Principal Specialist: Lead Digital Architect

Job Description

When it comes to putting people first, we're number 1.

The number 1 Top Employer in South Africa.
Certified by the Top Employer Institute 2025.

Role Purpose/Business Unit:

The role of Lead Digital Architect is to drive the end-to-end design and evolution of modern, scalable, and secure digital platforms across the enterprise. This role will play a pivotal role in shaping and executing the strategic technology direction of Vodacom. This role involves collaborating with various stakeholders to design and implement innovative and effective enterprise-level solutions that align with business objectives.

The ideal candidate should have a deep understanding of architectural principles, emerging technologies, and a proven track record of successfully leading complex IT initiatives.

Your responsibilities will include:

Technical Architecture Leadership

• Define and own the target digital architecture across channels (web, mobile, API, integration layers, cloud).
• Translate business strategies into architecture blueprints, roadmaps, and patterns.
• Lead architecture governance, ensuring alignment to enterprise principles and technology standards.
• Provide architectural oversight across solution domains, including cloud-native platforms, microservices, APIs, and event-driven systems.
• Provide technical leadership and guidance to cross-functional teams, ensuring adherence to architectural best practices and standards.
• Mentor and coach junior architects and technical staff to enhance their architectural skills and capabilities.

Enterprise Architecture Strategy:

• Develop and communicate a comprehensive digital architecture strategy that aligns with the Vodacom’s strategy and purpose.
• Collaborate with leadership to define and prioritize technology initiatives that support business growth and innovation.

Solution Design and Architecture:

• Design and document end-to-end enterprise architecture solutions that encompass systems, applications, data, and infrastructure elements.
• Evaluate and recommend technologies, frameworks, and methodologies to optimize IT systems and processes.

Risk Management:

• Identify potential technical risks and develop mitigation strategies to ensure the security, scalability, and reliability of enterprise solutions.
• Review and assess the impact of proposed changes to the architecture, making informed decisions that balance innovation and stability.

Collaboration and Communication:

• Collaborate with business stakeholders, project managers, scrum masters and development teams to gather requirements and translate them into architectural designs.
• Clearly communicate architectural concepts and decisions to both technical and non-technical audiences.

Vendor Management:

• Evaluate third-party solutions and vendors, ensuring they align with the overall architecture strategy and meet the company's technical requirements.

Technology Trends:

• Stay abreast of industry trends, emerging technologies, and best practices, and recommend how they can be leveraged to improve the enterprise architecture.

Governance and Compliance:

• Enforce architectural governance, ensuring that projects and solutions adhere to established architectural principles and standards.
• Ensure compliance with relevant industry regulations and standards.

The ideal candidate for this role will have:

• Bachelor's, Honours or Master's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or related field.
• Proven experience (typically 8+ years) in enterprise architecture, solution design, and IT leadership roles.
• Relevant certifications (e.g., TOGAF, AWS/Azure/GCP certifications) are a plus.

Core competencies, knowledge and experience:

• Cloud Architecture: Deep expertise in AWS, Azure, or GCP
• Microservices & APIs: Strong understanding of microservices patterns, REST, GraphQL, and API management platforms (e.g., Apigee, Kong).
• DevOps & Automation: Proficient with CI/CD pipelines, containers (Docker, Kubernetes), observability, and GitOps workflows.
• Security: Familiar with application security, identity management (OAuth2, SSO, OpenID), and secure-by-design principles.
• Data & Integration: Understanding of modern data platforms (e.g., event streaming with Kafka, data lakes), ETL patterns, and real-time analytics.
• Strong expertise in architecture frameworks (TOGAF, Zachman, etc.) and methodologies.
• Experience with a variety of technologies, such as databases, networking, security, and integration.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to address complex technical challenges.
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, capable of collaborating effectively with diverse teams.
• Experience with a variety of technologies, such as databases, networking, security, and integration.
• Knowledge of emerging technologies/ industry trends along with the ability to leverage them in application development and support initiatives
• Capable of articulating the business value of IT investments/projects and collaborating with partners and cross-functional groups during implementation
• Adeptness to engage as a consultative face of IT to the Business and enable technology to address business challenges and improve operational efficiency
• Skill to integrate new technologies with existing business initiatives and understanding the business processes and customer needs
• Good understanding of governance framework (roles and responsibilities, escalation and communication process, handoffs and control points)
• Ability to make recommendations as they pertain to improvements in support/development initiatives and facilitate implementation with partners, IT and cross-functional groups within the Business
• Capacity to manage conflict with partners and cross-functional groups within the Business and IT
• Ability to work with multi-national teams, understand and respect cultural diversity and develop messages that help achieve objectives with diverse audiences

We make an impact by offering:

• Enticing incentive programs and competitive benefit packages
• Retirement funds, risk benefits, and medical aid benefits
• Cell phone and data benefits, advantages fibre connection discounts, and exclusive staff discounts offered in collaboration with partner companies

Closing date for Applications: 15 December 2025.

The base location for this role is Vodacom Midrand Campus.

The company's approved Employment Equity Plan and Targets will be considered as part of the recruitment process. As an Equal Opportunities employer, we actively encourage and welcome people with various disabilities to apply.
Vodacom is committed to an organisational culture that recognises, appreciates, and values diversity & inclusion.