Job title:                        Principle Service Design Architect

 Organisation:                Group Technology – Service Creation

 Reports to:                   Head of Service Design

 Location:                              Kingswood/HSQ

 Role Purpose

Ensure that technology projects are built to a set of architectural standards providing a one stop shop for high level assessment for all new and major changes to programmes and project requirements. This is a key role, responsible for specifying the optimum technical & most cost effective solution for projects in both Fixed, Mobile, IT, Service Platforms and Core Network Elements. Work to promote the exploitation of available & existing functionality of current systems by the wider business

 Nature and Scope

Principle Service Design architects are responsible for developing optimum solutions & designs for their area of specialisation & may be required to lead a team. Principle Service Design architects need to have in-depth technical knowledge of their area. As well as this they must be able to communicate their ideas and influence peers and managers to adopt their solutions. Principle Design Architects need to work closely with strategic vendors, adopting a partnership approach so as to leverage best value for eircom.

 Accountabilities

• Ensure Group Technology solutions and designs align with target architectures
• Provide technology leadership, expertise and consultancy across Group Technology and the wider eircom group
• Engage early in the technical assessment & with Technology Engagement Business Consultants in order to better influence the project definitions so as  to align with technical capability
• Ensure the capacity of the key platforms will meet future demand
• Participate in governance steering & post investment reviews to ensure best design practice & most cost effective solution were implemented
• Engage proactively with vendors to influence their technology roadmaps and identify opportunities for eircom
• Provide high level technical input to strategy and economic modelling functions
• Work closely with the Design & Solutions Architects from across Group Technology, agreeing appropriate mechanisms for achieving optimum co-ordination across the teams e.g. setting up joint teams for all areas of governance including design guidelines
• Influence commercial decisions to ensure optimal alignment with technical capabilities
• To deputise for Head of Service Design when required
• Provide coaching & mentoring for less experienced members of the team
• Take ownership and lead one or more process improvement Initiatives within the team, driving efficiency and productivity
• Ensure timely and effective solutions to business needs
• Work closely with strategic vendors, adopting a partnership approach and intelligently getting the best out of the vendors for eircom’s benefit 
• Adopt a commercial focus in vendor interactions to ensure that eircom achieves excellent value for money
• Ensure compliance with Health & Safety

Align with eircom Group culture and values to drive the customer ethos, vision, mission and culture of the organisation to ensure successful growth and retention of its customers

 Key Performance Indicators

• Technology architectures that meet the needs of the business in a timely manner
• Technology architectures that are adopted by the design and operational areas
• Cost effective architectures in line with industry best practice
• Successful clean handover of new design & solutions to operational areas & domains within Service Creation
• Maximum integration with other architectural & delivery domains
• Architectures and migration plans that minimise spend on heritage technologies while maintaining business continuity
• Architecture has acceptable cost of ownership, comparing well with industry norms
• Development roadmap and architecture enable year-on-year reduction of total cost of ownership (TCO)
• Management have clear cost/benefit information, facilitating appropriate development decisions

 Role Specific Technical Skills

• Strong communication skills, capable of managing Vendors and eircom stakeholders.
• Significant service provider experience
• Has held a key design or architecture position previously
• Demonstrate a balance between conceptual ideas and day to day practicalities
• Ability to deliver deadlines and solutions within objective led parameters.
•  Drive a commercial focus in vendor interactions to ensure that eircom achieves excellent value for money
• Commercially aware, able to understand and communicate in common business terms such as financial projections
• Extremely credible influencer of business stakeholders, fluent in both business and technical language and terminology
• Able to explain complex technical issues in simple language
• Strong track record in implementing architectures or systems that have driven improvement in business performance
• Superior project management and prioritization skills
• Up to date with current and future development in the IT and telecommunications industry and able to demonstrate how these can be applied for business benefit
• Exposure to and application of architecture and system standards such as 3GPP, eTOM, TOGAF
• Degree level qualification in Computing, Engineering or similar an advantage

 Terms of Appointment

Individual Terms