Solution Architect
Farmers Business Network
Company Overview
Farmers Business Network® (FBN®) is on a mission to power the prosperity of family farmers and rural communities around the world, transforming how the world farms with an integrated, technology-enabled agricultural platform.
We offer high ROI farm inputs, fintech and sustainability products and services powered by network data, and farm-tested insights from our global farmer community. Our platform helps FBN® members make confident decisions to ensure the economic viability of their farms, while also empowering them to be a part of the solution as the global community confronts its most pressing issues: providing food security for a growing population, transitioning to more sustainable agriculture, and responding to climate change.
We are a dynamic, innovative, and mission-driven AgTech company that offers competitive compensation and benefits as well as boundless career mobility. We are backed by top investors, including Fidelity, ADM, Google Ventures, Kleiner Perkins, DBL Partners, T Rowe Price and Temasek. We have been featured in these articles by the Wall Street Journal and Forbes, and were also named "One of the 50 Most Innovative Companies in the World" by Fast Company Magazine.
Position Summary
Farmers Business Network (FBN) is looking for a Solution Architect who will provide expertise in strategic alignment, process design, solution design, data architecture, and platform lifecycle/development solutions for FBN’s enterprise applications on our DevOps team. The Solutions Architect will be responsible for facilitating and executing high quality and scalable stakeholder deliverables within an Agile development environment.
The ideal candidate will be highly motivated, skilled at collaborating with a wide variety of people in a remote workforce environment, and have the opportunity to work remotely themselves.
- Manages activities that take place during solution ideation, solution design, and solution implementation.
- Reviews business context for solutions to company challenges as well as defining the vision and requirements for the solution, recommending potential options (which may include RFIs, RFPs or prototype development), selecting the most optimal option, and the development of a roadmap for the selected solution.
- Resolves broadly defined problems by identifying root cause and creative solutions.
- Serves as lead subject matter expert for FBN’s ERP and business system product suite, which includes NetSuite, SalesForce, Workday, Coupa, and more.
- Provides tier 3 technical troubleshooting and functional support for business users of FBN.
- Can identify hidden problems and look beyond initial answers.
- Delivers system enhancements by recommending innovative solutions that are well-thought out and adhere to solution architecture standards.
- Suggests alternative technical solutions to meet user’s requirements more efficiently, and/or with greater reusability.
- Collaborates with developers, business systems analysts, engineers, and product managers to develop Minimum Viable Products (MVP) for large, complex or high risk solutions.
- Maintains (or creates) documentation of the FBN systems, design, processes, and policies.
- Partners with internal business partners to enhance FBN’s business processes (e.g. modify custom workflows, condition rules, approvals, etc.), to support ongoing business process changes.
- Collaborates tightly with engineers, system administrators, developers, product managers, and business system analysts to design solutions to best meet the business needs while limiting technical debt and considering the broader and longer range needs of the business.
- Develops and maintains a working understanding of each business unit functions. Meets business needs by translating user requirements into solutions via Technical Requirement. Documents.
- Protects the Company by handling business sensitive information with appropriate confidentiality.
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree required; preferably in software engineering, information systems or computer science.
- 5+ years as a Full Stack Developer or Software Architect
- Extensive experience in systems design, software development, and implementation, preferably with ERP software.
- Current and extensive experience with data modeling, schema design, and optimization.
- Expert understanding of and adherence to solution architecture best practices.
- Understanding of shared services / multi-organization functionality.
- Strong collaboration skills and ability to work with different teams.
- Excellent troubleshooting, analytical, and critical thinking skills.
- Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
- Ability to prioritize tasks, work on multiple engagements in a fast paced, dynamic environment.
- Interest in the farming industry and entrepreneurial environment.
- Experience with iterative or agile software development methodologies.
- Able to produce clear and concise documentation of processes and changes.
- Must have a proven track record of leading, developing, and integrating commercial ERP systems (NetSuite preferred but not required). Experience in the Ag Input Sales is a plus.
- Travel Requirements: occasional travel required to other locations.
Preferred Qualifications
- Prefer experience with NetSuite and Salesforce.
- Prefer experience with Procure to Pay, Sales to Cash, Supply Chain and Logistics.
- Strong knowledge of GSuite strongly preferred.
Characteristics
- The successful applicant will be:
- A self-starter, who is comfortable working independently.
- Comfortable with ambiguity and time spent outside of comfort zone acquiring new skills
- Analytical, detail-oriented and exceptionally organized.
- Flexible and ready to grow with a fast-paced organization.
- A problem solver and solution provider.
- Able to collaborate with a diverse employee population that operate in offices, labs, warehouses, and remote locations.
- A team-oriented individual contributor.
- Able to provide specific career examples of continuous improvement success.