IT Solutions Architect - Eden Prairie, MN

UnitedHealth Group is a company that's on the rise. We're expanding in multiple directions, across borders and, most of all, in the way we think. Here, innovation isn't about another gadget, it's about transforming the health care industry. Ready to make a difference? Make yourself at home with us and start doing your life's best work.(sm)
This is a key role in the development of UHG / Optum Technologies modern application platform.
 
Primary Responsibilities:

As a Solutions Architect, you will ensure that we are building enterprise information systems that are truly aligned with the business by engaging in the following activities:
For any given project, quickly absorb the business drivers, and assess the IT assets needed to create the capabilities required to fulfill the business vision and requirements
Understand the Enterprise Architecture roadmap, and constantly balance short-term project pressures against long-term architectural goals
Research, identify, and recommend industry best practices for solving business problems
Rapidly navigate between high-level business vision, through mid-level systems requirements, all the way down to low-level implementation considerations, and back up, sometimes all within a 2-minute conversation
Identify candidate solution approaches, targeting strategic platforms.  Model cost-benefit tradeoffs of each.  Document using a combination of text, diagrams and human interactions
Create the solution documentation that will provide both a basis for project sign-off by all stakeholders, and the foundation for Systems Analysts and Developers to create High-Level Design
Cultivate role as trusted advisor of all parties (business, EPMO, development team, QA, etc)
Gracefully transition solution leadership to the development team, once the solution is clearly understood, documented and under development
Leverage your experience, versatility and quick-learning to jump in when and where needed to help the project through sticking points
Over time, develop a comprehensive understanding of the various business domains, their systems landscape, their processes and their strategic roadmap
Support or drive buy-vs-build decisions and vendor analyses
Support decommissioning of redundant legacy systems, by developing transitional architectures to support migration plans
Guide and mentor the work of other architects assigned to the project
Seek opportunities to create efficiencies or advance architectural agenda, by identifying commonalities between projects
Assist PM and business leadership in defining technical staffing strategy for assigned projects
Take leadership role in developing project structure and delivery strategy
Maintain knowledge of current and emerging technologies/products related to architectural solutions
Maintain knowledge of current domains and strategic roadmaps (e.g., via the Enterprise Systems Council)
Ensure alignment of solutions with business and IT goals/objectives
Incorporate software and system architecture (e.g., infrastructure, network) into conceptual designs (e.g., system flow diagrams)
Ensure alignment of conceptual designs with enterprise, segment and functional roadmaps (e.g., system vision, business strategy)
Provide oversight of conceptual designs to ensure alignment with enterprise architecture governance (e.g., principles, policies, standards, future-state reference architectures)
Ensure alignment with enterprise technology standards (e.g., solution patterns, application frameworks, technology roadmaps, capital plans)

Required Qualifications: 

12+ years of experience in IT
5+ years in architecture related activities
5+ years of writing functional technical specification, used by development team to create working software. E.g., System Requirements Spec, Use-Case Realizations, Functional Specifications, Tech Spec.
Demonstrated experience designing loosely-couple architectures and creating Service-Oriented architectures, creating UML models.
Experience with building roadmaps including platform de-commissioning projects (aka, retirement, sunset of legacy apps)
Experience applying design patterns
Experience in an architect role working the full SDLC
Intermediate data-modeling experience: ability to develop rough-draft logical data model on paper, ability to understand and critique detailed data model, created by the Data Architect
Conversant in application of RDBMS concepts to solutions: normalization/de-normalization, replication, ODS, data mart, data warehouse, ETL, history load, incremental load
Experience designing and troubleshooting interfaces. Knowledge of interface styles and design considerations: batch, near-real-time, message-based, asynchronous, service calls
Superior communication (oral and written) skills. We accomplish most of our interactive solutioning through teleconferences. You have to be comfortable speaking up in ambiguous situations, and presenting prepared or ad hoc material with little or no real-time feedback. Must be comfortable working with both IT and business audiences
Experience leading other architects and technical team members in a matrixed organization.  Ability to influence positively toward strategic outcomes in a highly diverse environment
Preferred Qualifications:

Previous Healthcare industry experience
TOGAF Certification or equivalent
Technology Careers with Optum. Information and technology have amazing power to transform the health care industry and improve people's lives. This is where it's happening. This is where you'll help solve the problems that have never been solved. We're freeing information so it can be used safely and securely wherever it's needed. We're creating the very best ideas that can most easily be put into action to help our clients improve the quality of care and lower costs for millions. This is where the best and the brightest work together to make positive change a reality. This is the place to do your life's best work.(sm)
 
Diversity creates a healthier atmosphere: UnitedHealth Group is an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law.
UnitedHealth Group is a drug-free workplace. Candidates are required to pass a drug test before beginning employment.
 
 
Job Keywords: IT, solutions architect, tech spec, Eden Prairie, Minnesota, MN