Solution Architect – Open Finance & Digital Banking

General Description Join a leading banking transformation initiative supporting one of the UAE's largest financial institutions in Abu Dhabi. This engagement focuses on the evolution of the bank's Woven digital banking platform and Open Finance ecosystem, delivering secure, scalable, and regulator-compliant banking services under the Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) Open Finance framework. We are looking for an experienced Solution Architect to own the end-to-end solution architecture across digital banking platforms, Open Finance APIs, and partner integration capabilities. The successful consultant will work across Retail, SME, and Corporate Banking, collaborating with product owners, engineering teams, enterprise architecture, risk, compliance, and executive stakeholders to deliver strategic architecture decisions and enterprise-grade banking solutions. This role requires a hands-on architecture leader with strong experience delivering regulated banking platforms, API ecosystems, cloud-native solutions, and enterprise integration within tier-1 banking environments. The ideal candidate will also embrace modern AI-assisted architecture practices, leveraging AI tools to improve architecture documentation, design decisions, governance, and software delivery processes. This is a 6-month contract / freelance engagement with strong potential for extension. Key Responsibilities Solution & Platform Architecture • Own the end-to-end solution architecture for the Woven digital banking platform and Open Finance ecosystem. • Design scalable, secure, and resilient solution architectures supporting Retail, SME, and Corporate Banking. • Define architecture standards, integration patterns, and technology roadmaps aligned with enterprise objectives. • Produce Architecture Decision Records (ADRs), solution documentation, interface specifications, and technical design artefacts. • Lead architecture governance and participate in architecture review boards and executive design discussions. Open Finance & API Platform Architecture • Design and evolve Open Finance and Open Banking platforms aligned with the CBUAE Open Finance framework. • Architect secure API ecosystems supporting both regulated Open Finance APIs and commercial partner APIs. • Design API management strategies, developer portals, partner onboarding capabilities, API lifecycle management, and integration standards. • Define identity, consent management, entitlement, authentication, authorization, and API security models. • Support fintech integrations, third-party provider (TPP) connectivity, and API ecosystem expansion. Cloud, Integration & Platform Engineering • Design cloud-native banking solutions primarily on AWS, following enterprise architecture and regulatory requirements. • Architect microservices, event-driven architectures, containerized platforms, and enterprise integration solutions. • Define API gateway, messaging, and integration patterns using modern enterprise technologies. • Support platform scalability, resiliency, disaster recovery, observability, and operational readiness. • Collaborate with engineering teams throughout architecture implementation and delivery. Security, Risk & Regulatory Compliance • Ensure solution architectures comply with banking security, risk, and regulatory requirements. • Incorporate security-by-design principles across digital banking and API platforms. • Support compliance with Open Finance regulations, identity standards, API security, data protection, and operational resilience requirements. • Collaborate closely with Risk, Compliance, Internal Audit, and Information Security teams throughout solution delivery. AI-Assisted Architecture & Modern Delivery • Leverage AI tools to improve architecture activities including solution design, documentation, Architecture Decision Records (ADRs), interface specifications, threat modelling, and technical reviews. • Promote AI-assisted software delivery practices across architecture and engineering teams. • Evaluate emerging AI technologies, architecture tooling, and AI-enabled development practices. • Identify opportunities where AI can improve architecture governance, documentation quality, and engineering productivity while maintaining appropriate human oversight. Stakeholder Engagement & Technical Leadership • Work closely with Product Owners, Engineering Teams, Enterprise Architects, Technology Leadership, and Business Stakeholders. • Translate business requirements into scalable technical architectures. • Present architecture strategies and technical recommendations to senior management and executive stakeholders. • Provide technical leadership throughout the project lifecycle from solution design through implementation and production readiness. • Mentor engineering teams and promote architecture best practices across delivery teams. Required Experience • Approximately 10+ years of experience in Solution Architecture, Enterprise Architecture, or Digital Banking Architecture. • Strong experience designing enterprise-scale digital banking, Open Banking, Open Finance, or regulated API platforms. • Experience working within tier-1 banks, financial institutions, or highly regulated environments. • Proven experience delivering cloud-native banking solutions using AWS or similar enterprise cloud platforms. • Strong knowledge of microservices, event-driven architecture, enterprise integration, and API-first architecture. • Experience with API gateways, developer portals, API lifecycle management, and partner integration platforms. • Strong understanding of enterprise security, authentication, authorization, OAuth2, OpenID Connect, and API security. • Experience working with enterprise architecture governance, architecture review boards, and executive stakeholders. • Practical experience using AI tools (such as ChatGPT, GitHub Copilot, Claude, Cursor, Gemini, or similar) to improve architecture design, documentation, or software delivery is highly desirable. • Excellent communication, stakeholder management, documentation, and presentation skills. • Previous UAE or GCC banking experience is highly preferred. • Immediate or short-notice availability is highly preferred. Preferred Technical Skills • Digital Banking Platforms • Open Banking / Open Finance • API Management & API Gateway • AWS Cloud • Microservices Architecture • Event-Driven Architecture • Kafka • Spring Boot • REST APIs • OAuth2 / OpenID Connect • Identity & Access Management • Kubernetes / Docker / OpenShift • CI/CD • Enterprise Integration • Architecture Governance • AI-assisted Architecture Tools • Architecture Documentation & ADRs • Banking Security & Regulatory Compliance. Work Setup • Hybrid Engagement (Majority Onsite) • Abu Dhabi, UAE

Required Experience: Approximately 10+ years of experience in Solution Architecture, Enterprise Architecture, or Digital Banking Architecture. Strong experience designing enterprise-scale digital banking, Open Banking, Open Finance, or regulated API platforms. Experience working within tier-1 banks, financial institutions, or highly regulated environments. Proven experience delivering cloud-native banking solutions using AWS or similar enterprise cloud platforms. Strong knowledge of microservices, event-driven architecture, enterprise integration, and API-first architecture. Experience with API gateways, developer portals, API lifecycle management, and partner integration platforms. Strong understanding of enterprise security, authentication, authorization, OAuth2, OpenID Connect, and API security. Experience working with enterprise architecture governance, architecture review boards, and executive stakeholders. Practical experience using AI tools (such as ChatGPT, GitHub Copilot, Claude, Cursor, Gemini, or similar) to improve architecture design, documentation, or software delivery is highly desirable. Excellent communication, stakeholder management, documentation, and presentation skills. Previous UAE or GCC banking experience is highly preferred. Immediate or short-notice availability is highly preferred.

Key Responsibilities: Solution & Platform Architecture – Own the end-to-end solution architecture for the Woven digital banking platform and Open Finance ecosystem. Design scalable, secure, and resilient solution architectures supporting Retail, SME, and Corporate Banking. Define architecture standards, integration patterns, and technology roadmaps aligned with enterprise objectives. Produce Architecture Decision Records (ADRs), solution documentation, interface specifications, and technical design artefacts. Lead architecture governance and participate in architecture review boards and executive design discussions. Open Finance & API Platform Architecture – Design and evolve Open Finance and Open Banking platforms aligned with the CBUAE Open Finance framework. Architect secure API ecosystems supporting both regulated Open Finance APIs and commercial partner APIs. Design API management strategies, developer portals, partner onboarding capabilities, API lifecycle management, and integration standards. Define identity, consent management, entitlement, authentication, authorization, and API security models. Support fintech integrations, third-party provider (TPP) connectivity, and API ecosystem expansion. Cloud, Integration & Platform Engineering – Design cloud-native banking solutions primarily on AWS, following enterprise architecture and regulatory requirements. Architect microservices, event-driven architectures, containerized platforms, and enterprise integration solutions. Define API gateway, messaging, and integration patterns using modern enterprise technologies. Support platform scalability, resiliency, disaster recovery, observability, and operational readiness. Collaborate with engineering teams throughout architecture implementation and delivery. Security, Risk & Regulatory Compliance – Ensure solution architectures comply with banking security, risk, and regulatory requirements. Incorporate security-by-design principles across digital banking and API platforms. Support compliance with Open Finance regulations, identity standards, API security, data protection, and operational resilience requirements. Collaborate closely with Risk, Compliance, Internal Audit, and Information Security teams throughout solution delivery. AI-Assisted Architecture & Modern Delivery – Leverage AI tools to improve architecture activities including solution design, documentation, Architecture Decision Records (ADRs), interface specifications, threat modelling, and technical reviews. Promote AI-assisted software delivery practices across architecture and engineering teams. Evaluate emerging AI technologies, architecture tooling, and AI-enabled development practices. Identify opportunities where AI can improve architecture governance, documentation quality, and engineering productivity while maintaining appropriate human oversight. Stakeholder Engagement & Technical Leadership – Work closely with Product Owners, Engineering Teams, Enterprise Architects, Technology Leadership, and Business Stakeholders. Translate business requirements into scalable technical architectures. Present architecture strategies and technical recommendations to senior management and executive stakeholders. Provide technical leadership throughout the project lifecycle from solution design through implementation and production readiness. Mentor engineering teams and promote architecture best practices across delivery teams.