Technical & Web Solutions Architect

Technical & Web Solutions Architect

Location of Services: Victoria (Remote anywhere in Canada)

GDX office place is 4000 Seymour Place, Victoria BC. The resources can work remotely and must be fully accessible via video conferencing for all meetings and scrums. On-site meetings may be required from time to time.

Branch/Dept/Office: Service BC & GDX

Project Name: Government's Media Monitoring & Insights (MMI) Project and technology modernization

Estimated Work Start Date: 02-Jan-2025

Estimated Work End Date: 31-Mar-2025

Position: Architect Level 3

# of Positions: 1

Standard Hours Per Day: 7.00

Estimated Work Days: 63.00

This is a procurement for 1 of, Architect Level 3 as further described in the Requisition and section 3 of this RFP, to work as the Technical & Web Solutions Architect on the BC Government's Media Monitoring & Insights (MMI) Project and technology modernization of the Province's Custom Web Platform. These roles can be performed remotely within Canada and resources must be available from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM PST or as per business needs.

Architects at Experience Level 3 are usually technology specialists that can demonstrate in their submitted examples that they have successfully led multi-discipline analysis and design teams in support of complex projects, and that they reported to the senior project manager and had individuals performing functions at a senior technical level reporting directly to them.

Architects at Experience Level 3 have expert knowledge of an underlying technology function, its integral components and understand the strengths and weaknesses of a technology.

An Architect at Experience Level 3 is responsible for determining the suitability of a technology and for defining the best possible architecture. An Architect at Experience Level 3 is expected to have detailed knowledge of industry trends and vendor competencies within the subject area.

Typical deliverables model the technical architecture and may include application models and data models.

The Technical & Web Solutions Architect will be responsible for contributing to the modernization and optimization of the technical framework. This role includes contributing to the design of a modular, scalable architecture and ensuring seamless integration of new components.

1. Experience: Minimum of 5–8 years in architecture with a strong focus on designing and implementing scalable, secure solutions for public sector or large-scale digital transformation projects.

2. Technical Expertise:

o Proficiency in cloud platforms such as OpenShift, AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud, and expertise in designing cloud-native architectures.

o Deep understanding of microservices, APIs, and modular architecture.

o Advanced knowledge of security standards and best practices, especially in public sector compliance, including data protection and privacy regulations.

3. Skills:

o Strong analytical and strategic planning skills to assess existing architectures and propose practical solutions.

o Proven ability to document technical requirements, develop roadmaps, and create architectural blueprints.

o Excellent communication skills to translate complex technical information for diverse stakeholders.

4. Certifications (preferred): OpenShift, AWS Certified Solutions Architect, Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert.

The Contractor's responsibilities will include the following:

1. Consult on the design of the technical architecture, covering infrastructure, applications, and integrations.

2. Ensure compatibility between web systems, databases, and cloud hosting platforms and onpremises infrastructure.

3. Provide recommendations on technology choices, security, and compliance.

4. Integrate third-party platforms such as WordPress and Lime Survey with custom applications.

5. Optimize web hosting, API management, and front-end/back-end interactions for performance and reliability.

6. Modernized, Scalable Technical & Web Architecture

7. Sustainable Knowledge Transfer and Capacity Building

The Contractor's key activities will include the following:

1. Establish and maintain a CI/CD pipeline to support agile development and rapid deployment of MMI updates.

2. Develop and implement automated testing frameworks to cover unit, integration, and performance testing.

3. Monitor and optimize system performance, ensuring robust logging, alerting, and error-handling mechanisms.

4. Integrate Infrastructure as Code (IaC) practices for environment provisioning and scalability.

5. Work closely with core team to promote DevOps best practices.

The Contractor's key deliverables will include the following:

1. CI/CD Pipeline Configuration: Fully operational CI/CD setup, including automated testing and rollback procedures.

2. Automated Testing Suite: Comprehensive set of automated test scripts and documentation for ongoing quality assurance.

3. Monitoring and Alerting Dashboard: A real-time dashboard for tracking system health, with logging and alerting configured for prompt issue detection.

4. Training Sessions and Documentation: Knowledge transfer sessions and materials to empower the core team.

The project is a high-impact initiative that requires a systematic approach to implementing the recommendations from a recent external review of the MMI system. The appointed vendor(s) will deliver specialized resources to address key areas, including architecture, automated testing, user-centered design, and documentation, all within a collaborative, transparent framework. The resources will collaborate with the core team members throughout the project and will contribute to the achievement of the following outcomes:

Project outcomes will include:

1. An architectural blueprint, risk assessment report, a proposed list of activities to March 31, 2025, in the first three weeks.

2. Training sessions, knowledge transfer plans, and quick-reference guides for ongoing maintenance and development.

3. A future-proof, scalable architecture for the MMI solution, ready to integrate current and future technology components.

4. A fully operational CI/CD pipeline and an automated testing framework that ensures quality control, facilitates rapid deployments, and reduces errors.

5. Complete and accessible system documentation that supports ease of use, maintenance, and knowledge transfer for internal teams.

6. A design framework informed by user insights and research, ensuring the MMI solution aligns with the needs of end-users and enhances usability.

7. Internal teams equipped to manage and maintain the MMI solution, reducing dependency on external vendors and ensuring long-term project sustainability.

8. Modernize our approach and the underlying technologies that we use to deliver bespoke web and application services for program areas across government.