Lead Solution Architect – Open Finance & Digital Banking Transformation

General Description

Key Responsibilities

• Own and evolve the target architecture for Open Finance and digital banking platforms across multiple business domains
• Define and govern enterprise solution architecture covering customer-facing platforms, partner ecosystems, developer portals, and API services
• Design scalable, secure, and resilient architectures supporting both regulated Open Finance APIs and commercial partner API offerings
• Lead architecture decision-making, documentation, and governance processes across business and technology teams
• Collaborate with product owners, engineering teams, risk, compliance, security, and executive stakeholders to align technology solutions with business objectives
• Define API architecture standards, integration patterns, identity models, security controls, and platform governance frameworks
• Drive cloud-native architecture initiatives across AWS environments, including microservices, event-driven architectures, and modern API management platforms
• Establish architecture principles for identity, authentication, authorization, consent management, and partner onboarding journeys
• Support regulatory compliance requirements related to Open Finance, information security, risk management, business continuity, and data governance
• Lead architecture reviews, solution assessments, and technology evaluations across multiple programmes and workstreams
• Define observability, resilience, disaster recovery, monitoring, and operational architecture standards
• Partner with delivery teams to ensure successful implementation and alignment with architecture principles
• Promote AI-enabled architecture practices and identify opportunities to leverage AI across architecture, governance, documentation, and delivery processes
• Provide executive-level architecture guidance and translate complex technical concepts into business-focused recommendations

Required Experience

• Proven experience as a Solution Architect, Enterprise Architect, Lead Architect, or Principal Architect within banking or financial services environments
• Minimum 10+ years of experience delivering enterprise-scale digital transformation, banking technology, or platform modernization programmes
• Strong experience designing and implementing Open Banking, Open Finance, API platforms, or digital banking solutions
• Experience architecting customer-facing banking platforms supporting Retail, SME, and Corporate Banking services
• Strong knowledge of enterprise integration patterns, API architecture, microservices, and event-driven systems
• Experience with API management platforms such as Kong, Apigee, MuleSoft, WSO2, or similar technologies
• Strong AWS cloud architecture experience within enterprise or regulated environments
• Experience working with security, compliance, risk, and governance requirements in financial institutions
• Strong stakeholder management skills with the ability to engage both executive leadership and technical delivery teams
• Experience producing architecture documentation, standards, decision records, and governance artefacts
• Strong understanding of software delivery lifecycles, Agile methodologies, and enterprise architecture practices
• Excellent communication, leadership, and problem-solving skills

Preferred Experience

• Experience with Open Banking or Open Finance regulatory frameworks
• Experience within UAE, GCC, or international banking environments
• Knowledge of API security standards including OAuth 2.0, OpenID Connect (OIDC), FAPI, mTLS, and Strong Customer Authentication (SCA)
• Experience with developer portals, partner onboarding platforms, API monetization, and ecosystem management
• Experience with event streaming technologies such as Kafka or similar platforms
• Familiarity with observability platforms such as Dynatrace, CloudWatch, X-Ray, or equivalent solutions
• Experience supporting banking compliance, audit, risk, and governance initiatives
• Exposure to AI-enabled software delivery, architecture automation, AI-assisted design, or AI governance frameworks
• TOGAF, AWS, Enterprise Architecture, Cloud Architecture, or related certifications are advantageous

Work Setup

• Hybrid Work Setup – Abu Dhabi, UAE

• Immediate Hiring Timeline

• Competitive Day Rate Available Based on Experience and Expertise