Drupal Solutions Architect
Responsibilities
The Drupal Solutions Architect (DSA) is responsible for interpreting client requests and converting them into actionable, documented and (when possible) repeatable engineering plans that achieve client’s vision within an I.F. mandated budget.
Specific Duties
Supporting the sales team and Software Development Manager (SDM) to:
- Qualify/quantify project size, scope, cost and risks. This support includes, but is not limited to, written project estimates, assumptions and exclusions and overall validation with appropriate subject matter experts.
- Validate whether a client vision/project is achievable within a stated budget range and within I.F. standards/known skill sets.
- Render an opinion/recommendation regarding the value and risks to I.F. when efforts are outside of I.F. business goals, standards and/or known skill sets
Attending client intake and discovery meetings, documenting findings and impacts to technology choices and general architecture, and delivering technical documentation that is thorough and specific enough to:
- Support The I.F. team and the client in establishing a shared understanding regarding technical scope, exclusions, assumptions and risks.
- Enable I.F. developers and designers to understand and execute against the specifications.
- Eliminate the need for “tribal knowledge” and individuals acting as sole knowledge holders by creating and curating relevant documentation
Assets for which the DSA is the primary author include but are not limited to:
- Reusable/continuously improved estimations and templates including “standard” boilerplate estimates
- Reusable/continuously improved technical specifications and templates
The DSA does not own, but provides significant input to project budgets, schedules and resourcing plans.
- Transitioning technical ownership/knowledge of the project to the technical execution team through the SDM, providing ongoing consultative technical support and proactively raising and working issues throughout the project software delivery lifecycle including but not limited to:
- Working with designated Project Managers to clearly define and articulate the requirements and scope of a project, including success metrics.
- Working with the UI / UX team to provide input into the Information Architecture process to ensure a cohesive technical implementation plan.
- Formulating and codifying the technical approach for each project in a client communicable manner.
- Drafting a technical build spec / blueprint for implementation of the defined in-scope feature sets.
- Working with the designated Implementation Project Manager to Identify “scope creep” and to clearly define and scope optional change-orders or recommend workarounds to the requests, as appropriate.
- Assist the Development Team in covering and implementing Drupal Core and Contrib module updates and upgrades for Solutions & Support clients.
- Communicating with internal stakeholders to identify, mitigate and resolve (or escalate) any technical risks which emerge during a project.
- Serving as a resource to the project team for technical clarification of project features and technical implementation decisions.
- Working with the designated Implementation Project Manager to document and clearly define, curate, estimate and prioritize the remaining product backlog when implementation projects are substantially complete.
Contributing to continuous improvement of I.F software delivery by:
- Creating reusable assets, processes, and documentation templates with an eye toward process and quality improvement
- Participates in technical retrospectives and recommends/implements practices to improve operational efficiency throughout the project lifecycle.
- Recommend project-specific practices that are ideal for standardization across multiple projects to the Software Development Manager
- Participate in Software Development Team discussions regarding the adoption of recommended standardization and other best practices.
- Staying abreast of emerging trends and technology changes within the open source communities, and working with the team to introduce these new technologies when/where appropriate.
Work in alignment with I.F. Purpose and Principles.
Requirements
- You must either be a US Citizen or already have a Green Card to apply
- Strong people and collaboration skills to interact with staff, colleagues, cross-functional teams, and I.F. clients.
- Demonstrated ability to inspire trust in the team, other internal teams, and clients
- Ability to lead virtual teams in a matrix management environment
- Ability to challenge, to ask “why” in a collaborative and supportive way
- Demonstrated ability to manage multiple complex issues/projects
- Demonstrated success in working in a highly collaborative team environment and ability to resolve conflict, while fostering a collaborative and communicative environment
- Ability to anticipate and adapt to changing conditions and opportunities
- Experience working closely with design and project teams throughout the software and infrastructure development life cycle:
- Strong software development, design and architecture experience; commitment to quality demonstrated through the ability to translate complex technical requirements into functional software using best practices.
- Experienced in front/back-end development; HTML5, CSS3, CMS module/theme customization, PHP, Javascript/AJAX, database modeling, user stories, unit testing, comps and wireframes.
- Familiar with principles of source control (e.g., Git or similar) and deployment strategies
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills, the ability to interface effectively with senior managers, business partners and clients, and the discernment to sense when to strongly advocate for a position and when to seek compromise.
- Minimum of three to five years experience in progressively more senior Drupal technical roles including developer, senior developer, lead or architect. (Prior architect experience is preferred.)
- Two+ years in a technical leadership role - formal supervisory experience is not required, must be able to demonstrate team leadership, coaching and/or mentoring capabilities.
- Willingness to travel on an as needed basis (1 - 2 times per quarter) to participate in internal and external meetings.
- Demonstrated commitment to I.F. Purpose & Principles based on employment history, experience, and interview(s) and assessments.
Interpersonal Frequency LLC is an Equal-Opportunity Employer.
To apply: Please send your resume and cover letter to solutionsarch@ifsight.com.