Solutions Design Lead

Job Description

Background Information - Job-specific

Under the supervision of the Head of Business Solutions, the Solutions Design Lead will be responsible for managing the Solutions Design team and for the delivery of optimal and appropriate solutions to address business needs and requirements specified by the Business Architecture team. The Solutions Design Lead will ensure that the design of solutions provides the best value to UNOPS in terms of balancing benefits and costs and ensuring that the business need identified is optimally addressed with a view towards increased efficiency, effectiveness, and / or differentiation for UNOPS products and services.

Functional Responsibilities
1. Leadership and management
2. Functional and technical expertise
3. Solutions / systems design
4. Knowledge management and innovation

1. Provides leadership and management of the ICT Solutions Design function

• Acts as a mentor for the team and provide expert guidance to the team on relevant functional and technical matters
• Embeds a spirit of learning and continuous development within the team to ensure continued professionalisation of services provided and fine-tuning of professional craftsmanship
• Sets team objectives, performance measurements, standards and results expected to ensure timely and client focused services. Monitors implementation and oversee progress
• Establishes team priorities, and supervise the implementation of work plans
• Promotes teamwork and collaboration by providing the team with clear direction, objectives and guidance to enable them to perform their duties responsibly, effectively and efficiently
• Fosters a positive work environment, respectful of both men and women, and ensure that the highest standards of conduct are observed
• Provides substantive input to the CIO on continuous improvement plans

2. Provides functional and technical expertise to the ICT Solutions Design function

• Provides expertise and expert guidance to the Solutions Design team to design solutions that adequately address business requirements, use appropriate systems and technologies, and ensure the delivery of systems that are maintainable, easy to use for end-users, and address security and organisational controls appropriately
• Reviews and assures requirements and refinements to processes received from the Business Architecture team with a view towards quality and maximising the benefits of management information systems for enhancing efficiency and facilitating organizational / management monitoring, oversight and reporting
• Works closely with the Business Architecture team to understand business needs and requirements and enables good understanding amongst the Solutions Design Team
• Works closely with the Business Architecture team and the Testing and Quality assurance team to ensure that acceptance criteria for systems, modules, and functionality is clearly articulated, test scenarios are explored and documented, and that quality assurance is thorough
• Acts as the lead facilitator / negotiator with the Business Architecture team to ensure that there is sufficient understanding of the process for detailed solutions design

3. Develops and maintains solutions / systems design principles and standards and provides hands-on solution design to meet UNOPS business needs

• Defines Solutions Design Principles based on the IT Strategy and industry best practice. The principles will apply to all IT projects and solutions
• Defines and ensures adherence to Solutions Design standards and documentation
• Leads and participates in systems design workshops with ICT Business Analysts and personnel from relevant business functions
• Provides hands-on solutions designed for business requirements and ensures that solutions effectively meet business needs and are fit for purpose
• Defines and manages system enhancements to the Unit4 Business World (UBW) ERP to streamline operations and usability, including execution, coordination of testing, and signoff
• Ensures and reviews that enhancements to business applications are undertaken in a carefully planned manner
• Ensures that solutions designed are in adherence to Business Architecture as well as Enterprise Architecture standards defined by the relevant ICT teams
• Ensures that solutions make best use of available technology with a focus on managing the complexity as well as cost effectiveness of the UNOPS ICT systems landscape
• Provides key inputs and assistance in the formulation of test scenarios and cases as well as assistance with user acceptance testing

4. Embeds relevant knowledge management and innovation within the ICT Solutions Design function as well as across the organisation

• Contributes to the development of internal capacity across the organization in the area of ICT
• Constantly monitors and evaluates UNOPS policies, procedures, methods, tools and associated systems to ensure its utility, applicability and efficacy
• Recommends new policies and procedures and introduce innovation and best practices in business operations to enhance services
• Leads / organise training and awareness / showcasing events and design / sets training agendas to build capacity of stakeholders across the business

Education/Experience/Language requirements
Education

• Master’s Degree, preferably in Business Administration, Computer Science or other relevant discipline is required.
• A Bachelor’s degree in combination with additional two years of experience may be accepted in lieu of master’s degree.
• Secondary education in combination with additional six years of experience may be accepted in lieu of a master’s degree

Experience

• Minimum 7 years of experience required in the area of Solutions Design
• Experience with managing people is required
• Experience with developing, maintaining and propagating enterprise-wide Solutions Design principles, standards, and processes is required
• Significant experience with designing solutions for ERP systems is required
• Experience with end-to-end ERP implementation, including designing solutions, implementation, testing, and roll-out is highly desired
• Significant experience with developing requirements and solutions for the Unit4 Business World (UBW) ERP systems is required
• Excellent communication skills and good IT understanding

Languages

• Full working knowledge of English is essential.
• Knowledge of another official UNOPS language is an asset

About the Organization

UNOPS is an operational arm of the United Nations, supporting the successful implementation of its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world. Our mission is to help people build better lives and countries achieve sustainable development.

UNOPS areas of expertise cover infrastructure, procurement, project management, financial management and human resources.

Working with us

UNOPS offers short- and long-term work opportunities in diverse and challenging environments across the globe. We are looking for creative, results-focused professionals with skills in a range of disciplines.

Diversity

With over 4,000 UNOPS personnel and approximately 7,000 personnel recruited on behalf of UNOPS partners spread across 80 countries, our workforce represents a wide range of nationalities and cultures. We promote a balanced, diverse workforce — a strength that helps us better understand and address our partners’ needs, and continually strive to improve our gender balance through initiatives and policies that encourage recruitment of qualified female candidates.

Work life harmonization

UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands.