Job Description: Architect – Banking Platforms, Java & AI
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Position |
Architect – Banking Platforms, Java & AI |
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Primary Skill |
Enterprise & Platform Architecture · Java · Cloud-native |
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Additional Skill |
AI / Generative AI / Agentic AI · Automation |
Role Summary
We are seeking a Architect of experience to shape and lead the technology direction of large-scale banking and financial services platforms. Based in London, this is a senior leadership role combining technology vision, client advisory, and hands-on architecture authority across Java, cloud-native, and AI-first platforms.
The ideal candidate is an aspiring CTO — not yet in a CTO role, but already operating at that scale. They can establish and drive Platform, Product, and Technology Trends & Design capabilities, earn trust with client CXOs, win large deals, and build the next generation of technical leaders.
Key Responsibilities
1. Technology Vision, Architecture & Roadmap
• Define technology vision, target architecture, and multi-year roadmap for banking platforms and practice offerings.
• Act as the design authority for enterprise, solution, and application architecture — setting standards, reference architectures, and guardrails.
• Align technology investments and architecture decisions with business outcomes, regulatory needs, and time-to-market.
2. Platform, Product and Trends & Design Capability
• Establish and scale a Platform capability — reusable, cloud-native, API-first and composable banking platforms.
• Build Product capability — bring product thinking, IP, and accelerators that shift delivery from projects to platforms.
• Set up a Technology Trends & Design function — track emerging tech, run architecture/design councils, and convert trends into offerings.
3. Trusted Client Advisor & Large Deals
• Act as a trusted advisor to client CIOs, CTOs, and business leaders on digital and core banking transformation.
• Lead technology solutioning for large deals and RFPs — solution strategy, architecture, estimation, and executive orals.
• Represent the organization in client forums, industry events, and thought-leadership publications.
4. AI, Cloud, Automation & Emerging Technologies
• Drive adoption of GenAI, Agentic AI, cloud, and automation across platforms and the delivery lifecycle.
• Define responsible AI, AI governance, and LLMOps patterns suited to regulated banking environments.
• Champion AI-native engineering (GitHub Copilot, Claude Code, OpenAI Codex, SASVA) with measurable productivity gains.
5. Engineering Excellence
• Improve quality, productivity, security, and delivery practices across DevSecOps, SRE, and platform engineering.
• Own non-functional excellence — scalability, resiliency, performance, observability, and operational resilience.
• Govern architecture reviews, technical risk, and technical debt across programmes.
6. Technical Leadership & Talent Growth
• Develop technical leadership, skills, and future-ready capabilities across architects and engineering leaders.
• Build competency frameworks, architect career paths, and mentoring programmes.
• Grow a strong bench of architects capable of leading client-facing technology engagements.
Must-Have Experience
• enterprise/solution architecture and senior technical leadership.
• Proven delivery of large-scale banking or financial services platforms — digital banking, core banking, or payments.
• Track record of shaping and winning large, multi-year transformation deals with CXO-level stakeholders.
• Experience building a practice, platform, or CoE capability from the ground up.
• Evidence of leading multi-location, onsite–offshore architecture and engineering teams.
Technology Depth
• Java & Spring: Java 17+, Spring Boot, Spring Security, microservices, DDD, and clean architecture.
• Event-driven & APIs: Kafka, IBM MQ, REST, gRPC, GraphQL, and OpenAPI; API-first and open banking patterns.
• Cloud & platform: AWS / Azure / GCP, Kubernetes, Docker, Helm, IaC, and platform engineering.
• Data: relational and NoSQL stores, real-time data platforms, and data architecture for AI.
• AI / GenAI: LLM integration, RAG, Agentic AI, vector databases, prompt engineering, and AI governance.
• Security & DevSecOps: zero trust, IAM, TLS/mTLS, CI/CD, SonarQube, and Snyk.
Banking / Financial Services Domain
• Retail, SME, and corporate banking; payments; and capital markets.
• Messaging standards: ISO 20022, ISO 8583, SWIFT CBPR+, pacs and camt.
• UK & European payments: Faster Payments, CHAPS, Bacs, SEPA, and card networks.
• Regulation: awareness of FCA / PRA expectations, PSD2 / Open Banking, DORA, operational resilience, and AML / sanctions.
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