Solution Architect (Product Line ERP)

Organizational Context

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, with a network of 191-member National Societies. The overall aim of IFRC is “to inspire, encourage, facilitate, and promote at all times all forms of humanitarian activities by National Societies with a view to preventing and alleviating human suffering and thereby contributing to the maintenance and promotion of human dignity and peace in the world.” IFRC works to meet the needs and improve the lives of vulnerable people before, during and after disasters, health emergencies and other crises. IFRC is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (Movement), together with its member National Societies and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The work of IFRC is guided by the following fundamental principles: humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity, and universality. IFRC is led by its Secretary General, and has its Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. The Headquarters are organized into three main Divisions: (i) National Society Development and Operations Coordination; (ii) Global Relations, Humanitarian Diplomacy and Digitalization; and (iii) Management Policy, Strategy and Corporate Services. IFRC has five regional offices in Africa, Asia Pacific, Middle East and North Africa, Europe, and the Americas. IFRC also has country cluster delegation and country delegations throughout the world. Together, the Geneva Headquarters and the field structure (regional, cluster and country) comprise the IFRC Secretariat.

Job Purpose

The purpose of the job is to oversee the ERP solution on all layers related to an ERP architecture supporting IFRC business units worldwide:

· ERP Functional / process with the stakeholders and ERP support teams

· Microsoft Dynamics (D365) Finance and Operations (F&O) suite and interfaced legacy systems

· ERP Data and reporting architectures with the IFRC Data Product Line

· ERP Security architecture

· ERP hosting and release management

· Future improvements

As a solution architect, the incumbent’s role is to provide technical leadership and guidance in designing and implementing solutions using primarily the Microsoft Dynamics 365 platform and with a view to identifying cost-savings. The job holder collaborates with key stakeholders within and outside IFRC, including business analysts, developers, and project managers, to understand business requirements and translate them into scalable and efficient solutions. Finally, the incumbent stays abreast of the latest platform developments and best practices with a view to developing and implementing innovative solutions.

Job Duties and Responsibilities

Solution Design:

• Work closely with business stakeholders to understand their requirements and objectives.
• Translate these requirements into a comprehensive solution design using the Dynamics 365 platform. This involves selecting appropriate modules, configuring entities, defining workflows, and designing integrations with other systems.
• Drive the cross functional and technical usage of the ERP solution (demand management, incident management, problem management, change management, release management, service delivery, continuous improvement, localization, reporting, interfaces, ERP set up, security, data management).

Technical Expertise:

• Possess a deep understanding of the Dynamics 365 platform, including its various modules (finance, procurement, etc.), customization options, integration capabilities, and security features.
• Stay up to date with the latest updates and enhancements to the platform and recommend best practices for solution design.
• Provide guidance on system’s configuration and upgrades that may be required for maximum performance.

Solution Architecture Development:

• Define and document the solution architecture for Dynamics 365 (functional, technical, platform, data, security, etc.). This includes identifying and specifying the components, services, and interfaces required for the solution.
• Ensure that the solution architecture aligns with the organization's overall technology strategy and follows industry best practices.

Solution Implementation:

• Provide technical leadership during the implementation of Dynamics 365 solutions.
• Collaborate with development teams to guide and oversee the customization and configuration activities.
• Review code and design to ensure quality, performance, and adherence to the defined architecture.
• Implement solutions geared towards costs savings, elimination of unused resources, budget optimization, and maximal return on investment.
• Participate in process assessments to measure efficiency and effectiveness and address gaps in functionalities or business process mapping.

Integration and Data Management:

• Design and oversee the integration of Dynamics 365 with other enterprise systems, such as CRM, or third-party applications.
• Define data migration strategies and ensure data integrity and consistency across systems.

Security and Compliance:

• Ensure the security of the Dynamics 365 solution by defining and implementing appropriate access controls, data encryption, and authentication mechanisms.
• Stay updated with security best practices and compliance regulations (e.g., GDPR, HIPAA) and ensure that the solution meets the necessary requirements

   

Stakeholder Collaboration:

• Collaborate with business stakeholders, project managers, and technical teams to gather requirements, conduct workshops, and present solution designs.
• Communicate technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders in a clear and concise manner.

Job Duties and Responsibilities (continued)

Technical Guidance and Mentoring:

• Provide guidance and mentoring to development teams, helping them understand and implement the solution architecture.
• Conduct code reviews and provide feedback to ensure adherence to architectural guidelines and best practices.
• Drive the ERP roadmap and ERP related technology.
• Drive the functional and technical ERP release management (Microsoft releases and IFRC enhancements) and related E2E testing.

Requirement Analysis:

• Collaborate with business stakeholders to understand their requirements, pain points, and objectives.
• Conduct workshops and interviews to gather information and analyze existing processes.

Solution Design:

• Based on the requirements, design the overall system architecture and configure the D365 applications to align with the business processes and ensure cost-effectiveness.

Business Process Mapping:

• Identify and map business processes to D365 functionalities, ensuring a smooth and efficient flow of information and activities within the system.
• Support the ERP Product Line on the product vision, roadmap, objectives, main issues and risks.
• Provide cross-functional and technical impact analysis for each release, enhancement, new ERP setup or localization.
• Develop ERP operational procedures and knowledge management aligned with the GSC support activities requirement, maintain them up to date and provide structured support recommendation to IFRC stakeholders and end users.
• Work in close collaboration with the full support team (functional, technical, data, security), including third parties, external Services providers and Microsoft.
• Run workshops, prototype and configure the ERP processes.

Collaboration and Documentation:

• Work closely with developers, project managers, and other stakeholders to ensure effective communication and coordination.
• Document system designs, configurations, and processes for future reference and knowledge sharing.

Continuous Improvement:

• Stay up to date with the latest features and updates in the D365 ecosystem and identify opportunities for system improvements and optimizations to enhance business operations.
• Collaborate with technical resources around the definition and implementation of system integrations.
• Participate in all activities related to providing adequate and stable ERP systems and services at a global level.
• Contribute actively to the overall satisfaction level of IFRC end users while developing and promoting effective working relationships.

Integration and Data Migration:

• Collaborate with technical teams to design and implement integrations between D365 and other systems.
• Plan and execute data migration strategies to ensure the smooth transition of data from legacy systems to D365.

User Training and Support:

• Provide training and guidance to end-users on how to effectively use the D365 applications.
• Support users in troubleshooting issues and optimizing their usage of the system.

Education

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree in computer sciences discipline or related field.

Preferred:

• Business analyst or project management or SCRUM professional certification.

Experience

Required:

• At least 7 years of relevant work experience in IT industry.
• At least 5 years of experience implementing Microsoft Dynamics 365 F&O and/or AX2012.
• Minimum 3 year of professional experience in roll-out, maintenance, upgrades and developing extensions/customizations for D365 F&O.
• Minimum 5 year of professional experience in business requirements analysis.

Knowledge, Skills and Languages

Required:

• Excellent knowledge of D365 F&O or AX suite.
• Proven record of D365 F&O or AX suite implementation and/or support.
• Proven record of business analysis and project implementation.
• Proven team player, ability to adjust in different cultures and languages.
• Adept at analysis, problem solving, solutions and end-user oriented.
• Affinity for teamwork, collaborative attitude, open-minded and adaptable.
• Well organized, able to work under pressure and manage emergencies.
• Good analytical skills to interpret problems, identify solutions and possible side effects.
• Strong relationship building and stakeholder management skills.
• Fluent spoken and written English.

Preferred:

• Experience of Microsoft Common Data Service and the Microsoft Power Platform.
• Good command of another IFRC official language (French, Spanish or Arabic).
• Knowledge of Hungarian is an asset.

Competencies, Values and Comments

Values: Respect for diversity; Integrity; Professionalism; Accountability  
Core competencies: Communication; Collaboration and teamwork; Judgement and decision making; National society and customer relations; Creativity and innovation; Building trust  
Functional competencies: Strategic orientation, Building alliances, Leadership, Empowering others

Comments: This is a national staff position open to Hungarian nationals and others who are legally eligible to work in Hungary. Candidates must be able to provide proof of their eligibility to work in Hungary.