Integration Architect

On behalf of National Savings & Investments, we are looking for an Integration Architect (Inside IR35) for a 5 month contract based Hybrid in London, Lytham, Durham or Glasgow. We are seeking an experienced Integration Architect to support a major Core Banking Transformation programme, with a focus on API and integration architecture across complex systems. This role combines hands-on design input with architecture governance, including reviewing, validating and signing off integration designs, while also working closely with product teams and suppliers to shape API strategy, drive consistency and ensure alignment with enterprise standards and regulatory requirements.

The architect will act as a key coordination point across Architecture, Development and Testing teams, as well as multiple delivery partners within a fast-paced transformation environment. As an Integration Architect, your main responsibilities will be to:

• Review, validate and formally sign off integration and API designs, ensuring alignment with enterprise architecture, target state and non-functional requirements.
• Collaborate with product, delivery and supplier teams to define API requirements, shaping solutions and identifying opportunities to reuse existing services versus build new capabilities.
• Support the full API life cycle including design, documentation, onboarding, optimisation and adherence to best practice standards.
• Review integration solutions implemented on IBM CloudPak, ensuring correct platform usage and architectural compliance.
• Facilitate workshops with stakeholders to plan, prioritise and coordinate API development across the programme.
• Provide guidance and challenge to development teams on API design, standards and implementation approaches.
• Validate integration patterns across Core Banking, Channels and Contact Centre platforms, ensuring consistency across the ecosystem.
• Identify architectural risks, gaps and inconsistencies, driving resolution across teams in a complex multi-supplier environment.
• Enforce API governance standards, including security, performance, versioning, life cycle management and alignment to enterprise data models.
• Govern API portal usage, onboarding processes and the broader API ecosystem, ensuring consistency and interoperability.
• Oversee event-driven and asynchronous integrations including Kafka (topic strategy, event schemas and usage patterns), ensuring consistency in streaming approaches.
• Participate in design authorities and support testing and release readiness, ensuring integration solutions align with approved architectural standards.

Essential:

• Strong experience operating as an Integration Architect or Solution Architect within complex transformation programmes, including architecture assurance and governance.
• Proven experience in API architecture, including design, design assurance, governance and life cycle management across enterprise environments.
• Hands-on understanding of API ecosystems, including API portals, onboarding processes and managing integrations across multiple internal and external partners.
• Strong expertise in applying and enforcing an Enterprise Logical Data Dictionary across APIs.
• Working knowledge of enterprise integration platforms such as IBM CloudPak (or similar), including oversight of integration components.
• Strong understanding of Kafka based event streaming architectures and asynchronous integration patterns.
• Familiarity with microservices based integration landscapes and hybrid/cloud environments.
• Strong stakeholder engagement and influencing skills, with the ability to challenge and guide both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Clear communicator, able to translate architectural standards into clear, actionable guidance within a regulated, multi supplier enterprise environment.

Desirable:

• Prior experience in architecture reviews, design authorities or governance forums.
• Knowledge of banking regulatory and compliance requirements within financial services environments.
• TOGAF or equivalent architecture certification.
• Experience supporting API or integration solutions through SIT/UAT and production readiness, ensuring alignment to architectural standards.

Please be aware that this role can only be worked within the UK and not Overseas.

Disability Confident: As a member of the Disability Confident Scheme, NS&I guarantees to interview all candidates who have a disability and who meet all the essential criteria for the vacancy. In cases where we have a high volume of candidates who have a disability who meet all the essential criteria, we will interview the best candidates from within that group. This scheme encourages candidates with a disability and/or neurodivergence to apply.

Armed Forces Commitment: National Savings & Investments guarantees to interview veterans or spouses/partners of military personnel who meet all the essential criteria for the vacancy. In cases where we have a high volume of ex-military candidates/military spouses or partners, who meet all of the essential criteria, we will interview the best candidates from within that group.

In applying for this role, you acknowledge the following: this role falls in scope of the Off Payroll Working in the Public Sector legislation. Any rates of payment quoted will reflect the gross rate per day for the assignment and will be subject to appropriate taxes and statutory costs. As such the payment to the intermediary and your income resulting from this contract will be different.