Director, Enterprise Architecture
- Stamford, CT
- $165,000-180,000 per year
- Permanent
- Full-time
- Develop and maintain enterprise-wide IT architecture frameworks, roadmaps, and standards that align with business strategy and regulatory requirements
- Lead digital transformation initiatives, including cloud migration, microservices adoption, and API-first architecture implementation
- Assess emerging technologies and their potential impact on banking operations
- Create and execute technology modernization strategies to replace legacy systems while maintaining operational continuity
- Create and manage EA landscape, reference architecture, standards and templates for various architecture deliverables
- Support key business and IT initiatives by providing direction and guidelines on good architecture practices and solution design patterns
- Work with IT and business leaders to create and align roadmaps for different value streams and with those of vendors.
- Design secure, scalable architectures for core banking systems, digital banking platforms, and payment processing infrastructure
- Ensure compliance with banking regulations (PCI DSS, SOX, Basel III, GDPR, Open Banking) and implement appropriate security controls
- Architect solutions for real-time payment systems, fraud detection, risk management, and regulatory reporting
- Drive Open Banking platform development and third-party integration strategies
- Champion cloud-native and hybrid cloud solutions with emphasis on security and compliance
- Design microservices architectures, containerization strategies, and API gateway implementations
- Lead integration efforts with fintech partners, regulatory systems, and external payment networks
- Oversee data architecture, analytics platforms, and various infrastructure for business and customer insights
- Ensure alignment of solution architecture for different initiatives with the reference architecture and standards.
- Lead the solution and design of patterns, services, frameworks, and components for common enterprise needs.
- Provide guidance and help evaluate solution options and vendor products for key projects.
- Create a plan for tracking and managing the architecture and technical debts, finding rationalizing opportunities and risk areas
- Be a change agent to help the organization adopt an AI-driven mindset.
- Discuss the feasibility of AI use cases along with architectural design with stakeholders and translate vision into realistic technical implementation.
- Stay abreast of industry trends, emerging capabilities and upcoming regulations and ensure the enterprise is building solutions with appropriate guardrails to comply with ethical standards and industry regulations
- Assist with the design & build of a robust enterprise-wide architecture for AI and collaborate with data scientists, data engineers, developers, operations and security teams.
- Envision, design and assist with operationalizing end-to-end machine learning (ML) and AI pipeline.
- Partner with executives, business leaders, and IT teams to translate business requirements into technical solutions
- Present architecture vision and recommendations to executive leadership and board committees
- Mentor and guide solution architects, developers, and other technical team members
- Lead cross-functional teams in complex, multi-year transformation projects
- Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Information systems, engineering, or related field (Master’s preferred)
- 8+ years of enterprise architecture experience, with 5+ years specifically in banking, financial services, or fintech
- Proven track record of leading large-scale digital transformation projects in regulated environments
- Experience with EA tools like LeanIX, Archimate, BizzDesign or related.
- Enterprise Architecture Frameworks: Expertise in TOGAF, Zachman, or similar methodologies
- Cloud Platforms: Advanced proficiency in AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud with focus on financial services
- Banking Systems: Experience with core banking platforms (e.g., Temenos, FIS, Fiserv, Jack Henry), payment systems, and regulatory technology
- Modern Architecture Patterns: Interoperability/integrations, microservices, event-driven architecture, API-first design
- Security & Compliance: Strong understanding of banking cybersecurity frameworks, encryption, identity management, and regulatory compliance
- Data & Analytics: Experience with big data platforms, real-time analytics, and ML/AI implementation in banking
- TOGAF 9.2 Certified
- AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional or Azure Solutions Architect Expert
- CISSP, CISM, or equivalent security certifications
- Cloud Security Alliance (CSA) certifications
- Exceptional communication and presentation skills for executive business audiences
- Strong interpersonal and presentation skills; able to communicate complex concepts effectively
- Exceptional problem-solving, analytical, and communication skills with the ability to engage and advise both non-technical and technical stakeholders.
- Strong strategic thinking capabilities
- Proven ability to influence and drive change across large, complex organizations
- Experience managing cross-functional teams and external vendor relationships
- Cultural awareness and ability to work in diverse, global environments