Assistant Manager Solution Architect at Kenya Revenue Authority Job Vacancy

The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) was established by an Act of Parliament, Chapter 469 of the laws of Kenya , which became effective on 1st July 1995 . The Authority is charged with the responsibility of collecting revenue on behalf of the Government of Kenya. A Board of Directors, consisting of both public and private sector experts, makes policy decisions to be implemented by KRA Management. The Chairman of the Board is appointed by the President of the Republic of Kenya . The Chief Executive of the Authority is the Commissioner General who is appointed by the Minister for Finance. PURPOSE OF KRA Assessment , Collection, Administration and Enforcement of laws relating to revenue.

Job Summary 

The job holder is responsible for;

• Designing major aspects of the architecture of an application, including components such as user interface, middleware and infrastructure
• Providing technical leadership to the application development team
• Performing design and code reviews
• Ensuring that uniform enterprise-wide application design standards are maintained
• Collaborating with other stakeholders to ensure the architecture is aligned with business requirements

Key Responsibilities 

• Responsible for defining, and implementing application architecture policies, standards and artefacts for diverse business processes, projects, and function
• Develop software solutions and strategy to meet the architectural goals and needs of Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA).
• Liaise with programmers and software development team to design and implement an application architecture (s) for various application architectural system
• Design the interface between multiple applications, databases, and middleware systems
• Design applications according to specific architectural design to improve overall system performance
• Carry out assessments to identify operational limitations and gaps in functional coverage
• Upgrade architectural systems and software life cycle to ensure improved processes
• Monitor the performance of architectural systems to ensure seamless interaction between components
• Conduct tests to ensure an application conforms to fundamental application standards and meets the requirements of the end user
• Ensure proper documentation of software design and developing processes in order to produce appropriate procedures for application use
• Develops the unit’s Annual Work Plan and draft budget and coordinates their implementation;
• Prepares monthly, quarterly, annual and ad hoc reports for the unit;
• Develops, mentors and coaches staff in the unit;
• Conducts performance management in the unit;
• Coordinates implementation of the work plans for the following corporate initiatives in the unit: Audit, Integrity, QMS and Risk Management.
• Ensure compliance to ISO (9001:2015 and 27001:2013) and data security requirements.

Academic and  Professional Qualifications  

Academic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Management Information Systems, Information Technology, Electrical/Electronic Engineering, Telecommunications or any other IT related field.

Required Certifications/Trainings

• Professional Certification or Training in any one of the following areas is required:
• Systems Development i.e. Java Programming, Web Design and Development, Oracle Developer etc.
• Business Systems Analysis i.e. CBAP Certification / Training
• Systems Modelling and Design Techniques
• Process Modelling and Design Techniques

Desired Certifications

• Certification or training in any of the following areas will be an added advantage:
• Training in middle level management / Supervisory Skills courses.
• IT Governance i.e. ITIL or COBIT 4/5
• Project Management i.e. PMP or Prince 2.
• Training or Certification in Database Administration i.e. Oracle, PostgreSQL, MySQL or Microsoft SQL Server.
• Training in operating systems i.e. Windows, Linux or Unix.

Technical Skills Required: 

The Job holder must have:

• Proven skills in Oracle development and database management tools
• Proficiency in Java programming language and PL/SQL
• Expert knowledge of scripting languages (PHP, ASP, CSS, JAVASCRIPT, etc.)
• Working knowledge of structured programming and database design concepts
• Expert knowledge of web based technologies (HTML, XML, XHTML, DHTML, SOAP, JSON, etc.)
• Working knowledge of internet and messaging protocols i.e. HTTP, FTP, SOAP and REST
• Working knowledge of web development tools (Dreamweaver, Microsoft.NET, Drupal, Joomla, etc.)
• Working knowledge of Linux/Unix and Windows operating system platforms
• Working experience with relational databases (Oracle, MySQL, PostgreSQL, Microsoft SQL Server)
• Knowledge of system design and modelling techniques
• Working knowledge of systems design and modelling tools (Enterprise Architect, Trace Cloud, etc.)
• Basic knowledge of the following tools: process modelling (MS Visio, etc.), Project Management i.e. MS Project and Presentation i.e. MS PowerPoint

Relevant Work Experience Required

• Proven experience in design, development and implementation of enterprise business systems. Experience in design and development of systems for tax administration will be an added advantage.
• Proven experience in integration of business systems in a similar large organization.
• At least four (4) years’ post qualification experience which includes one (1) year as a Supervisor in the relevant field.

Competencies

The Job holder must:

• Have good understanding of the KRA’s goals and objectives.
• Be resilient, focused, results oriented and a team player.
• Have strong analytical, diagnostic, decision making and problem solving skills.
• Have strong abilities to conduct research-affecting business and propose suitable solutions/products.
• Have ability to pay attention to details and work under minimum supervision and for long hours within constraints.
• Have strong interpersonal, written and oral communication skills.
• Have good negotiation skills.
• Ability to build and maintain strong relationships with contracted parties, third party organizations, users and staff.
• Have Change management skills.
• Ability to interact confidently with users to establish what the problem is and explain the solution
• Ability to prioritize competing work commitments and deliver on time
• Passion for innovation and creativity
• High levels of integrity
• Ability to work under minimum supervision