System architect: training, job description and reviews

A system architect is also called a software architect. The primary responsibility is software architecture design. The employee makes key decisions regarding the system design and technical interface.

Architecture design is a special case of software design.

What does

System architect is a new position that appeared in Russia shortly before 2008. To become a professional architect and design not an home, but an IT system, you need to understand what such an employee does.

The responsibilities of a system architect are to formulate the final form of the information system of the entire organization in detail and in the overall result. The key goal is to provide solutions to business problems through solutions in information technology. At the same time, the formation of a decision is not the final stage, the implementation control is also carried out by the architect.

Job tasks

The responsibilities of a system architect are diverse and multifaceted.

The architect carries out:

• analysis of the project and its environment;
• analysis of databases, as well as information systems, processes and data;
• analysis of what the customer needs;
• expert assessment of the architecture and configuration of systems, as well as databases;
• choice of approaches, forms requirements, specifications, chooses standards;
• collection and analysis of component requirements;
• assessment of the feasibility of the project;
• identification of resource requirements for the implementation and implementation of the project.

The responsibilities also include the development of the project.

Among the required items:

• Designing databases, information systems, software.
• Development of TK, projects, justifications from the point of view of the economy.
• Development of concepts and strategies, as well as implementation programs.
• Development of software architecture, the algorithm according to which it will work, technology and method of processing information.
• Development of a methodology for adapting the system to the structure that is in the organization.
• Project coordination on the issues of interaction between performers (analyst groups, customer, technical support, information security).
• Supervision, as well as management of the project implementation process.
• Implementation of the monitoring process on the implementation of developed solutions, new systems, as well as applications.
• Providing advice to users of the project.
• Preparation and reporting of architecture.
• Monitoring compliance with architectural decisions.
• Monitoring compliance of the solution.
• Coordination of planning.
• System architecture development.
• Analysis of the quality of installed software and its compliance with the necessary requirements.

Documentation

A system architect, like any other employee of a large company, works with a variety of documentation. He needs to develop and then control the design and coordinate the necessary design, working, and operational documents. Also, a system architect develops design and technical documentation for software, prepares reports, acts of completion and other documents accompanying the project.

Reporting is submitted in accordance with the established deadlines, which are agreed in advance, at the project launch stage.

A responsibility

What responsibilities can and which not? This question does not arise, since the job description contains not only the rights and duties, but also the responsibility that the employee will bear.

This category of employees is responsible for:

• failure to perform or improper performance of their duties;
• infliction of material damage by company actions or omissions;
• disclosure of company trade secrets;
• disclosure of any other confidential information;
• violation of labor regulations, fire safety rules, and vital signs.

For any violation, responsibility is assigned exactly to the extent that is assumed by the current rules and regulations of the company, the contract concluded, as well as the current legislation of the Russian Federation.

Where are needed

Not every company needs such an employee. His skills will be useful where there is a ready-made extensive network that needs to be given a streamlined and structured look. In small companies where the network is not so large, its functions can be performed by an advanced programmer, project manager or other IT specialist.

Training

How to become a system architect? For this, experience in programming is required. In practice, an architect is the next stage of development for a lead / chief engineer who does not want to part with the practical part of his work.

What responsibilities a system architect will perform depends on previous experience.

System architect training takes place not only at the university. Further training is an ongoing process, without which the skills necessary for the successful performance of functional duties will not be developed.

Having obtained a degree in IT at any higher educational institution, architects attend a course in programming, development, implementation of new solutions in systems and modeling of the systems themselves.

Wage

This position is quite rare even among specialists in the narrow sphere of Internet technologies. Based on this, wages start at 70,000 p. in regions, and large cities such as Yekaterinburg, St. Petersburg, Moscow, starts from 130 000 p.

The job description of the system architect is associated with the performance of work that directly affects the company's efficiency, as well as the growth of its profit. In order for the employee not to incur losses and to cope with the tasks qualitatively, a number of requirements are presented to him:

• Education should only be higher (IT or technical).
• Knowledge of modern methodologies, programs, software architecture is a must.
• A broad outlook and well-read knowledge in the field of technology, as well as the ability to apply individual elements to your system is a necessary skill.
• English - at least the Intermediate level, which allows you to read the documentation and instructions for the equipment in the original language.
• Experience in the specialty - from three years.

It is worth noting that even for a specialist without work experience, salaries in Moscow are from 80,000 rubles.

Employee Description

Numerous studies conducted by various career portals have found that:

• 30 - 40 years - the average age of the employee as an architect. Such workers are almost half, 46%.
• 92% have higher education, and 75% of all employees in this position have managerial experience and underwent additional training.
• 52% know English at the level of reading documents and instructions, and speak fluent at the conversational level - more than 35%.