Enterprise Solution Architect

Job Title:    Enterprise Solution Architect

Location:   Shanghai, China

About the Springer Nature

Springer Nature opens the doors to discovery for researchers, educators, clinicians and other professionals. Every day, around the globe, our imprints, books, journals, platforms and technology solutions reach millions of people. For over 180 years our brands and imprints have been a trusted source of knowledge to these communities and today, more than ever, we see it as our responsibility to ensure that fundamental knowledge can be found, verified, understood and used by our communities – enabling them to improve outcomes, make progress, and benefit the generations that follow.

About the Role

Springer Nature (SN) is seeking to hire an Enterprise Solution Architect to join our China Tech Hub team. In close partnership with the solution architects in our Technology and Operations teams, you will provide the thought-leadership and the analytical- and design expertise necessary to enable the management of the organisation's portfolio of "as is" and "to be" solutions.  This includes programmes/projects; systems (including applications, technologies, processes, and information); shared infrastructure and cloud services; shared application services; and shared security services across the organisation.

As a member of the China Tech Hub team, you’ll build relationships with both business and technology stakeholders.  You’ll participate in our Architecture Community of Practice where you will communicate the value of core architectural approaches.  You’ll also ensure that solutions can meet business needs and align with architectural policies and standards.

In this role, you will:

• Support the China Tech Director for the growth of China business.  You’ll also work closely with the Enterprise Architecture team in Europe, in leading the development of solution architectures in business-, technical- and functional domain areas with the tech insight in China context.
• Identify and evaluate alternative architectures and the trade-offs in cost, performance and scalability.  You’ll need to determine and document architecturally significant decisions.
• Support product development-, project- and change initiatives through the preparation of technical plans and the application of approved technical strategies, policies, standards and practices (including security).
• Provide technical guidance and governance on solution development and integration.  You’ll also need to evaluate requests for changes and deviations from specifications and provide recommendations for action.

Responsibilities:

Interpreting Business Needs

• Translating business and technical requirements into solution options and architectures that will achieve strategic business objectives (yet also address immediate needs) in accordance with agreed standards.
• Working closely with our business stakeholders to ensure a robust architectural foundation that can support future business requirements throughout the product life-cycle.  You’ll also promote and support a technical strategy that will evolve our architecture into the desired vision.
• Clarifying the impact of technical constraints, trade-offs, or important non-functional decisions to non-technical stakeholders whilst remaining cognisant of, and sensitive to, the product direction established within the business domains.

Assessing Technology

• Monitoring the current-state solution portfolio to identify deficiencies and risks associated with ageing technologies and/or misalignment with current business needs.
• Supporting product managers in end-of-life product decision making, including determinations to maintain-, refresh-, or retire: services, systems, applications, technologies, processes, and/or information.
• Consulting with our Engineering Enablement, Cloud and Infrastructure teams to inform solution architecture plans and, in so doing, incorporate their technical requirements and opportunities for delivering business benefits.
• Engaging with technical leads to review technical options (e.g. tools, practices, principles, etc.) that will inform solution architecture plans.

Applying Technology

• Building and maintaining relationships with programme managers, product owners and other stakeholders (both across and between domains) to support teams in planning, coordinating and rolling out architectural changes.
• Leading the evaluation, design and analysis for the implementation of a solution architecture across a group of specific business applications or technologies.
• Ensuring the execution of plans corresponds with the approved architectural direction throughout the project or product lifecycle.
• Providing teams with technical and architectural consulting support across a broad range of technologies, platforms and vendor offerings.  You’ll also support application architects within agile teams to ensure alignment with the overall enterprise architecture.
• Fostering a safe and collaborative technical community, growing technical knowledge and cultivating knowledge sharing in- and across teams

Providing Enterprise Guidance, with the knowledge you gain over time through your work with the business domain/product delivery teams and in close collaboration with the Architecture Community of Practice (CoP) and the Enterprise Architecture and Portfolio team you will be:

• Identifying practical opportunities to exploit emerging technologies and market trends; assessing potential risks from legacy technologies and technical debt in the current portfolio.
• Defining guiding principles, standards and patterns, in partnership with the Enterprise Architecture team, and directing governance activities to assure compliant solution architectures.
• Developing and continuously adapting a roadmap for the evolution of the enterprise solution portfolio from current to future state, as defined by the solutions architectures.
• Supporting an architectural Community of Practice (CoP), guiding and helping delivery teams and product owners to align with the overall enterprise architecture governance and assurance.
• Working closely with the Portfolio Operations team to ensure a healthy application/solution portfolio.
• Seeking continuous improvement in our product-building capabilities by encouraging closer collaboration across- and between technical disciplines, product teams, and other stakeholders

Experience, skills and qualifications:

• A degree in computer science, information-technology, engineering, system analysis or a related field, or equivalent experience
• A minimum of five years of experience in at least two IT solution development disciplines, including application/software development, infrastructure and networks, Cloud and platform services, database management or others
• Good understanding of strategic and emerging technology trends, and the practical application of existing and emerging technologies to new and evolving business and operating models
• Good understanding of product management, agile principles and development methodologies and the capability of supporting delivery teams by providing advice and guidance on opportunities, impact, and risks, taking account of technical and architectural debt
• Experience in developing architecture blueprints, strategies, and roadmaps
• Experience in delivering presentations to senior-level executives and technical audiences
• Excellent written and spoken command of the English language
• Experience of the Publishing industry is desirable but not a must.
• Be exposed to multiple, diverse technologies, platforms, and processing environments in your past career stations
  • Backend development languages like Java, Scala, Kotlin, Python         
  • Database technologies like MySQL, MongoDB, PostgreSQL and MarkLogic
  • Frontend web development languages like JavaScript, HTML and CSS.    
  • Various aspects of a technology architecture like integration, network and security
  • Information principles and processes
  • Solution development life cycle methodologies (such as agile software development, rapid prototyping, DevOps)
  • Knowledge of different modelling languages (e.g. UML and ArchiMate)
  • Understanding of technology standards and controls
  • Excellent understanding of application development methodologies and infrastructure and network architecture

At Springer Nature, we value the diversity of our teams and work to build an inclusive culture, where people are treated fairly and can bring their differences to work and thrive. We empower our colleagues and value their diverse perspectives as we strive to attract, nurture and develop the very best talent. Springer Nature was awarded Diversity Team of the Year at the 2022 British Diversity Awards. Find out more about our DEI work here https://group.springernature.com/gp/group/taking-responsibility/diversity-equity-inclusion

If you have any access needs related to disability, neurodivergence or a chronic condition, please contact us so we can make all necessary accommodation.

For more information about career opportunities in Springer Nature please visit https://springernature.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com/SpringerNatureCareers/

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