Architect, Information Technology

Architect, Information Technology

Project Overview:

Innosoft is the prime contractor for MD Benefits (formerly MD THINK), supporting the management, design, development, testing, and implementation of this strategic Information Technology (IT) program. Maryland Benefits is seeking an agile development resource team with required skill sets to build and/or maintain the Maryland Benefits infrastructure/platform, applications development, data repositories, reports and dashboards and support activities related to network services and system operations.

The Shared Data Platform (SDP) is designed as a cloud-based, data-centric infrastructure to support scalable, flexible, and integrated data operations. It empowers self-service and accelerates data-driven decision-making across the enterprise. Key strategic goals include establishing a mature data infrastructure that balances analytics and business intelligence, enabling iterative learning and actionable insights, and fostering a "Data Center of Excellence" (DCoE) to govern and enhance data-driven processes. The SDP also prioritizes the delivery of trusted information and the streamlined onboarding of State Agencies to the Maryland Benefits platform through standardized procedures, ultimately driving operational efficiency and measurable business value. The "Data Platform - Automation" team plays a critical role in achieving these goals by supporting the "Data Platform - Engineering" team.

Duties/Responsibilities:

The Information Technology Architect shall provide expertise in the most current principles and practices of architecture data management systems and experience in large system designs, and with data modeling in the information management arena. This individual provides expertise in modeling and organizing information to facilitate support of projects or information architectures. The individual also provides guidance on how and what to data and process models. The position primarily deals with transition planning from legacy to modern systems by concentrating on information flows, data exchange, and data translation standardization services.

• Architect and design scalable solutions for the shared platform environment, focusing on reliability, performance, stability, and observability.
  
• Collaborate with technical teams to optimize database, ETL process, and reporting tool performance, minimizing resource contention and ensuring efficient data processing.
  
• Define and implement data governance policies, standards, and procedures to uphold data integrity, security, and regulatory compliance within the shared platform.
  
• Manage dependencies between applications and tools, ensuring seamless integration and interoperability across the shared platform.
  
• Develop monitoring solutions to track and manage the shared platform infrastructure's health and performance, facilitating proactive issue resolution.
  
• Implement change management processes to handle concurrent data access and changes, minimizing disruptions to the shared platform.
  
• Foster collaboration among cross-functional teams, ensuring clear communication and alignment of objectives.
  
• Gather and analyze business requirements and technical constraints to design a scalable, secure, and high-performance architecture for the shared platform environment.
  
• Collaborate with data governance teams to ensure alignment with data governance policies and security standards.
  
• Design and document the overall system architecture, including data flows, integration points, and component dependencies.
  
• Develop resource allocation, performance tuning, and observability strategies to optimize resource utilization and address potential contention issues.
  
• Implement best practices in database design, data modeling, and performance tuning to enhance platform performance and scalability.
  
• Design and implement monitoring solutions to proactively identify and resolve performance, stability, and reliability issues.
  
• Collaborate with development teams to support versioning, change management, and concurrent data access requirements.
  
• Evaluate and recommend appropriate technologies, tools, and frameworks for the shared platform environment, considering scalability, security, and integration capabilities.
  
• Provide technical leadership and guidance to ensure adherence to architectural principles, standards, and best practices.
  
• Stay updated with industry trends, emerging technologies, and best practices related to solution architecture, data management, and observability.
  
  

Requirements

Education:

Bachelor?s Degree from an accredited college or university with a major in Engineering, Computer Science, Mathematics or a related field. Master?s degree preferred.

General Experience:

• At least ten (10) years of experience planning, designing, building, and implementing IT systems.
  
• Ten (10)+ years of overall IT experience with six (6)+ years in solution architecture, system design, and data management.
  
• Strong understanding of database design, performance tuning, data governance, and security best practices.
  
• Proficiency in data modeling, ETL processes, and data integration techniques.
  
• Experience with monitoring and observability tools like Splunk, Datadog, or New Relic.
  
• Knowledge of cloud computing platforms and containerization technologies (e.g., AWS, Azure, Kubernetes).
  
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
  
• Strong communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively with cross-functional teams and stakeholders.
  
• Familiarity with agile development methodologies and project management practices.
  

Specialized Experience:

• At least five (5) years of the required ten (10) years of experience must be in the direct supervision and management of major projects that involve providing professional support services and/or the integration, implementation and transition of large complex system and subsystem architectures. Must have led or been chief architect in major IT implementation efforts. Must demonstrate a broad understanding of client IT environmental issues and solutions and be a recognized expert within the IT industry. Must demonstrate advanced abilities to team and mentor and possess demonstrated excellence in written and verbal communication skills.
  
• Key qualifications include strong project management skills, leadership abilities, effective communication, and the capacity to identify and resolve issues while adapting to changing circumstances. Significant experience collaborating with cross-functional teams, product owners, and stakeholders is essential
  
• Preferred qualifications include a technical background and experience in data and AI/ML projects. Functional experience with local or government projects in Data Services (MDM/R360/EDMS), Child Support, Integrated Eligibility, Child Welfare, Adult Protective Services, Juvenile Justice, or Health and Human Services is also preferred.
  

Benefits