. Under general direction, this position provides support for current state business and technology knowledge gathering, to include the use of the architecture modeling tool, direct modeling efforts, or support for others’ modeling efforts, and the management of current versus future state information. Sets standards for secure and scalable cloud services; provides technical oversight and guidance across multiple projects; ensures the designs are technically correct and meets business requirements; plans, evaluates, and recommends solutions to ensure projects and services are cost-effective, compliant with enterprise policies and standards and aligns with business and technology strategies. As part of the solution architecture community of practice, the role will exercise authority during architectural reviews (internal and vendor provided) conformance to standards, and the governance of associated technologies, tools, and practices.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

The following duties are a representative summary of the primary duties and responsibilities. Incumbent(s) may not be required to perform all duties listed and may be required to perform additional, position-specific duties.

• Coordinates with Enterprise Architecture, Data & Information Services, InfoSec, senior management, and other IT teams, escalates technical risks, proposes mitigation plans and oversees change control to drive projects to success.
• Coordinates the technical design and data integration of systems involving multiple technologies that span across the enterprise.
• Identifies strategy gaps in existing solutions and works with team members and senior management to develop plans to rectify gaps in a phased approach.
• Provides technical advice to the Enterprise Strategy Initiatives during the design phase and/or perform design as necessary.
• Participates in the procurement process and helps with the development of Statement of Work and takes part in vendor design review, solution evaluation and product selection.
• Provide strategic technology leadership by serving with authority on the IT governance body (Architecture Review Board) for approved design standards within the IT programs, projects, and currently approved technology platforms. Support the portfolio and project management processes by assisting in prioritization and sequencing of projects, support project work breakdown activities, help remove roadblocks, and lead resolution to disagreements related to solution design.
• Operate as one architecture team representing both Enterprise Architect and Solution Architecture with a focus on standardizing and maintaining current technology investments. Maintain knowledge management as a core practice within IT, including both the repository of knowledge, as well as the practice of managing knowledge.
• Recommend proactive, innovative IT solutions for the improvement of IT design and operation whenever and wherever possible.
• Champion architecture framework and supporting services, and provide guidance to management on the design and planning of IT systems, phases, always seeking opportunities to standardize, with a strong focus on capacity, recovery, performance, and security needs. Broad in focus but shallower in depth. Assume technical responsibility for IT standards, policy, and design for all significant projects and major areas, covering application, data and infrastructure domains, as well as enterprise applications, business tools, and transit systems, ensuring that all services meet their service levels and targets.
• Taking full responsibility for the design aspects of all stages of the lifecycle of IT systems, including investigation, analysis, specification, design, development, construction, testing, maintenance, upgrade, transition, operation, and improvement.
• Brokers the understanding of our solution architecture needs with key business partners. This understanding will answer how a business need is solved, ensuring that the functional and non- functional needs are satisfied.
• Responsible for the project’s design or oversight of a vendor’s provided design. These activities should include driving the approval of the design and build efforts as well as translating the design concepts to IT Operations (From Build to Run). The result will be consistency across the various projects within and between programs.
• Provide technology governance by conducting architectural assessments or leading design tasks so as to drive alignment to standards, best practices, and appropriate enablement of solutions.
• Coach, mentor, guide other Solution Architects.
• Proactively stay current with new technology directions and prepare the team for the future.
• Attends professional group meetings; stays abreast of new trends and innovations in the field of data and information technology.
• Plan, organize and otherwise work in an independent and self-directed fashion to accomplish assignments, potentially leading others.
• Actively participates in as-is and to-be solutions for enterprise systems, especially as it relates to developing plans and roadmaps.
• Translating logical designs into physical designs, taking account of business requirements, target environments, processes, performance requirements, existing systems and services, and any potential safety-related aspects.
• Interfacing with designers and planners from external suppliers and service providers, ensuring all external IT services are designed to meet their agreed service levels and targets.
• Support the review of processes, roles and responsibilities, and documentation in support of agency audit and compliance activities
• Lead strategic analysis and collaboration efforts related to strategic planning, selection, and implementation of strategy and solutions, including needs such as cloud strategy, infrastructure strategy, and enterprise system replacement.
• Champions and models Sound Transit's core values and demonstrates values-based behaviors in everyday interactions across the agency.
• Contributes to a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion in alignment with Sound Transit’s Equity & Inclusion Policy.
• It is the responsibility of all employees to follow the Agency safety rules, regulations, and procedures pertaining to their assigned duties and responsibilities, which could include systems, operations, and/or other employees.
• It is the responsibility of all employees to integrate sustainability into everyday business practices.
• Other duties as assigned.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

Education and Experience: Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Business Management, Information Systems, Engineering, or related field. Six years of experience in senior level technical IT position including specific design and architecture experience; Or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Preferred Licenses or Certifications:

• Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert.
• ITIL v3 or v4 Certification.

Required Knowledge and Skills:

• Strong technical knowledge of IT enterprise systems at all layers including COTS and custom applications, middleware, operating systems, databases, servers, IaaS , PaaS, SaaS, networks, and virtualization technologies.
• Concepts, principles, and practices of enterprise architecture, IT governance, and project management.
• Strong understanding of business objectives, drivers and principles, and how they relate to technology solutions.
• Business and technology strategy; developing architectural approach to meet both.
• Modeling, prototyping, and alternatives analysis.
• Principles, practices, methods, and techniques used in information technology systems architecture, design, implementation, and ongoing administration.
• Capacity management and designing scalable solutions.
• ITSM, PMLC, SDLC, and strategic planning of Information Technology including corporate business systems and transit systems.
• Advanced principles, practices, methods, and techniques used in the design, installation, troubleshooting, and maintenance of technology systems and applications, and of software development lifecycle.
• In depth understanding of key issues and success factors within an IT organization.
• Pertinent federal, state, and local laws, codes, and regulations.
• Possesses a solid technology culture with a strong interest and ability in learning new technologies in both corporate business technologies and transit technologies.
• Senior level experience in systems design and architecture for large scale enterprise solutions.
• Strong experience managing and leading change within an organization.
• Strong facilitation skills including conflict management, issue resolution, brokering agreements, and removing roadblocks.
• Excellent communication and leadership skills with the ability to coach and mentor others.
• Ability to advocate, promote, and sell ideas to achieve architectural goals, improve efficiency, and reduce complexity.
• Experience modeling, analyzing, and prototyping alternate solutions.
• Continuous improvement.
• Developing architectural standards, documents, and presentations.
• Taking an overall enterprise viewpoint, developing solutions to maximize overall efficiency, and avoiding technology silos.
• Establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with other department staff, management, vendors, outside agencies, community groups, and the general public.
• Working effectively under pressure, meeting deadlines, and adjusting to changing priorities.
• Responding to inquiries and in effective oral and written communication.
• Researching, analyzing, and evaluating new service delivery methods and techniques.
• Working cooperatively with other departments, Agency officials, and outside agencies.

Physical Demands / Work Environment:

• Work is performed in a hybrid environment with an expectation of working in office a minimum of 3 days per week.
• Position is required to create detailed system drawings and architecture diagrams that are limited in accessibility compliance/functions. May be subject to eye/hand coordination, grasping, and seeing.
• The Agency promotes a safe and healthy work environment and provides appropriate safety and equipment training for all personnel as required.

Sound Transit is an equal employment opportunity employer. No person is unlawfully excluded from employment action based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation and pregnancy), age, genetic information, disability, veteran status or other protected class.