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Senior Application Architect
Stantec is looking for a Senior Application Architect that will be responsible for designing and overseeing the architecture of various software systems. The Senior Application Architect role ensures that applications (both cloud-based and on-premises) are scalable, secure, and integrated with existing systems, including our Oracle EBS ERP platform. They will work closely with our Custom Software Solutions development team, global database administrators and business stakeholders/SMEs (S ubject M atter E xperts) to translate business requirements into technical solutions, and guide projects through to successful implementation.
The initial focus of the role will be to work with business stakeholders/SMEs to optimize workflows and business processes between our Project Managers and Project Accountants (aka PM2PA). This will involve enhancing and integrating numerous existing applications and data stores, including our on-premises Oracle E-Business Suite, and in the future, Oracle Fusion Cloud apps.
Key Responsibilities
Design and Architecture: Design and document the overall application architecture for projects, spanning on-premises systems and cloud platforms. Ensure architectures are scalable, reliable, and meet business requirements. This includes creating strategies for integrating cloud services with existing systems (e.g. ensuring new cloud applications interface smoothly with Oracle EBS). The Senior Application Architect analyses current application portfolios and identifies opportunities to improve or modernize them (for example, recommending which systems to migrate to cloud or how to refactor legacy EBS custom applications).
Cloud & Infrastructure: Provide expertise in cloud services (such as Oracle and/or Azure) and architect cloud-based applications or migrations. Ensure all cloud solutions follow security and compliance requirements. For example, the Senior Application Architect might design a microservices-based system on Azure that integrates with on-premises Oracle databases, adhering to both cloud provider best practices and internal guidelines.
Oracle EBS Integration: Serve as the subject matter expert on Oracle E-Business Suite(EBS) within the architecture. Ensure that new and existing applications integrate seamlessly with Oracle EBS where necessary (e.g. Financial or Project Accounting systems interfacing with Oracle EBS). Provide guidance on Oracle EBS enhancements and customizations, ensuring they are done in line with best practices to maintain system stability and upgradability.
This could involve designing APIs or middleware for data exchange between Oracle EBS and existing on-premises applications, cloud applications, or advising on Oracle EBS configuration to support new business requirements.
Technical Leadership: Provide technical leadership to software development teams throughout the software development lifecycle. Lead architecture review sessions and code reviews, ensuring solutions align with the defined architecture and coding standards. Mentor and guide developers in implementing the architecture correctly and assist in troubleshooting complex issues. The Senior Application Architect will act as a bridge to our custom software development team, communicating architectural decisions and rationale.
They will ensure the development team understands and follows design principles (e.g. modular design, microservices, event driven architecture etc.) and make use of appropriate design patterns.
Performance, Security & Compliance: Incorporate security requirements and performance considerations into all application architecture designs from the outset. The architect makes sure that applications adhere to security best practices and relevant compliance standards as required. They will work with Stantec's IT Security team to perform risk assessments on new architectures and include controls for data protection (encryption, access control) and robust error handling. They will also design for high performance and availability - for example, recommending load balancing, caching strategies, or failover mechanisms. All solutions are evaluated for reliability, maintainability, and disaster recovery preparedness as well.
Stakeholder Collaboration: Collaborate with stakeholders across the organization - including business Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), business analysts, project managers, and IT leadership - to understand requirements and translate business requirements into technical architecture designs (communicating complex architectural concepts in clear terms to non-technical stakeholders, ensuring buy-in and understanding).
The Senior Application Architect will often participate in requirement-gathering workshops and advise on feasibility or alternative solutions. They will also liaise with vendors or external partners if third-party systems or cloud services are involved, ensuring compatibility with the overall architecture.
Project Involvement: Take part in planning and executing IT projects as the architecture owner. During project planning, estimate the effort and resources needed for architectural tasks and any new infrastructure. Throughout development, the Senior Application Architect monitors progress to ensure alignment with the architectural design and intervenes if refactoring is needed.
They might lead proof-of-concept initiatives to validate new technologies, design patterns or approaches before wider implementation. In addition, they oversee that proper documentation of the architecture and key design decisions is produced for future reference and onboarding.
Continuous Improvement: Stay updated with emerging technologies, tools, and best practices in the industry. This includes keeping current with cloud innovations, DevSecOps tools, and new Oracle EBS features or Oracle Fusion Cloud offerings. The Senior Application Architect evaluates these for potential benefit to the organization and drives adoption of new technologies (for example, exploring the use of Oracle Integration Cloud or new Azure services). They may also establish best practice guidelines and technical standards internally, fostering continuous improvement in how Stantec designs and delivers software
Required Qualifications & Skills
Education: Degree or diploma in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Technology or a related field (or equivalent professional experience). A strong foundational understanding of software development principles and SDLC is expected.
Experience: Extensive experience in software development and architecture. Typically, 8+ years in software engineering/architecture covering the full software development lifecycle, with at least a couple of years in a senior application design/architecture capacity. Experience should include designing complex systems and making complex technical decisions.
Oracle EBS Expertise: Proven experience working with Oracle E-Business Suite (EBS) in an architectural or senior development role. Candidates should have participated in full lifecycle implementations or major upgrades of Oracle EBS and have a deep understanding of EBS modules (e.g., Financials, Project Billing and Costing, HCM etc.).
Knowledge of the Oracle EBS technical stack is required - e.g. Oracle Database and PL/SQL, Oracle Forms/Reports, Workflow, and interface tools. Ability to design or review customizations, data migrations, and integrations involving EBS is essential.
Cloud Architecture & Services: Strong expertise in cloud computing platforms and services. Hands-on experience in designing and deploying applications on Oracle Cloud and/or Microsoft Azure is required. This includes familiarity with cloud services such as compute, storage, databases, networking, and cloud-native design patterns. The architect should be comfortable with various multi-tier, microservices and event driven architecture patterns and understand how to leverage cloud offerings (like serverless functions, messaging services, etc.) in solution designs.
DevOps & CI/CD & Agile Practices: Embraces a DevSecOps culture for quicker and more reliable deployments - including continuous integration, continuous delivery/deployment (CI/CD), and automated testing. Also, following Agile methodologies (e.g., Scrum or Kanban) to iteratively deliver architecture components and adapt to changes.
In-depth knowledge of DevSecOps principles and tools. Ability to build and/or maintain CI/CD pipelines using tools such as Terraform, Azure DevOps, or GitLab CI/CD. Experience with configuration management and automation (e.g., Ansible, Puppet, or Chef) and with containerization technologies (Docker, Kubernetes) is expected. The candidate should have a track record of implementing automated build, test, and deployment processes that improve software delivery speed and quality. Familiarity with IaC (Infrastructure-As-Code (e.g. Terraform)) is also highly valued.
Systems Integration: Strong integration skills - ability to design and implement APIs and middleware for connecting heterogeneous systems. Experience with web services (RESTful APIs, SOAP) and enterprise application integration patterns is required. Given the Oracle EBS focus, knowledge of integration tools or middleware (such as Oracle Integration Cloud, Oracle SOA Suite, or other ESB tools) is advantageous for orchestrating data flows between EBS and other applications.
Technical Proficiencies: Proficiency in programming and scripting languages relevant to the enterprise stack. This may include Python/Django, Java or C# for application development. Solid skills in SQL and working with relational databases (particularly Oracle Database and PL/SQL) are required. Comfortable working in a Linux environment. Familiarity with version control systems and build tools is also expected as part of the development toolkit.
Experience with RESTful web services and frameworks to build APIs is important. Architecture & Modelling Tools: Use of modelling tools to create architecture diagrams and documentation - e.g. Microsoft Visio, Draw.io, Lucidchart or UML design tools.
Architecture & Design Knowledge: Strong grasp of software architecture principles and design patterns. Ability to create models/diagrams (using UML or similar) to communicate system structure. Knowledge of established architecture frameworks (such as TOGAF or Zachman) and design methodologies is optional but beneficial, as it provides a structured approach to designing enterprise systems. The Senior Application Architect should be able to evaluate different architectural approaches (monolithic vs microservices, EDA, on-premises vs cloud, etc.) and make reasoned recommendations.
Methodologies: Experience with Agile/Scrum development processes and understanding of the DevSecOps culture of collaboration between development and operations. The candidate should be comfortable working in an iterative, fast-paced project environment and ideally have been part of agile teams. They should also be versed in continuous improvement practices and possibly have experience with other methodologies like ITIL for service management or PRINCE2/PMP for project management (even if the role is not project manager, this helps in alignment with project processes).
Testing & Quality: Knowledge of automated testing frameworks (for unit testing, functional testing, systems integration testing, non-functional testing, security testing etc.) and performance testing tools would be helpful.
Design Patterns: Utilizing Software Design Patterns (e.g. creational, structural and behavioral) appropriately to create robust, scalable and maintainable designs, emphasizing modular design, reusability, scalability and separation of concerns within the application architecture.
Security by Design: Implementing security best practices at every layer of architecture. This means following principles like least privilege, defense in depth, and secure coding practices. Incorporating security reviews in the design phase, using threat modelling for new systems, and ensuring compliance with relevant standards (such as ISO 27001and other internal security policies). For cloud deployments, adhering to the cloud provider's well-architected security guidelines is crucial.
Performance and Reliability Engineering: Designing with performance in mind - e.g., following best practices for database indexing, caching frequently used data, and using content delivery networks (CDNs) for static content in web applications. Additionally, designing for reliability by including failover capabilities, backups, and considering Disaster Recovery (DR) plans.
Documentation & Governance: Maintaining clear architectural documentation and diagrams as living artifacts. The architect ensures that as systems evolve, the documentation and repository of decisions are updated, aiding future development and knowledge transfer.
Continuous Learning and Improvement: Encouraging a culture of learning within the technical team - for example, holding knowledge-sharing sessions on new technologies or post-mortems after major projects to capture lessons learned. The Senior Application Architect should lead by example, perhaps by prototyping new approaches or training the team on new design patterns or tools.
Soft Skills: Excellent communication skills are essential. The Senior Application Architect must be able to communicate complex technical concepts to both technical teams and non-technical stakeholders in clear, understandable terms. Strong analytical and problem-solving skills are required to assess requirements and troubleshoot architectural issues.
Leadership and interpersonal skills are critical - the Senior Application Architect should be able to lead and mentor technical teams, facilitate discussions, and drive consensus on technical decisions. They should be self-motivated and proactive in driving solutions, with a high degree of initiative (since this is a senior role that often identifies what needs to be done, rather than waiting for tasks).
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