Who we are The Stark Group is a fast-growing technology-based business and has built a market leading position in the provision of energy data and services with a proven track record for constant innovation. Stark helps businesses understand and manage their electricity, gas, and water usage, so they can reduce their energy costs and minimise their carbon emissions. We are a passionate, and friendly team who thrive on solving problems and with data integrity at the heart of everything we do. Purpose IT is the centralized IT Shared Services Organization providing Enterprise applications, infrastructure, network and desktop to all our facilities. As part of an ongoing IT transformation exercise STARK requires a Solution Architect Lead, who will be a Senior Solution Architect responsible for: Development and ongoing maintenance / support of architectural solutions in infrastructure, hardware, hosting service and network areas Proactively identify issues and corrective actions necessary to sustain the environment Contributing to the solution architecture capability in STARK This role defines best practices in the evaluation and selection of software components and related hardware/infrastructure requirements of the applications and its data, and the development of the application, including evaluation and selection of development methods, support processes, best practices and tools. The application solution architect is responsible for application non-functional aspects for example usability, accessibility, quality, security, performance, availability, scalability, and integrity. Key roles & responsibilities Provide architectural oversight and support for the application and infrastructure environment Architecture: To meet and maintain required Non-Functional Requirements and future needs Capacity planning, availability, performance, housekeeping, monitoring Using both Component-Based Architectures and Application Packages Designing New Components as required Designing Functional Architectures for Service Quality Developing Functional Characteristics Providing leadership to technical teams as appropriate in application development/support activities Maintaining Functional and Non-Functional Requirements Advising application package selection as required Architecting new IT Solutions as required Designing and maintaining the application solution delivery and infrastructure environment Liaising with 3rd party product providers to understand future enhancements, product roadmaps, new developments and communicate as required to business, user and IT Stakeholders Reviewing proposals to enhance or modify the configuration or functionality of firewalls, servers, applications, databases and other critical elements of the infrastructure Maintaining and creating solution architecture documentation Assist in second line support problem determination and resolution of solution issues Assist in designing, developing and implementing hardware and infrastructure enhancements to agreed standards utilizing standard processes and procedures. Assist in generating the required documentation to facilitate hardware/software change control Assist in deploying applications to internal and external customer facing environments. Supporting internal development and production teams Reviewing and recommending changes to virtual server performance. Supporting the Service/Project Manager and Support Teams to resolve incidents Assisting in on-site user problem determination as required Advising the application support and infrastructure support teams Analysing and recommending service quality improvement activities Assist in other solutioning activities as required by the Technical Design Authority function What you'll bring Essential Knowledge / Experience BA/BSc or appropriate degree. Significant, in-depth relevant technical experience managing, developing and upgrading applications in a previous company Significant, in-depth application/solution design as a solution architect in a previous company Strong technical aptitude. Experience with Business Process Analysis Strong communication skills, self-starter and ability to work independently as required yet function well within a team. Experience of end-to-end application solution architecture/design methods and patterns Experience in product evaluation, gap-fit analysis, design, delivery and support Experience in Windows, virtualised hardware and VM environments Experience in cloud (preferably Azure) and hybrid solution architecture Experience in Active Directory and a range of application development languages Experience in application integration using services-oriented and/or middleware approaches Experience in database technologies (e.g. Oracle, DB2, SQL Server) Experience with working with external 3rd party product providers Experience in deployment of applications into hosted / data centre environments and associated configuration of application and infrastructure Experience of IT support processes and ongoing application/infrastructure non-functional planning Strong customer service ethos, recognising the importance of customer needs and business value at stake in delivering services, thereby enhancing the perception of the organisation Exposure or experience with TOGAF, UML, MDA, ZF or associated method Experience in ITIL Experience in configuration management, service catalogues Regulatory experience and ideally working with GIS, EAM, ERP, Telemetry, Digital, Middleware, operational systems, and other application solution areas Desirable knowledge/Experience Familiarity with data privacy practices and regulations Knowledge of relevant architectural frameworks such as TOGAF (preferred) or Zachman advantageous Advantageous Skills Relevant professional qualifications (e.g. TOGAF 9 certification, RM-ODP, Zachman Framework, C4ISR, or equivalent; Microsoft professional certification, Java Certified Enterprise architect (SCEA) for Java platform, Systems Integrator professional certification, Information System Management certification); Understanding of IT industry trends and product roadmaps along with development and project management processes and methodologies; experience in technology watch Experience with Agile Delivery Lifecycle and/or Disciplined Agile Delivery Lean Lifecycle and/or Lean Continuous Delivery Lifecycle Accountability and Strategic Input Provide technical leadership, guidance and technical governance on IT initiatives Accountable for the production and contribution to the production of fit-for-purpose architecture artefacts and designs for IT initiatives. Encourage reuse of artefacts (e.g. foundational components, shared platforms, shared applications, web-services and data) Keep colleagues and stakeholders involved and informed on matters related to solution architecture and architecture roadmaps Resolving queries in a timely manner, seeking assistance as required Prioritising workload in conjunction with the IT Architecture Team Identify business issues/concerns and communicate to the relevant parties Find ways of satisfying cultural needs of our customers Demonstrated knowledge and ability in technology area Demonstrated critical thinking and tactical / strategic decision-making skills Strong interpersonal skills Responsible for keeping up to date on application technologies and industry trends Perform regular technology watch and communication on industry trends including on the use of IT in comparable organizations; define opportunities to take advantage of emerging technologies and industry best practices Contribute to the definition of IT annual and multi-annual work and budget plans Mentor IT staff as appropriate Interfaces Liaison with business directors, consultants, managers, staff, third parties and general public Liaise with the STARK business to predict and plan to meet business needs Demonstrate tact and diplomacy Exhibit caring manner To be efficient and professional in representing the organisation Autonomy/ Freedom to Act Maintaining confidentiality Manage department resources and structure in consultation with IT SMT and HR To accurately translate and record information / requests from staff / customers / visitors Manage and plan department workload using portfolio management information To keep up to date with current IT procedures and agreements To maintain accurate records for audit Prioritise to respond to urgent requests Seek assistance where business issues require escalating / resolving Apply today. Successful candidates will hear from us within 10 days. Stark Group are an equal opportunities employer. We are committed to a working environment that is free from all types of discrimination, is inclusive, champions diversity and empowers our people so that everyone can bring their whole self to work and is valued for their specific skills, experience, and vision. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees, creating a progressive, open, and inclusive workplace.