Ruth — of systems & designSystem architects (not necessarily their title) are responsible for leading system design -- emphasis on leading and on system and on design. It is challenging: these are consequential decisions with value network and sociotechnical impact. But it comes with the opportunity and scope to help engineering teams make a meaningful impact on business and engineering outcomes. This entails a shift in focus to system concerns, but is informed by and has major implications for the engineering teams.
All of which is very dense -- alternately put, unfolds in many (interrelated!) directions.
For example, "leading" has various social dimensions and implications. Fostering collaborative decision making; helping those who aren't all directly involved understand why it matters and what it means to them and others; etc. So much there there! And "system" brings in complexity, adaptive capacity and resilience, and ... you get the point. Many directions that thread and weave together.
