Solutions Architect

Summary:

The Solution Architect partners directly with business units and functional teams to analyze departmental and enterprise level processes, identify system and workflow deficiencies, and design technical solutions to address identified gaps. Solutions can range from implementing third party solutions to custom-built applications by our internal development team.  This role requires deep technical expertise as well as solid interpersonal skills to be able to be successful.

The SA applies hands-on technical knowledge to translate business needs into end-to-end solutions.  The SA is responsible for managing IT project priorities for their assigned business units, gathering requirements, analysis, proposing solution designs to include application architectures, system integrations, and/or & data flows/models for third party vendor or custom-built solutions.

The SA actively participates in business and IT team meetings, documents efficiency opportunities, performs technical and functional analysis, develops cost estimates, evaluates 3^rd party solutions, and ensures proposed solutions are feasible within the existing technical ecosystem and aligned with enterprise standards.

While the SA supports project definition, prioritization, documentation, and implementation withing the project lifecycle, this role is not a Business Analyst or Project Manager. The SA maintains direct ownership of the technical solution design and is responsible for evaluating alternative approaches, identifying risks, and ensuring solutions are implementable, maintainable, scalable, and support long-term business goals

Work Location:

• 3130 W 57^th Ste 107, Sioux Falls, SD, 57108

Duties and Responsibilities:

• The Solution Architect has aspects of Business Analyst and Project Manager roles but also owns the technical approach, validates solution feasibility, supports accurate scoping and estimation, and ensures implementation aligns with approved architecture.
• Analyze business processes and operational challenges and translate them into technical solution requirements, including system functionality, integrations, and data flows.
• Accountable for technical solution design and architectural decision making, including defining how business requirements are translated into scalable, secure, and feasible technical solutions.
• Lead solution discovery and scoping activities by engaging project sponsors and stakeholders to understand requirements, constraints, and architectural implications.
• Develop and maintain solution scope documentation, including cost estimates, risks, dependencies, and high-level implementation timelines.
• Create and maintain deployment plans to support reliable, secure, and supportable implementations.
• Collaborate with architecture, development, and infrastructure teams to ensure solutions are implemented according to design and aligned timelines.
• Communicate solution status, risks, and dependencies effectively to business and technical stakeholders; strong communication skills are required.
• Design, review, and optimize SQL Server solutions, including database schemas, queries, performance tuning, data flows, and integration patterns.
• Provide production support and troubleshooting, including participation in root cause analysis for system or integration issues.
• Requires SQL, .net and/or scripting skills
• Contribute to annual application budget planning for assigned systems, including hardware, software, licensing, and resource needs.
• When dealing with a third-party software provider – will engage in meetings, design sessions, testing, implementation planning, and then support as needed for their business unit.
• No direct supervisory responsibilities; operates under guidance of senior solution architecture leadership.
• Other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications: (To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.)

• Bachelor’s degree in science, mathematics, software engineering, or related field.
• In lieu of a bachelor’s degree, will accept 4 or more years’ work experience.
• Typically, 5–9 years of experience.
• Minimum of one-year experience managing a team for IT projects
• Minimum of five years’ experience as an IT Application Software Developer, Solutions Architect, Technical Project Manager, or Team Leadership within the IT field)

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Strong, hands‑on experience with Azure services (e.g., App Services, Azure Functions, Azure SQL, Storage, networking, identity, and monitoring).
• Strong working knowledge of SQL Server, including query development, performance tuning, and data integration.
• Ability to functionally and technically review complex applications programs developed by internal programmers or vendors to determine their efficiency in meeting needs of business departments.
• Ability to manage and/or collaborate with individuals within a team environment.
• Ability to communicate required data effectively (processing needs, and programs needed) - orally and written.
• Ability to clearly articulate and document what the system, process, or product/service must do to fulfill the business requirements.
• Ability to provide regular technical reports both verbal and statistical showing status of ongoing projects.