Associate Vice President – Solution Architect – Digital Assets

Job Description Our Architecture team is looking for a skilled and experienced Digital Asset Technical Architect to design, implement, and manage a greenfield digital asset ecosystem, focusing on custody management, stablecoin issuance, and seamless integration with our bank's mobile banking platform. The ideal candidate will have a proven track record of deploying digital asset solutions, strong technical expertise in key management, security architecture, cloud technologies, and a comprehensive understanding of regulatory compliance, particularly with the Central Bank of UAE (CBUAE) mandates. What You Will Do • Architect and implement a secure, scalable digital asset ecosystem. • Design institutional-grade custody solutions including wallets, HSMs and key management. • Lead stablecoin issuance and lifecycle management capabilities. • Integrate digital asset platforms with core banking, payments and mobile banking. • Establish security architecture, risk controls and operational governance. • Ensure compliance with CBUAE regulations and AML/CFT requirements. Digital Asset Platform Architecture • Design and deploy a secure, scalable, and compliant digital asset ecosystem from the ground up. • Establish custody management, stablecoin issuance, tokenization, and digital wallet capabilities. • Integrate digital asset services with core banking systems, mobile banking platforms, exchanges, and third-party ecosystems through APIs. Blockchain And Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) • Expertise in blockchain technologies and distributed ledger protocols (e.g., Ethereum, Hyperledger) for building custody management and stablecoin issuance solutions. Blockchain & Smart Contract Development. • Architect solutions using blockchain and distributed ledger technologies such as Ethereum and Hyperledger. • Design, develop, and govern secure smart contracts for stablecoin issuance, transaction processing, and digital asset management. • Enable interoperability across external digital asset networks, exchanges, and banking infrastructure. Security & Key Management. • Implement enterprise-grade cybersecurity controls, including HSM-based cryptographic key management. • Establish security frameworks based on NIST, ISO 27001, and industry best practices. • Lead penetration testing, vulnerability assessments, incident response planning, and disaster recovery strategies. Cloud, Infrastructure & DevOps. Cloud And API Integration • Architect cloud-native, highly available, scalable, and resilient digital asset platforms. • Define end-to-end infrastructure architecture covering HA, DR, performance, security, and elimination of single points of failure. • Establish CI/CD pipelines and DevSecOps practices to ensure secure and efficient solution delivery. Regulatory Compliance & Governance. • Ensure compliance with CBUAE regulations, AML/KYC requirements, and applicable international digital asset standards. • Monitor regulatory developments and adapt technology solutions and operating models accordingly. • Collaborate with regulators and internal control functions to maintain governance and compliance. Operations & Vendor Management. • Manage the complete solution lifecycle from requirements gathering through production support. • Develop operational playbooks, monitoring frameworks, dashboards, and automation capabilities. • Evaluate and manage technology vendors, blockchain providers, custodians, and strategic partners. Enterprise Architecture & Strategic Leadership. • Apply TOGAF and Enterprise Architecture principles to create a future-ready digital asset platform aligned with business strategy. • Design modular, API-first, microservices-based architectures to promote flexibility and scalability. • Drive stakeholder engagement, change management, and cross-functional collaboration across business, technology, risk, compliance, and security teams. What We Are Looking For • Bachelor's or master's degree in computer science, IT, Engineering or related field. • 8+ years of architecture or platform engineering experience in banking, fintech or digital assets. • Experience with custody platforms, wallets, tokenisation and stablecoin ecosystems. • Strong knowledge of blockchain, cryptography, cloud platforms and cybersecurity. • Expertise in API management, enterprise integration and digital banking ecosystems. • Experience with UAE digital asset regulations. • Knowledge of tokenized deposits, CBDCs, stablecoins and blockchain interoperability. • Professional certifications in cloud, security, architecture or blockchain technologies. • Cloud Architects certification from public cloud providers like AWS, Azure etc. • Certification on Virtualization and related technology.