Integration Solution Architect
Manchester/ Home Based
Band B
Who We Are
We are different. We want to make a real and positive difference in the world. We are on a journey.
The Co-operative bank has a lot to be proud of since the launch of the Ethical Policy in 1992, which remains unique in UK high street banking. We don't just give our time and money to charity. We champion real issues - changing all of the UK's Banks approach to financial abuse and also turning down business which doesn't meet our values. We believe our approach to banking, with values and ethics at the centre of everything we do, sets us apart and remains the key reason why our customers choose to bank with us.
Outline of the role
We want a delivery focussed Integration Solution Architect that will be required to work on implementing solutions on technologies such as APIs through Mulesoft, ETL through Datastage and Batch through IWS, supporting the delivery of our transformation to become the UK's Digital Ethical Bank.
This role will bridge the gap between the business and technical IT teams whilst defining and aligning solutions to the appropriate technical products. The Integration Solution Architect will take technical leadership of the specific team deliverables and assist the development team in meeting project costs, milestones and key deliverables. They will ensure that solutions are scalable and secure and can be successfully transitioned into BAU operations
The Integration Solution Architect will also oversee and approve designs, which are either created by external partners or internal bank teams ready for our development teams to implement.
It is critical that the Integration Solution Architect works closely with IT teams and be the bridge to the Enterprise Architect community to review designs and align with strategic direction. They will act as a facilitator to determine design decisions. They will ensure that all work that they complete is using approved solutions and in line with Bank Architecture.
This role will also actively contribute to the strategy and roadmap for the IT solutions for the bank.
What I need to do
* Be a thought leader in your area of expertise, develop and own the architecture of the domain and projects you work on.
* Be a leader able to develop and coach less experienced team members.
* Support our awesome engineers to design services our customers and colleagues love and deliver our Technology strategy
* Immerse yourself in understanding the existing technology estate and lead our thinking, by crafting an evolutionary architecture, acting as the bridge to our enterprise architecture vision. Help deliver your product by producing high quality, practical, flexible designs and knowledge artefacts that are aligned to the architecture principles, patterns and standards within the bank.
* Collaborate closely with the project to size up the solution and ensure designs are fit for the overall business requirements and user stories in an agile way to deliver outcomes & sprints goals on your roadmap
* Build your network, becoming the recognised expert in the bank for your area of expertise
What I need to know
* Are you primarily skilled in new technologies but also aware of and comfortable working with traditional legacy architecture? Have you implemented or worked on solutions to integrate cloud based / COTS solutions into a legacy / mainframe environment?
* Do you have an understanding of agile delivery and a passion for agile working? Do you appreciate how the agile ways of working and the mind set and culture enables teams to deliver real business value, and what this means in your architecture role? Are you able to bring others on an agile delivery journey?
* Do you have an architectural track record you are proud of, with experience of designing complex solutions? Do you know which patterns to apply to distributed systems to ensure stability and reliability of your products?
What will I need to show
* We are the Co-operative bank… and we’d love you to show the same passion we exhibit every day for the role of technology in delivering an extraordinary user experience and business value
* Our colleagues are committed to delivering change and solving complex challenges quickly, with support of course!
* Ownership of a portfolio of work and draw together technical similarities and opportunity for standardisation
* We value an eye for business, great organisation and prioritisation skills and we favour an analytical and logical approach to problem solving, including demonstrable aptitude for effective conceptualisation, pattern recognition, and design skills
* The ability to assess rapidly changing technologies and apply them to business needs, remaining unbiased to specific technologies or vendors, providing an objective and fact-based viewpoint
What decisions can I make
* We love you to make decisions, especially about your solution roadmap, technology components, solution design evolution and the principles, patterns and strategies to be used in development
* At the Co-operative bank we believe that empowered colleagues and teams are much better than command and control. That doesn’t mean we don’t provide support either and we will do our very best to support you, to help you make the best decisions that will delight customers
We believe this is a unique, exciting and career defining opportunity. If you’re excited too, we look forward to hearing from you!