Application Support Architect - UPoint - Work from Home

As a leading provider of human capital solutions, we help our clients and their people navigate the complexity of health, wealth and HR. We combine data-driven, consumer-centered technology with personalized care and service to deliver a superior customer experience. Our dedicated colleagues across 28 global centers help 23 million people and their 11 million family members simplify work and life, both now and in the future. At Alight, we are reimagining how people and organizations thrive.

We’re growing our team of technologists to drive innovation to support hundreds of millions of employee interactions per year.  We build highly scalable enterprise solutions with leading technologies and are developing a strategic roadmap to continue driving future innovations for web, mobile, and third-party integrations.  

Be part of a team that is taking our enterprise solutions to the cloud!

Note: this role is a virtual/work from home/remote opportunity

Application Support Architect

A system's "architecture" incorporates key decisions for nearly every technological aspect of that system. The Application Support Architect is responsible for making those key decisions; for setting the technical direction both within and across projects within a specific system scope, mentoring the technical staff and monitoring the design artifacts. They must be able to cross application boundaries, and understand cross platform implications.

The Application Support Architect will combine expertise in building REST APIs using Springboot, Angular UIs, and relational and document databases to modernize several of our benefits systems platforms.  The Application Support Architect provides technical leadership during the agile development process and strategy for the architecture of those platforms and keeps the focus on business and non-functional requirements, such as scalability, performance, load time etc. He/she is also responsible for the technical deployment processes and overall support of the UPoint application.  The Application Support Architect works with business partners, UPoint colleagues, and client teams to deliver an integrated, fully functioning, top quality UPoint product.

The Application Support Architect must navigate the organization and any technical silos and be able to guide technical teams across application systems. He/she should be able to define technical specifications based on the agile methodologies. He/she leads the development team by helping them understand the stories/features of the designs and the process and steps required to implement them. He/she communicates effectively with stakeholders.

Responsibilities:

Technical Expert: The Application Support Architect is a technologist who knows how to build and maintain complex systems. In addition to having demonstrated expertise in specific sets of technical domains, he/she is able to quickly develop proficiency in other areas, as the business requires.

Requirements Participation and Planning: Works with the Solution Leader to understand the project's vision and requirements, and contribute to the refining of the requirements based on technical constraints. Contributes to building the roadmap/release plan for that product/project area. Impacts story point assignments using criteria such as requirements uncertainty, project risks, system impact and technical complexity. Provides key input to overall project estimation.

Proposing and Delivering Technical Innovation. The Application Support Architect uses their knowledge and abilities to identify opportunities within Wealth for innovation, research and prototype innovative approaches to problem solving, reducing technical costs, and keeping the Wealth division’s technology current, relevant, and marketable.

Effectively Participates in Incident Management: The Application Support Architect responds to emergency disruptions when needed. Aids in resolving the incident and ensures effective root cause analysis is completed. Also ensures that preventative actions are documented and taken to ensure repeat occurrences do not occur.

Participating in Operational Strategy. The Application Support Architect builds strong relationships with Enterprise Architecture, client level- and IS-level Operations staff and often acts as liaison between a project team and the Operations and IS Support staff. Actively influences broader organization including other Technical Leads, stakeholders, and clients in the areas of technical solutions, trends, and procedures.

Coaching Skills: Acts as a technical subject matter expert for the development team on areas such as system functionality, solving operational issues, performance initiatives. Actively participates in Communities of Practice and mentors development team members, helping them to get deeper in their specialties, broad into other specialties, and more efficient.  Works collaboratively with associates, communicating honestly and directly and demonstrating how to handle pressure gracefully

Staying Current with Technology Directions and Standards. The Application Support Architect will stay abreast of vendor offers and standards associated with areas of interest to Wealth. S/He will keep technical, communications and business skills current, with an emphasis on understanding emerging relevant technologies and their impact on Alight Wealth clients and offers.  The Application Architect will evaluate new technologies that Alight is adopting and determine how the Wealth Applications can best make use of those capabilities.

Designing Technical Systems: Takes responsibility for defining and communicating a multi-faceted system design. Understands the principles behind non-functional requirements, namely those of systems security, performance, scalability, maintainability, operational manageability, usability and deployment and incorporates this with the functional requirements. Supports the Development Team throughout the design and development cycle, helping them to design, code, test, debug and document within programs appropriately.

Serving as a Technical Liaison: Engages in high-level discussions and correspondence with non-technical Business and Domain Experts focusing on formulation of candidate solutions. Able to exchange complex ideas in an understandable way, while demonstrating a clear understanding of the problem. Builds strong relationships with client level and IS-level Operations teams and often acts as liaison between the teams. Promotes collaboration and strong communication mechanisms within and across teams

Formal Education & Certification:

• Bachelor’s degree (with preferred concentrations in Math, Actuarial Science, Finance, Computer Science, Economics, MIS, Engineering) or equivalent work experience. Master’s Degree in related areas a plus.

• Computer application certifications, as applicable.

• Minimum Experience of at least 8 years with at least 3 years in designing complex technical solutions.

Technical Knowledge Required

• Expertise with:

  • systems analysis and functional design

  • OO application design principles, practices, system development methodologies and software life cycles

  • one or more areas of functional knowledge in financial systems or Alight’s systems or similar service-based market (knowledge of defined contribution and defined benefits concepts is a plus)

  • scripting, markup and "meta" languages

• Significant experience in two or more of the following core technology areas

  • Java EE or node.js

  • System integration using modern synchronous and asynchronous protocols including SOAP, REST, Kafka, or other distributed streaming technology

  • Microservices concepts and frameworks

  • SPA-based web development technologies, such as Angular

  • HTML5

  • Systems Integration

  • Database concepts, database design and data modeling (Relational and noSQL)

  • Cloud services (IaaS, serverless) and providers (AWS/Azure/Google)

• Advanced knowledge of Operational needs, including knowledge of:

  • security

  • performance / scalability

  • maintainability

  • deployment

• Must have demonstrated understanding in the application and use of architectural design patterns

• Must be able to identify “good-fit” technologies, and demonstrate their adaptation effectively

• Must be able to clearly communicate complex technical concepts to a non-technical audience

• Knowledge of Wealth benefits (Defined Contribution loans, payments, 401k balances and Defined Benefits calculations and payments) is a plus for Wealth application architects.  Knowledge of Common benefits (Participant Communications, Imaging, Print Fulfillment, Addresses, Beneficiaries) is a plus for Common application architects.

Background Check Required

By applying for a position with Alight, you understand that, should you be made an offer, it will be contingent on your undergoing and successfully completing a background check consistent with Alight’s employment policies. Background checks may include some or all of the following based on the nature of the position: SSN/SIN validation, education verification, employment verification, and criminal check, search against global sanctions and government watch lists, fingerprint verification, credit check, and/or drug test. You will be notified during the hiring process which checks are required by the position.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Alight is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, ancestry, national origin, physical or mental disability, veteran or military status, or any other legally protected characteristics or conduct covered by federal, state or local law. In addition, Alight takes affirmative action to ensure that applicants are employed, and that employees are treated during employment, without regard to their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, protected veteran status, or national origin.

Reasonable Accommodations

Alight provides reasonable accommodations to the known limitations of otherwise qualified employees and applicants for employment with disabilities, sincerely held religious beliefs, practices and observances, unless doing so would result in an undue hardship. Applicants for employment may request a reasonable accommodation/modification by contacting his/her recruiter.

Diversity Statement

At Alight, we believe that diversity should be visible, valued, and sustained throughout the organization. Alight provides equal treatment and employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to any protected status or other protected characteristic.

Authorization to Work in the United States

Applicants for employment in the United States must have work authorization that does not now or in the future require sponsorship of a visa for employment authorization in the United States and with Alight.

We offer you a competitive total rewards package, continuing education & training, and tremendous potential with a growing worldwide organization.

DISCLAIMER:

Nothing in this job description restricts management's right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities of this job to other entities; including but not limited to subsidiaries, partners, or purchasers of Alight business units.

Alight Solutions provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical condition, veteran, marital, parental, citizenship, or domestic partner status, or any other status protected by applicable national, federal, state or local law. Alight Solutions is committed to a diverse workforce and is an affirmative action employer.