Senior Director of Systems Architecture

Senior Director of Systems Architecture

About Village Enterprise

At Village Enterprise, our mission is to end extreme poverty in rural Africa through entrepreneurship, innovation and collective action. We do this primarily by equipping and empowering first-time entrepreneurs in Africa with resources and skills to start sustainable businesses and savings groups. With the income and savings from their businesses, these entrepreneurs lift themselves and their families out of economic hardship, build resilience, and break the cycle of poverty. Our strategy focuses on (among other 4 priorities) adopting digital technologies that will revolutionize small business development for the extreme poor in rural Africa through digital solutions developed in partnership with our entrepreneurs and technology partners.  

About the Role

In the journey towards implementing these strategic goals, we are seeking to recruit a highly skilled and experienced Senior Director of Systems Architecture to join our dynamic technology solutions team. This role is crucial for developing a comprehensive system architecture that supports decision-making across all levels of the organization. The ideal candidate will possess strong leadership skills, extensive experience in systems architecture, and a strategic vision to drive the integration and optimization of multiple systems. He/She will be at the forefront of our technological innovation, responsible for crafting a unified business architecture that seamlessly integrates diverse systems. This vision will be instrumental in enabling data-driven decision-making at all levels of the organization, ensuring that our architecture is scalable, secure, and adaptable to future needs. By collaborating closely with internal stakeholders and leveraging cutting-edge technologies, he/she will help drive our strategic objectives and foster a culture of continuous improvement and excellence.

Deliverables for the Role:

• Architectural Design and Planning 
  • Develop and implement a robust systems architecture that aligns with organisation’s goals and supports decision-making processes.
  • Design scalable, flexible, and secure solutions that integrate various systems within the organization.

• Integration and Interoperability: - 
  • Collaborate with functional teams within the organisation to understand requirements and translate them into architectural solutions.
  • Provide technical leadership and guidance to development teams, most of whom are external providers.
  • Work with the technology solutions team as well as external provides to ensure seamless integration and interoperability of disparate systems using standard protocols and APIs. 
  • Oversee the implementation of middleware solutions as needed to facilitate communication between multiple systems.

• Data Management and Governance: 
  • Establish and enforce data governance policies to maintain data consistency, integrity, and security. 
  • Implement master data management (MDM) practices to ensure a single source of truth.

• Performance Optimization, security and compliance: 
  • Monitoring and enhancing system performance, ensuring high availability, efficiency, and reliability. 
  • He/she will be responsible for addressing performance bottlenecks and implementing solutions for improved data retrieval and processing.
  • Ensure robust security measures are in place to protect data and comply with relevant regulations 
  • Conduct both routine and on-demand security audits and risk assessments.
  • Stay current with emerging technologies and industry trends.
  • Drive continuous improvement initiatives to enhance system capabilities and business outcomes.

Key Performance Indicators (Outcomes)

• Village Enterprise has a robust, flexible and secure systems architecture that supports decision making at all levels
• A scalable systems architecture fully implemented that supports business growth without performance degradation
• Seamless data flow and interoperability between all critical systems
• High user satisfaction and efficient access to data for decision making
• Comprehensive documentation supporting knowledge sharing and maintenance

Qualifications:

• Education:
  • Bachelor’s or master’s degree in computer science, Information Technology, or a related field with a strong focus on software and systems architecture design, development and implementation.

• Skills and Experience:
  • Demonstrated strong practical understanding of architectural frameworks and methodologies.
  • Proficiency in designing scalable, secure, and high-performing systems.
  • Expertise in data governance, master data management, and data integration techniques.
  • Excellent leadership, communication, and collaboration skills.
  • Should be able to practically demonstrate ability to think strategically and translate business needs into technical solutions.
  • Minimum of 6 years of experience in systems architecture, with at least 2 years in a senior or lead role.
  • Proven track record of designing and implementing complex systems architectures in a multi-system environment.
  • Experience with data management, integration technologies, and middleware solutions.

How to Apply:

Interested candidates should submit their resume and a cover letter detailing their relevant experience and vision for the role to our Global Recruitment Manager, Reena Rey, at reenar@villageenterprise.org by 28th June 2024.