Solutions Architect

Solution Architect - Key Deliverables Document Employee & Workforce Enablement Role Context The Solution Architect operates within the Employee and Workforce Enablement portfolio, supporting a federated technology model that balances enterprise coherence with business unit agility. This role serves 34,000+ employees across the complete employee technology lifecycle (attract through exit), encompassing Human Capital Technology, Oracle Payroll, Digital Workplace & Productivity, Hardware Asset Management, ServiceNow, and Integration domains. Strategic Deliverables 1. Architecture & Design Excellence Experience Architecture Design end-to-end user experiences that go beyond technical and solution architecture to focus on persona-based journeys Map and optimize employee technology touchpoints across the complete employee lifecycle Create intuitive, frictionless digital experiences that enhance productivity and reduce pain points Develop architecture patterns that balance standardization with segment-specific customization needs Technical Architecture Define and maintain technical architecture blueprints for the HC technology landscape Design data flow patterns and integration architectures across the employee enablement ecosystem Establish architectural principles that ensure scalability, resilience, and security Create technical solution designs for complex integrations between Workday, Oracle Payroll, M365, ServiceNow, and downstream systems Solution Architecture Maintain the portfolio view of vendor systems and their interdependencies Design solutions that maximize platform capabilities before introducing third‑party tools Evaluate and recommend technology solutions aligned to business requirements and strategic direction Ensure solution designs support the "Tight and Loose" governance framework 2. Integration & Platform Orchestration Integration Strategy Design and oversee integration architecture across the HC technology landscape Define integration patterns and standards for connecting Workday, Oracle Payroll, ServiceNow, M365, and legacy systems Minimize integration complexity by exhausting native platform capabilities before custom development Lead the rationalization of integration touchpoints to reduce technical debt Platform Optimization Identify opportunities to consolidate functionality within core platforms (Workday, M365, ServiceNow) Design solutions that prevent fragmentation through unnecessary third‑party integrations Support the migration from legacy systems (Exchange 2010/2016, AWS Workspaces) to modern cloud platforms Enable ServiceNow as the Employee Service Management orchestration layer 3. Enterprise Architecture Governance Capability Mapping Lead HC Technology capability mapping initiatives to track and manage the EA landscape Identify capability gaps against HC strategy and design solutions to close them Maintain architecture decision records and ensure alignment with enterprise architecture standards Support the Enterprise Architect with domain‑specific architectural guidance Standards & Patterns Define and maintain architectural standards for the employee enablement domain Create reusable solution patterns and reference architectures Establish architectural guardrails that distinguish between enterprise standards (tight) and business flexibility (loose) Ensure compliance with security, risk, and regulatory requirements in all solution designs Operational Deliverables 4. Project & Initiative Support Solution Design for Strategic Initiatives Provide architectural leadership for Project INANI and other strategic HC initiatives Design solutions for Workday enhancements including Career Hub, Opportunity Marketplace, and Talent Optimization Support Oracle platform upgrades (OIC Gen3, Kernel v6, APEX 24.x) Enable M365 Copilot adoption and AI‑driven automation initiatives Workday Squad Architecture Support Provide architectural guidance to four specialized Workday squads (Recruitment/Learning/Talent, Core HCM/Benefits, Technical, Payroll) Review and approve technical designs for Workday configurations and customizations Ensure Workday solutions remain close to standard to prevent downstream complexity Support integration designs between Workday modules and external systems 5. Agile Delivery Excellence Agile Architecture Practices Embed architectural review points within Agile delivery cycles Participate in PI planning sessions using MIRO for collaborative architecture discussions Support Definition of Ready with architectural acceptance criteria Enable continuous improvement through architectural retrospectives Technical Debt Management Identify and prioritize technical debt across the employee enablement portfolio Design pragmatic approaches to address legacy system dependencies Balance new feature delivery with technical debt reduction Create roadmaps for platform modernization (Exchange, VDI, Oracle) 6. Automation & Quality Engineering Test Automation Architecture Design test automation frameworks aligned to Playwright and Azure DevOps standards Define automation patterns for Workday, Oracle Payroll, and M365 testing Support Quality Engineering team (led by Thomas) with architectural guidance Enable shift‑left testing through architectural design Process Automation Design automation solutions for HC processes including payroll technology Enable AI and Copilot Studio agents for business process automation Support Workday Help automation and case management improvements Identify opportunities for RPA and intelligent automation across the employee journey 7. Security & Compliance Security Architecture Support Workday security reviews and ensure security‑by‑design principles Address audit findings from GIA and Deloitte through architectural solutions Design data masking and SailPoint integration patterns Ensure compliance with IT security vulnerability management standards Risk Mitigation Design isolation strategies for legacy systems (e.g., Exchange 2010 ring‑fencing in AWS) Address platform end‑of‑life risks through architectural migration paths Support business continuity through resilient architecture design Ensure ≥98% uptime targets through architectural resilience patterns 8. Stakeholder Engagement & Advisory Business Partner Collaboration Provide architectural advisory to HC Leadership Translate business requirements into technical architecture Present solution options clear trade‑offs and recommendations Support platform owners (Karin Roux for Workday) with architectural decisions Vendor & External Partner Management Engage with Workday (Heidi Ogle), Oracle (Khalid), Microsoft (Gabriel D'oliveira, Poova Moodliar) on architectural matters Review vendor roadmaps and align to organizational architecture Evaluate new platform capabilities and features for adoption Ensure vendor solutions integrate seamlessly with existing architecture 9. Documentation & Knowledge Management Architecture Documentation Maintain comprehensive architecture documentation including system context diagrams, integration maps, and data flows Create architecture decision records (ADRs) for significant design decisions Develop solution design documents for major initiatives Maintain technical documentation in accessible formats for diverse audiences Knowledge Transfer & Enablement Conduct architecture reviews and provide coaching to technical teams Share architectural patterns and best practices across squads Support capability building through architectural mentoring Create architectural guidelines and playbooks Success Metrics Quality Indicators Solution designs meet architectural standards and governance requirements Integration complexity reduced through platform consolidation Technical debt backlog actively managed and reducing Architecture review participation in 100% of major initiatives Delivery Predictability Architectural decisions support sprint velocity and delivery predictability Design‑related impediments identified and resolved proactively Solution designs enable on‑time, on‑budget delivery Employee Experience Architecture solutions contribute to improved employee satisfaction scores Technology touchpoints are intuitive and friction‑free Platform availability meets or exceeds 98% target Integration‑related incidents trending downward Business Value Solution designs deliver measurable ROI Platform optimization drives cost efficiencies Architecture enables business agility and speed to market Capability gaps closed through architectural solutions Key Relationships Internal Stakeholders HC Leadership: Fikiswa Ludidi Platform Owners: Karin Roux (Workday), Khalid Parker (Oracle Payroll) Scrum Masters: Tshepang Quality Engineering Lead: Thomas Enterprise Architecture team External Partners Workday Oracle: Microsoft Deliverable Rhythm Daily/Weekly Architecture guidance for squad work items Technical review and approval of designs Impediment resolution Monthly Architecture review sessions Technical debt assessment Vendor engagement and roadmap reviews Quarterly PI Planning participation Capability mapping updates strategy refinement Annually Architecture roadmap development Strategic architecture initiatives Governance framework reviews #J-18808-Ljbffr