System Architect: Training, Job Description and Feedback

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

A system architect is another name for a software architect. The main responsibility is to design the software architecture. The employee makes key decisions regarding the design of the system and the technical interface.

Architecture design is a subset of software design.

What does it do

System architect - a new position that appeared in Russia shortly before 2008. To become a professional architect and design not houses, but an IT system, you need to understand what such an employee does.

The responsibility of the system architect is to shape the final look of the information system of the entire organization in detail and in the overall result. The key goal is to provide business solutions through information technology solutions. At the same time, the formation of a solution is not the final stage, control of implementation is alsocarried out by the architect.

Job tasks

The duties of a system architect are varied and multifaceted.

Architect implements:

• analysis of the project and its environment;
• analyzing databases, as well as information systems, processes and data;
• analysis of what the customer needs;
• expert evaluation of the architecture and configuration of systems, as well as databases;
• selection of approaches, forms requirements, specifications, selects standards;
• collection and analysis of requirements for components;
• assessment of project feasibility;
• Identification of resource requirements for the implementation and implementation of the project.

Responsibilities also include the development of the project itself.

Among the required items:

• Design of databases, information systems, software.
• Development of technical specifications, projects, justifications from the point of view of the economy.
• Develop concepts and strategies and implementation program.
• Development of software architecture, algorithm according to which it will work, technology and method of information processing.
• Developing a methodology for adapting the system to the structure that exists in the organization.
• Coordination of the project on issues of interaction between performers (groups of analysts, customer, technical support, information security).
• Supervise and also manage the process of project implementation.
• Implementation of the processcontrol over the implementation of developed solutions, new systems, and applications.
• Providing advice to project users.
• Architecture reporting and reporting.
• Monitoring compliance with architectural decisions.
• Checking the compliance of the development with the solution.
• Planning coordination.
• Development of systems architecture.
• Analysis of the quality of installed software and compliance with its necessary requirements.

Documentation

A system architect, like any other employee of a large company, works with a variety of documentation. He needs to develop and then control the execution and agree on the necessary design, working, and operational documents. The system architect also develops design and technical documentation for the software, prepares reports, completion certificates and other documents accompanying the project.

Reporting is submitted according to the established deadlines, which are agreed in advance, at the project launch stage.

Responsibility

What duties can he perform and which not? Such a question does not arise, since the job description specifies not only the rights and duties, but also the responsibility that the employee will bear.

This category of employees is responsible for:

• failure to perform or improper performance of their official duties;
• causing by actions or inactions of materialdamage to the company;
• disclosure of company trade secrets;
• disclosure of any other confidential information;
• violation of labor regulations, fire safety rules, living standards.

For any violation, responsibility is assigned exactly to the extent that is assumed by the current rules and regulations of the company, the concluded agreement, as well as the current legislation of the Russian Federation.

Where needed

Not every company needs such an employee. His skills will be useful where there is already a branched network that needs to be given a streamlined and structured look. In small companies where the network is not so large, its functions can be performed by an advanced programmer, project manager or other IT specialist.

Training

How to become a systems architect? For this, experience in the field of programming is required. In practice, the architect is the next step of development for the lead / chief engineer who does not want to part with the practical part of his work.

Which duties a system architect will perform depends on previous experience.

System architect training takes place not only at the university. Professional development is an ongoing process, without which the skills necessary for the successful performance of functional duties will not be developed.

After receiving an IT degree from any higher education institution, architects attend a courseprogramming, development, implementation of new solutions in systems and modeling of the systems themselves.

Salary

This position is quite rare even among specialists in the narrow field of Internet technologies. Based on this, wages start from 70,000 rubles. in the regions, and in large cities such as Yekaterinburg, St. Petersburg, Moscow, starts from 130,000 rubles.

The job description of a system architect is related to the performance of work that directly affects the efficiency of the company, as well as the growth of its profits. In order for the employee not to cause losses and to cope with the tasks with high quality, a number of requirements are imposed on him:

• Education should be only higher (IT or technical direction).
• Knowledge of modern methodologies, programs, software architecture is a must.
• Being broad-minded and well-read in the field of technology, as well as the ability to apply individual elements to your system, is a necessary skill.
• English - at least Intermediate level, which allows you to read documentation and instructions for equipment in the original language.
• Experience in the speci alty - from three years.

It is worth noting that even for a specialist without work experience, wages in Moscow start from 80,000 rubles.

Employee description

Multiple studies conducted by various career portals have found that:

• 30 - 40 years - the average age of an employeeas an architect. Almost half of such workers, 46%.
• 92% have higher education, and 75% of all employees in this position have managerial experience and received additional training.
• 52% know English at the level of reading documents and instructions, and more than 35% are fluent at a conversational level.