Description
Information System Architect - Development Methodology, RUP, TOGAF, SOA
For a long-term project with the European Commission in Brussels we are looking for an Information System Architect.
Context
The mission concerns an important project of modernization of the financial and accounting system of the European Commission. This system called ABAC (Accrual Based Accounting) has been created more than 10 years ago and relies on an architecture of strongly coupled components based on SAP and WebLogic/Oracle technologies. The system is developed, maintained, operated by DG Budget. ABAC is a corporate system which has more than 10.000 users mainly in Brussels and Luxembourg, but also in agencies and the delegations all over the world. Besides this direct end user access, ABAC is fed by many applications running locally in the DGs (Directorate-Generals).
ABAC has evolved over the years technically (for instance replacing PowerBuilder by Java) but also functionally following regular revision of the Financial Regulation; the biggest functional impact being in 2005 with the introduction of the accrual accounting (instead of the cash accounting). Consequently, the system has increased in complexity and the maintenance and operating cost have continuously increased.
DG Budget is modernizing the architecture of ABAC towards a Service Oriented Architecture, having as goal the simplification of the system and the improvement of the interoperability between the ABAC modules and with the Local Systems in the DGs.
Several projects have been started as part of this program "Revision of ABAC Architecture". As methodological foundations, RUP for Software Development and TOGAF for Enterprise Architecture are standards at the European Commission. In order to provide guidance, standards and improved communication between the projects and stakeholders, as well as precise transmission of requirements from business to developers the implementation of those methodologies at DG Budget should be reviewed and improved. They are to be applied concretely to the pilot project transforming the invoices domain to a SOA. This is the global context of the given job vacancy.
Tasks and Assignment
- In the first place, develop use cases for the SOA invoice pilot, taking into account the already defined application architecture, services, interaction patterns, as well as the historically grown Back End systems capabilities of DG Budget. The use cases creation has to be aligned with the currently ongoing implementation of RUP at DG Budget.
- Review and give recommendations on the currently ongoing RUP and Enterprise Architecture implementations at DG Budget.
- Contribute on demand to the implementation of concrete Enterprise Architecture capabilities like the Architecture Repository, Governance, definition of standard deliverables (incl. definition of templates)
- Making use of excellent English writing skills (structuring of complex topics, clear expression), document all findings and propositions, having beforehand identified, adapted and brought to agreement relevant core deliverables.
- Create artefacts (catalogues, matrices and diagrams) using Visio to support above-mentioned deliverables and communicate in a clear way to stakeholders
- Proactively gather information, organize meetings and drive decisions with various stakeholders