We are seeking a Solution Consultant for System Design in the Computer Services group in the Solution Design Team. The Solution Design team is part of Systems Integration organization who partners with various Kaiser Permanente teams to understand their needs & strategic direction and assumes end-to-end accountability to ensure delivery of IT solutions. You will work in an exciting technical environment that is comprised of the following : Citrix/Web front end, UNIX (AIX) backend, hierarchical and relational databases, SAN storage, NAS resident documents, SAN and database level replication schemes, .NET and MQ based messaging & interfaces, J2EE application framework, mainframe legacy systems, etc. besides enterprise operational tool set. Virtualization tools and cloud computing solutions are also making inroads in the enterprise landscape. Enterprise applications include Electronic Health Record, Membership Registration Systems, Web Portals, Revenue Cycle applications, Claims Processing, HR Systems, SOA enabled integration, Decision Support tools, Data Marts & Warehouses.
Essential Functions:
As Solution Consultant for System Design, you will need a highly skilled systems architecture and system engineering background.
You will design solutions covering broad set of technologies in multiple applications' infrastructure stack.
You will be a highly skilled individual contributor requiring people & process skills along with technology capabilities. The Compute Services team will design solutions for the entire technology stack, work on infrastructure optimization initiatives, and help govern system roadmaps.
The effort is to deliver optimal infrastructure for large scale enterprise applications, or conversely, work on infrastructure optimization initiatives to assist hosting of enterprise applications more effectively.
Besides interaction with customers it requires vendor interactions and will assist in selecting products for the enterprise.
This role will participate in KP-IT governance process.
Services include technology design, budgetary estimates and representing the team in approval bodies for reviewing proposals or shepherding proposals.
Besides technology and portfolio landscape, it requires budgetary estimation and project planning skills.
The job duties in delivering technical solution design will include infrastructure product & tool selection, middleware technologies, SOA framework, preparing technical environments' strategy, participate in proof of concepts to introduce new products/solutions, implementation of a solution and transition to a steady-state support model.
You will collaborate with a team of Technical Project Managers, Subject Matter Experts, consulting partners, vendors & customers to effectively deliver projects/initiatives, including capability to work in large cross-functional teams.
Basic Qualifications:
Bachelor's degree required with emphasis in Computer Sciences, an engineering discipline, business, or related field or 4 years of equivalent work experience.
10 or more years of proven IT experience, including exposure to various aspects of the Tech Stack.
Prior experience in system architecture is required.
Experience with the following:
o Enterprise application architectures, system architecture & various technology stacks
o database & application touch points with infrastructure
o designing technical solutions leveraging best practices
Have at least 4 out of 5 out of the following:
o Knowledge of infrastructure layers, components & products - Storage solutions (SAN, NAS), Open systems & servers (preferably AIX), mainframe and x86 based servers.
o Knowledge of client system technologies, including CITRIX based application hosting and Virtual desktop technologies.
o Knowledge of current infrastructure trends - dynamic provisioning, virtualization tools, and cloud computing.
o Knowledge of SOA application framework and its underlying infrastructure
o Knowledge of data base products and system DBA skills in any major database
You must have technical competency in understanding technical systems, with conceptual understanding of various components and ability to present solutions to a diverse audience.
Excellent problem resolution and data analysis skills.
Must know underlying concepts for web servers, database & application servers and enterprise applications.
Must be able to work on multiple IT projects and support a number of customers.
Strong written and verbal communications skills, including:
o Effective vendor management
o Prepare and present (PowerPoint/Visio)
o Documentation
Must be open to flexible work schedule to remain in-step with project and organizational needs.
This position requires traveling up to 15%
Preferred Qualifications:
Some exposure to Networks and datacenter layout.
Business Continuity Planning, including understanding of technical configurations and system topologies to support business work flows.
Prior experience in Enterprise suite of application infrastructure is preferred, including understanding of system performance & capacity planning.
Methodology or training certifications in technology and/or design methodology.
Ability to work in a matrix environment and/or consulting experience is a plus.
Creativity with delivery on budget & schedule
