Onsite 6months Solution Architect role

ROLE DETAILS Reports to: Head: Centre IT Supports: Group Finance & Actuarial Function Location: Onsite (Parktown, Johannesburg) Employment type: Fixed term contract, 6 months Level: Senior / Specialist ROLE PURPOSE To own the end-to-end solution design for finance and actuarial transformation initiatives, translating business and functional requirements into robust, scalable and secure technology architectures. The role is pivotal in shaping the target-state architecture for the finance operating model, spanning ERP, actuarial and data platforms, integration and cloud, and in ensuring that every solution delivered is fit for purpose, standards-compliant and aligned to group architectural principles. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES Architecture & Solution Design - Define current-state, transition-state and target-state solution architectures for finance and actuarial systems. - Translate business requirements and functional specifications into detailed solution designs, architecture decision records and technical blueprints. - Evaluate build-versus-buy options, conduct technology assessments and present recommendations with supporting cost, risk and benefit analysis. - Define and document non-functional requirements covering performance, scalability, availability, security and disaster recovery. Integration & Data Architecture - Design integration between finance ERP, actuarial engines, sub-ledgers, policy administration and reporting platforms. - Select and apply appropriate integration patterns (APIs, event-driven messaging, ESB, EDI, batch) and define interface contracts. - Shape finance data architecture across data lakes, warehouses and lakehouse platforms, including master data management and data lineage. - Ensure data quality, retention and privacy requirements are designed into every solution. Governance & Assurance - Present designs to architecture review boards and secure design authority approval. - Ensure compliance with enterprise architecture standards, reference architectures, security policy and regulatory obligations. - Identify and mitigate architectural risk and technical debt, and maintain the architecture roadmap. - Conduct design reviews and provide technical assurance over vendor and partner deliverables. Delivery Support & Implementation - Provide hands-on architectural guidance to development, integration, data and testing teams throughout delivery. - Support environment strategy, cutover planning, data migration design and post-implementation stabilisation. - Review and sign off technical deliverables against the approved design. Stakeholder & Vendor Engagement - Build strong working relationships across finance, actuarial, IT, security and external vendors. - Contribute to vendor evaluations, RFP responses and statements of work from a technical perspective. - Communicate complex technical concepts clearly to executive and non-technical audiences.

ESSENTIAL EXPERIENCE & SKILLS - 8+ years in IT solution or technical architecture, with 4+ years in insurance or financial services. - Proven track record architecting and delivering finance ERP and reporting solutions at group/enterprise scale. - Deep understanding of finance and actuarial business capabilities, accounting principles, reporting standards and compliance requirements. - Hands-on experience with ERP platforms (Oracle Fusion, SAP S/4HANA, Workday) and point solutions (OneStream, Anaplan, MS Dynamics 365 F&O, Coupa, Blackline). - Strong integration architecture skills across APIs, EDI, ESB, event streaming and file-based patterns. - Solid data architecture background: Data Mesh, MDM, finance data lakes and warehouses, ETL/ELT (including Informatica), SQL. - Cloud architecture experience on Azure, AWS or GCP, including hybrid and migration patterns. - Exposure to AI, RPA and machine learning in finance contexts. - Working knowledge of security, identity and access management, and data privacy by design. - Experience facilitating and leading cross-functional design workshops and architecture forums. - Strong analytical, problem-solving and communication skills. - Proficiency in MS Office, Visio or equivalent modelling tools, Jira, and both Agile and Waterfall methodologies. QUALIFICATIONS - Degree or Diploma in Information Technology, Computer Science, Engineering or a related field. - Industry-recognised architecture certification (e.g. TOGAF, AWS/Azure Solutions Architect, or equivalent). DESIRABLE ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE - Knowledge of South African financial and insurance regulations, including IFRS 17 and prudential reporting requirements. - Familiarity with actuarial business capabilities, processes and IT architecture. - Experience with POPIA-aligned data protection design. - Experience mentoring architects, analysts and technical leads. HOW TO APPLY Applications must be submitted via the Centrax Digital careers portal: https://careers.centraxdigital.com/jobs/Careers. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.