IT Technical Advisor- Washington, DC

Job #:	132697
Title:	IT Technical Advisor
Job Stream:	Information Management and Technology
Location:	Washington, DC
Closing Date:	01/05/2014
Background / General description:
Innovation and partnership bond the five institutions of the World Bank Group (WBG): the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the International Development Association (IDA), which together form the World Bank; the International Finance Corporation (IFC); the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA); and the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID). The World Bank Group is one of the world's largest sources of funding and knowledge for developing countries. It uses financial resources and extensive experience to help our client countries to reduce poverty, increase economic growth, and improve quality of life. To ensure that countries can access the best global expertise and help generate cutting-edge knowledge, the World Bank Group is constantly seeking to improve the way it works. Key priorities include delivering measurable results, promoting openness and transparency in development, and improving access to development information and data. The IFC is the institution within the World Bank Group that seeks to achieve the Group’s development objectives by working with private sector companies. IFC offers financial products such as longterm loans, short term loans, equity, guarantees and mezzanine and structured financing to strengthen emerging market companies. IFC also offers corporate advice to clients in areas such as climate change and supply chain management. IFC’s clients are in over 100 countries and span many sectors in the Infrastructure, General Manufacturing and Services, and Financial Markets sectors.  Information and Technology Solutions (ITS) enables the WBG to achieve its mission of ending extreme poverty by 2030 and boosting shared prosperity in a sustainable manner by delivering transformative information and technologies to its staff working in over 130 client countries. ITS services range from: establishing the infrastructure to reach and connect staff and development stakeholders; providing the devices and agile technology and information applications to facilitate the science of delivery through decentralized services; creating and maintaining tools to integrate information across the World Bank Group, the clients we serve and the countries where we operate; and delivering the computing power staff need to analyze development challenges and identify solutions. The ITS business model combines dedicated business solutions centers that provide services tailored to specific World Bank Group business needs and shared services that provide infrastructure, applications and platforms for the entire Group. ITS is one of three VPUs that have been brought together as the World Bank Group Integrated Services (WBGIS), to provide enhanced corporate core services and enable the institution to operate as one strategic and coordinated entity. The ITS VPU is organized into a number of specialized areas – Strategic Services, Lines of Business and Shared Services. CIT, led by the CIO of IFC, is the Line of Business Department within ITS responsible for total IT delivery to IFC. CIT directly delivers applications required by IFC specific businesses – investment and advisory services to private companies in emerging markets, as well as to IFC’s Controllers and Finance function responsible for IFC’s own financial statements. IFC is a AAA rated institution. Strategic and Shared Services are also provided, on behalf of IFC, by other specialized groups within the ITS VPU which are managed under Shared Service Agreements.  The Enterprise Architecture and Enterprise Application and Platform Services unit within ITS Shared Services is responsible for providing leadership in the definition, standardization and governance of Enterprise Architecture to ensure a smooth execution of the WBG IT Strategy. To this end, ITSEA performs several functions. Enterprise Architecture Governance and Strategy convenes various governance committees and strategy practice groups to ensure standards and future-states are defined and followed. Enterprise Architecture Practice actively participates in the software development life cycle of IT projects to ensure the architecture principles are followed and the Bank Group enterprise architecture is kept up to date. The practice covers Business, Information, and User Experience, as well as Solutions, Technology and Infrastructure architecture. Enterprise Applications and Platform Service provides the IT capabilities for the lines of business to implement business enabling solutions. This function implements, with the help of Enterprise Architecture Practice, cross Enterprise platforms and applications which are leverage by more than one LoB. IFC has an ambitious renewal plan for upgrading and re-architecting its core applications serving the business. To ensure that there is a consistent focus on this complex program, and that technology decisions are taken within the WBG enterprise architecture framework, the incumbent will report to the CIO of IFC and co-report to the ITS Chief Enterprise Architect.
Duties and Accountabilities:
The Senior/Principal Information Officer (IT Advisor) will be responsible for developing the program architecture for IFC systems as IFC embarks on a significant enhancement of its application landscape. The IT Advisor will work closely with the WBG Enterprise Architecture team and will be responsible for creating a framework for decision making that relates to the future state enterprise architecture for IFC. Additionally, the incumbent will work closely with IFC project teams and Subject Matter Experts to gather relevant information to support efforts related to developing a future state architecture for IFC’s investment, advisory and finance lines of business. The incumbent will assist in setting a strategic direction for the CIT program. The incumbent will work closely with stakeholders from various other LoBs and within EA to ensure the IFC blueprints, architecture target states, and roadmaps developed meet the WBG EA standards and are aligned with related programs within the WBG.  Responsibilities include, but may not be limited to, the following: Enterprise Architecture (EA) LOB Strategy: Development of architectural blueprints and technical roadmaps for IFC’s IT investment program, ensuring that architects assigned to each IFC project follow ITS architectural guidelines and develop integration strategies and plans within IFC’s system landscape. Oversight of the implementation and delivery of these projects, coordinating, meeting and communicating with various stakeholders, ensuring delivery of all the agreed projects on schedule with all performance SLAs being met. Develop weekly status reports and other processes for ensuring that IFC project teams, the IFC CIO and the ITS Chief Architect are aligned with the strategy as it is being implemented. Business Alignment: Working with key stakeholders, both leadership and SMEs, identify and document the business capabilities necessary in order to reach business goals. Based upon an understanding of IFC business and technical requirements, create decision documents laying out the business and technical criteria for technology choices through the development process.  Architectural Requirements and Roadmap: Analyze and develop architectural requirements to include how information assets will flow among groups inside and outside the enterprise; and throughout business processes, work flow, roles/functions; technical infrastructure and systems; and the application portfolio. Align architectural strategy with business goals. Analyze and develop an IFC roadmap and implementation plan based upon a comparison of current to future state in a cohesive enterprise architecture viewpoint. Provide definition of principles, gap analysis along these principles, guidelines and templates to project teams, and prioritization of architecture demands. The Architecture Roadmap to include the following areas:  Information Architecture- integrates structured and unstructured data to support business information integration and interoperability across systems. Components may include enterprise data models associated with meta data model, common business vocabulary, ontologies and taxonomies.  Business Architecture- includes the enterprise value chain, major business processes that deliver value, primary business functions performed within the processes, primary supporting applications systems in place.  Technical Architecture- definition and application of principles, comparisions and pro/con analysis that guide technology decisions and inherent tradeoffs. Provides clear relationship between enterprise business context (industry and market trends) and specified technology.  Solution Architecture- defines principles to guide solution decisions and decision support document to evolve the enterprise application portfolio from current state to future state. Domain Architecture: Assesses the capacity and resource utilization of application and search tools, components, network, platform facilities, application/integration/ database servers, storage, security and management hardware and software.  Infrastructure Architecture- supports the Infrastructure strategy that promotes cloud-based computing solutions, improved hardware scaling and virtualization and productivity by applying a robust integration architecture incorporating adequate security controls. Incorporates robust Disaster Recovery Strategies, including storage and back up plans. The Role of the IT Advisor is to ensure these components of the Architectural Roadmap are aligned with the business requirements and meet end-user topology, physical, security, performance, interoperability and disaster resilience requirements. Value add from this role will be seen in the ability to identifying inefficiencies in the areas of application design constructs and performance, and developing/recommending design specifications to improve operational efficiency and effectiveness.  The following approaches are sought: Architectural Standards: Support, establish and apply policies, standards, guidelines and procedures pertaining to such areas as the use, access and security of information, software products and configuration, and software/technical decisions and governance. Participation in institutional working groups related to standards. Assist in developing and communicating enterprise-wide standards. Impact Analysis: Conduct of Architecture Reviews for software and hardware based changes to ensure compliance with the target architecture. Analyze the impact and alignment of the project proposal on the Business goals, Domain Roadmap, Information and Data Architecture, Solution/Infrastructure and User Experience Strategy; and evaluate compliance with organizational, and architectural standards including security architecture and controls. Review business requirements and functional specifications to create business architecture blueprints; derive logical data models, system resource flows; identify risks, gaps, inefficiencies, and opportunities for synergies; develop and recommend target architecture necessary including design requirements, cross-functional integration needs, technical reports, operational procedures and design specifications for risk mitigation. Evaluate requests for funds release to ensure appropriate budget outlay for the scope outlined. Review of detailed design documents to ensure compliance with prior architectural guidance and recommendations.  Enterprise Architecture Management: Analyze the current architecture to identify weaknesses and develop opportunities for reducing time & cost and for improvements in business or IT processes.  Systems Integration: Ensure compatibility with existing infrastructure and services.  Solution Integration: Develop custom integration solutions including major enhancements, interfaces, functions and features.  Third Party Integration: Coordinate the integration of third party and internally developed components to achieve operability. Emerging Technologies: Research and evaluate technology industry and market trends to assist in project development and/or operational support activities. Consider impact to enterprise architectures. Assess and provide recommendations on business relevance, appropriate timing and deployment. Recommend and facilitate product/solution selection or process improvement. Consulting: Provide strategic consultation to clients, the IFC CIO and the Chief Architect in defining and understanding the IFC business environment and processes, recommending IT solutions of enterprise-wide systems or processes. Consult with project members to maintain knowledge of their progress and alignment of the enterprise architecture with project goals and requirements. Understand and escalate problem areas; identify enterprise capabilities; help oversee project implementation including design and integration of necessary hardware and software solutions to meet the project objectives. Vendor Product Evaluation: In coordination with existing teams, interface with vendors to keep abreast of new technologies, pricing and customer applicability. Evaluate vendor solutions to ensure requirements compliance and cost-effectiveness. Recommend alternative solutions to the vendor, combining of contracts, where appropriate. Assess associated risks and options. Conduct research and make recommendations on products and services.  Advocacy: Promote the architecture process, its outcome and ongoing results.  Coaching and Mentoring: Provide technical leadership and supervision, contribute to staffing decisions, coach and mentor to team members. Recommend learning programs targeting specific areas of improvement.
Selection Criteria:
Minimum Education/Experience:  - Master's degree with 8 years experience plus professional training in project management. Sample degrees include: Computer Science, Business, Information Management or Information Systems. (Bachelor's degree is minimum education requirement, with 10+ years of relevant experience) Preferred Education/Experience:  - Master's degree with 10 years experience plus professional training in project management. Sample degrees include: Computer Science, Business, Information Management or Information Systems. (Bachelor's degree is minimum education requirement, with 12+ years of relevant experience) Required Competencies - Business Enterprise Knowledge – Directs and coordinates the development and implementation of process-based solutions that cross-organizational lines. - Service Provider Assessment and Evaluation – Leads the evaluation and selection process for external service providers including sharp negotiation skills. - Information Systems Knowledge – Identifies means of integrating technical support requirements with enterprise processes and strategies. - Foundation Architecture Knowledge – Researches into the design of new architectural components. - Knowledge of Emerging Technology - Defines the processes and practices for evaluating new technologies and their potential value to the business - Business Process Knowledge - Describes and documents critical cross-functional business process flows. - Strategic Technology Planning - Researches and benchmarks against best-practice architecture/technology needs for significant, integrated work processes. - Client Orientation - Maintains client relationships in the face of conflicting demands or directions and provides evidence-based advice and solutions based on sound diagnosis and knowledge. - Drive for Results - Identifies the needed resources to accomplish results involving multiple stakeholders and finds solutions to obstacles affecting key deliverables. - Teamwork (Collaboration) and Inclusion - Shows leadership in ensuring the team stays organized and focused, and actively seeks and considers diverse ideas and approaches. - Knowledge, Learning and Communication - Leads in the sharing of best practice, trends, knowledge and lessons learned across units and with clients and partners, articulating ideas verbally and in writing in a clear and compelling way across audiences of varied levels.  - Business Judgment and Analytical Decision Making - Gathers inputs, assesses risk, considers impact and articulates benefits of decisions for internal and external stakeholders over the long term. - Analytical Thinking - Determines criteria for assessing issues and opportunities. - Business Ethics - Consistently models high standards of honesty and integrity. - Negotiation - Clarifies strategic expectations and principles of the enterprise. - Strategic Relationship - Partners with business leaders to identify cross-functional opportunities that integrate organizational and technological strategies, meet externally benchmarked criteria and integrate the client's specific operational requirements as they relate to. - Systems Thinking - Plans improvements that take into account the critical, underlying and less apparent relationships between business, technology and systems platforms. - Business Function Knowledge - Engages business and technical leaders in the identification of medium-term business solutions consistent with best practices for cross-functional implementation. Other Selection Criteria:  - Experience managing programs and/or multiple projects, including simultaneous task assignments.  - Experience in developing and managing relationships with various senior level stakeholders including CxO level engagements - Strong understanding of various architectural disciplines i.e. business, information, technology, infrastructure, user experience and integration architecture - Knowledge and experience in Enterprise Architecture frameworks, Solution Design, modeling, design and implementation - Proficient in translating business processes into Information/Solution architecture blueprints, experience developing Integration Architecture for various Information exchange across various Enterprise systems  - Proven Ability to develop detailed Solution design (Business objects, Data Objects, ER models, Interfaces etc.)  - Understanding of Architecture Constructs - (Architecture & Design patterns, protocols SOAP, REST etc.), Development Methodologies (Agile, Iterative etc.)  - Knowledge of databases, best practices in Information & Solution Architecture and applying them to solve problems  - Experience using MS Visio for documenting process/information flows and architecture, knowledge of iGrafx a plus  - Well rounded technology experience/exposure - Java, SharePoint, IBM, SAP, Peoplesoft etc.  - Experience working with various stakeholders (business, technology etc.) and conducting workshops to obtain relevant information  - Excellent oral and written communication, documentation and presentation skills  - Ability to work independently and to direct a team - Ability to work and influence across boundaries with peers, staff members and decision makers The World Bank Group is committed to achieving diversity in terms of gender, nationality, culture and educational background. Individuals with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated in the strictest confidence. Applications must be submitted online. Only those candidates selected for interviews will be contacted. Candidates can check the status of their applications by visiting www.ifc.org/careers.