Solutions and Business Architecture Area Chapter Lead

Safaricom is the leading provider of converged communication solutions in Kenya. In addition to providing a broad range of first-class products and services for Telephony, Broadband Internet and Financial services, Safaricom seeks to uplift the welfare of Kenyans through value-added services and support for community projects.

Solutions and Business Architecture Area Chapter Lead

Job Description

• Reporting to the HOD – Data AI Systems & Architecture, the Solution & Business Architecture Area Chapter Lead is responsible for providing strategic leadership and governance for the Solution Architecture and Business Analysis disciplines across the enterprise. The role develops and grows architecture and business analysis capabilities, establishes standards, methodologies, and best practices, and ensures the consistent delivery of high-quality business and solution designs that align with Enterprise Architecture principles, business strategy, and technology roadmaps.

• Reporting to the Head of Data, AI Systems & Architecture, the Chapter Area Lead provides leadership to the Engineering Managers responsible for Consumer Business, Enterprise & Public Sector, Financial Services, Technology, and Business Analysis. The role ensures consistent architecture practices across all business units while driving capability maturity, innovation, talent development, architecture governance, and continuous improvement.

• The Area Chapter Lead acts as the custodian of the Safaricom Business Architecture, System and Application roadmaps and the organization’s solution architecture and business analysis practices, enabling delivery teams to build scalable, secure, reusable, and business-aligned digital capabilities.

Responsibilities

Health and Safety

• Uphold the company code of conduct, policies and procedures, ensuring integrity and accountability in every aspect of your work.

• All employees have a responsibility to adhere to safety, health, and wellbeing policies, guidelines and procedures in all actions and decisions

Practice Leadership

Define and own the Solution Architecture and Business Analysis strategy, operating model, and capability roadmap.

• Establish a unified Architecture and Business Analysis practice across the organization.

• Drive continuous improvement and maturity of both disciplines.

• Foster a culture of engineering excellence, innovation, collaboration, and customer-centric design.

• Promote reuse of architecture patterns, business capabilities, APIs, and design assets.

People Leadership

Lead and develop the Engineering Managers responsible for:

• Consumer Business Solution Architecture

• Enterprise & Public Sector Solution Architecture

• Financial Services Solution Architecture

• Technology Solution Architecture

• Business Analysis

Responsibilities include

• Coaching and mentoring Engineering Managers.

• Performance management.

• Succession planning.

• Capability development.

• Workforce planning.

• Recruitment of senior architecture talent.

• Career progression.

• Learning and certification programmes.

Architecture & Business Analysis Governance

Own governance across all architecture and business analysis activities by:

• Establishing architecture principles and standards.

• Defining business analysis methodologies.

• Governing architecture review boards.

• Governing business requirements quality.

• Defining documentation standards.

• Ensuring compliance with Enterprise Architecture standards.

• Ensuring alignment with security, data, AI, integration, and cloud strategies.

• Managing architecture and business analysis exceptions.

Business & Technology Roadmaps

Provide oversight of Business Unit technology evolution by ensuring:

• Application roadmaps remain current.

• Technology modernization roadmaps are maintained.

• Legacy technology retirement plans exist.

• Capability roadmaps align to enterprise strategy.

• Business capability maps remain current.

• Technology investment decisions align with enterprise priorities.

Capability Development

Develop and continuously improve:

• Architecture frameworks

• Business capability models

• Reference architectures

• Solution patterns

• Business analysis templates

• Design standards

• Reusable architecture assets

• AI-assisted architecture practices

• AI-assisted business analysis practices

• Drive adoption across all delivery teams.

Quality Assurance

Provide quality oversight of:

• Business Requirements Documents

• Solution Design Documents

• Integration Designs

• Non-functional Requirements

• Architecture Decision Records

• Solution Reviews

• Architecture compliance assessments

• Ensure consistent quality before governance approval.

Enterprise Collaboration

Partner closely with:

• Enterprise Architecture

• Product Management

• Digital Engineering

• Data & AI Engineering

• Cyber Security

• Infrastructure

• Operations

• Delivery Management

• Vendor Partners to ensure end-to-end solution alignment.

Innovation & Continuous Improvement

Champion:

• AI-assisted architecture

• AI-assisted requirements engineering

• Architecture automation

• Architecture repositories

• Digital twins