Architect

Application Architect, Switzerland

Organization: ICRC - International Committee of the Red Cross

Country: Switzerland

City: Geneva, Switzerland

Office: ICRC HQ Geneva

Application deadline: Friday, the 16th of April 2021

Background

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) works worldwide to provide humanitarian assistance to people affected by conflict and armed violence. We take action in response to emergencies and at the same time promote respect for international humanitarian law. We are an independent and neutral organization, and our mandate stems essentially from the Geneva Conventions of 1949. We work closely with National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and with their International Federation in order to ensure a concerted, rational and rapid humanitarian response to the needs of the victims of armed conflict or any other situation of internal violence. We direct and coordinate the international activities conducted in these situations.

Purpose of the postion

The Application Architect is a crucial part of the Enterprise Architecture (EA) team, whose role is to:

Help business leaders enable their future-state business capabilities;
Provide decision-making support for ICRC programs, projects and initiatives to ensure the applications delivered are aligned with the ICRC's targeted business outcomes, and;
Support institutional strategy – business – resource alignment.

The role is as much business as it is technical, and as such will focus on alignment between the IT and business layers, will collaborate with key partners across the organization, and help identify opportunities to advance the EA program and standard methodologies. Does this sound like it could suit you? Read on below!

Main duties and responsibilities

The main responsibilities of the role are to support the EA program manager, help ensure EA artefacts are maintained up to date in the Enterprise Architecture tool, in particular the application layer, and promote the value of the EA program to both business and IT partners, ensuring the understanding of EA as a business service that supports strategic decision-making, traceability and transparency.

Relationships

The role requires working with a wide variety of teams and people. The role holder must have the capability to work with senior-level ICT leaders, have strong ties to other architects responsible for traditional ICT departments (such as network, security and application development) and with functional teams such as DPO, HR, legal and sourcing.

The Application Architect will work closely with Business Relationship Managers, Project Managers, Solution Architects, Technical Architects and Platform Owners, and reports directly to the Enterprise Architecture program manager.

Education and Experience required

Master's or Bachelors’ degree in computer science, computer engineering, computing, or related field of study;
Minimum 2 years’ experience of working with enterprise architecture tools and methodologies;
Minimum 10 years’ experience in large-scale IT projects, working with stakeholders at all levels of an organization, eliciting partner requirements and stakeholder management;
Demonstrated ability in following up with colleagues post-project to ensure applications and solutions delivered to meet expectations;
Minimum 5 years’ experience working at the ICRC, preferably with experience in different units, as understanding of the ICRC culture and diverse ecosystem is essential.

Required and desired profile and skills

Technical skills:

Enterprise architecture — The Application Architect must have at least 2 years’ experience using the Erwin Casewise solution;
IT architecture — The Application Architect must have a technical background, and be able to assess IT projects and the IT solutions proposed regarding their fit within the application landscape and the EA.

Required and desired profile and skills

Non-technical skills

Analytical skills — The Application Architect must demonstrate strong analytical skills based on previous work experience, must be able to have both big picture and detailed perspectives, and be able to find opportunities for improvement;
Communication and Collaboration — The Application Architect must be a good communicator and collaborator. Given the scope of enterprise architecture, the person must be able to create strong collaborations and trust relationships in order achieve EA program goals;
Leadership — The Application Architect must be a catalyst for change and be a leader with a vision both internally and externally. The person must resist the urge to execute “business as usual” and push the organization to use EA effectively and to evolve our application landscape in alignment with the institutional architecture principles, strategy, and roadmap;
Finance/Legal — The Application Architect doesn’t need to be a finance or legal specialist but must understand the basics of ICT budgeting and ICT contracts and clauses such as indemnification, notification and limitation of liability;
Language — Strong English (written and spoken) is a must, French is a plus.

Additional information