Principal System Architect – Digital Banking / Digital Payments / FinTech

Role Summary

We are seeking an experienced Principal System Architect to lead the enterprise architecture strategy for large-scale Digital Banking and Digital Payments platforms. The role will define architecture standards, govern technical solutions, and drive the design of secure, scalable, cloud-native, and high-availability systems supporting mission-critical financial services.

Working closely with Engineering, Product, Infrastructure, Security, Compliance, and Executive Leadership, the Principal System Architect will ensure technology aligns with business strategy while mentoring architects and engineering teams.

Key Responsibilities:

• Define enterprise architecture strategy, technology roadmap, standards, and governance.
• Design scalable, cloud-native microservices and event-driven architectures.
• Architect Digital Payments, Mobile Wallets, QR Payments, Payment Gateways, Open Banking, Core Banking integrations, Digital Lending, P2P Transfers, Bill Payments, and Remittance platforms.
• Lead architecture reviews, HLD approvals, technical governance, and reusable architecture frameworks.
• Design integrations with Visa, Mastercard, Core Banking, AML, Fraud, CRM, ERP, Identity, and Open Banking APIs.
• Ensure High Availability, Disaster Recovery, Security-by-Design, Performance, Scalability, and Observability.
• Drive Cloud, Kubernetes, DevSecOps, API-first, CI/CD, and Infrastructure-as-Code initiatives.
• Ensure compliance with PCI-DSS, ISO 27001, AML/KYC, OAuth2, OpenID Connect, JWT, mTLS, and Zero Trust principles.
• Mentor architects and engineering teams while collaborating with CTO, CIO, Product, Security, and Business stakeholders.

Technical Skills:

• Architecture: Enterprise Architecture, Microservices, Distributed Systems, Event-Driven Architecture, DDD, CQRS, Saga.
• Cloud & DevOps: AWS/Azure/GCP, Kubernetes, Docker, Helm, Terraform, Jenkins, GitHub Actions, ArgoCD.
• Development: Java, Spring Boot/Spring Cloud, REST, GraphQL, gRPC.
• Messaging: Kafka, RabbitMQ.
• Databases: PostgreSQL, Oracle, SQL Server, MongoDB, Redis.
• Monitoring: Prometheus, Grafana, ELK, Splunk.

Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, IT, Software Engineering, or related field.
• 15+ years in Software Engineering/System Architecture.
• 8+ years as Solution, System, Enterprise, or Principal Architect.
• 5+ years in Banking, Digital Payments, or FinTech.
• Proven experience designing enterprise-scale, cloud-native financial platforms handling high-volume transactions.
• Strong knowledge of Enterprise Architecture, Cloud, Kubernetes, APIs, Security, DevSecOps, and Financial Compliance.
• TOGAF and Cloud Certifications are preferred.

Pay: AED24,000.00 - AED25,000.00 per month

Application Question(s):

• Do you have at least 15 years of experience in Software Engineering/System Architecture, including a minimum of 8 years as a Solution, System, Enterprise, or Principal Architect?
• Have you designed and led the architecture of enterprise-scale Digital Banking, Digital Payments, Mobile Wallet, Core Banking, or FinTech platforms handling high-volume financial transactions?
• Do you have hands-on experience designing cloud-native microservices using Kubernetes, Docker, and AWS, Azure, or GCP, with event-driven architectures (e.g., Kafka/RabbitMQ)?
• Have you been responsible for Enterprise Architecture Governance, including defining architecture standards, leading Architecture Review Boards (ARB), approving High-Level Designs (HLDs), and mentoring Solution/System Architects?
• Do you have practical experience implementing secure financial architectures compliant with PCI-DSS, IAM (OAuth2/OpenID Connect/JWT), High Availability, Disaster Recovery, and API Security for regulated banking or payment environments?
• Nationality
• Current Location
• Education
• Total years of experience
• Visa Category
• Visa Expiry
• Notice Period
• Your Current Salary
• THE COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS PACKAGE OF THIS ROLE IS NON-NEGOTIABLE AND WE ENSURE OUR TRANSPARENCY IN IT AS WELL. The gross salary is maximum 25,000 AED with company provided visa, health insurance and yearly airfare. Do you agree to this?

Work Location: In person