Channels Architect

## **The Opportunity** Global Transaction Banking is rebuilding its client-facing technology from the ground up — micro-frontends, real-time APIs, Host to Host and event-driven connectivity across a modern cloud-native stack. As **Channels Architect**, you will drive the end-to-end technical architecture for how GTB products are built and experienced — from the API contracts that power them, to the micro-frontend shells that deliver them, to the connectivity layer that connects them to the world. You will set the architecture that two pods (UIs and Connectivity) build against, partner closely with the Data and Platform architects, and be the technical authority the product and design teams turn to when tradeoffs need to be made. This is a hands-on architecture role. You will be in the code, in the design reviews, and in the room where product direction is set. **Mandate:** Define and steward the full stack architecture across GTB's client experience and connectivity layers — ensuring every surface is composable, every integration is reliable, and every engineering team can ship with confidence. **Client Experience Architecture** * Define the micro-frontend architecture — shell application, module federation strategy, shared component system, and client-side state model.* Set standards for performance, accessibility, and design system alignment across all user-facing surfaces.* Own the frontend platform: build tooling, testing frameworks, CI/CD integration, and developer experience for frontend teams.* Partner with Product and UX to evaluate feasibility, surface constraints early, and drive decisions that balance speed with quality. **API & Integration Architecture** * Design and govern the API layer — RESTful and GraphQL contracts, versioning strategy, gateway configuration, and consumer-driven contract testing.* Own the connectivity architecture connecting GTB systems to internal platforms, partner networks, and third-party services.* Define patterns for event-driven integration, message routing, and protocol translation across diverse connectivity requirements.* Ensure API security, rate limiting, observability, and reliability are first-class concerns **Engineering Standards & Enablement** * Establish and maintain full stack engineering standards, reference architectures, and reusable patterns across the UIs and Connectivity.* Lead architectural reviews, spike investigations, and critical design decisions.* Drive adoption of engineering best practices: automated testing, observability, feature flagging, progressive delivery.* Mentor Staff and Senior Engineers; grow architectural thinking across the teams. **Enterprise Architecture Engagement** This role operates within the enterprise architecture governance model and is expected to lead and represent the Channels domain through all EA touchpoints: **Process & Accountabilities** * **Architecture Engagement & Triage**: Register new initiatives; scope architecture risk and complexity; route to appropriate review track.* **Design Council / Peer Review:** Present Channels architectural decisions for peer challenge; review and provide input on cross-domain proposals.* **Architecture Blueprinting & Platform Vision:** Own and maintain the Channels architecture blueprint; align to enterprise target state and multi-year platform roadmap.* **Architecture Certificate / APAT Approval:** Obtain architecture approval for all qualifying delivery initiatives; ensure designs meet enterprise standards before build entry.* **Standards & Controls Alignment:** Ensure Channels solutions comply with enterprise security, data, API, and integration standards; identify and formally manage exceptions.* **Business Architecture & Capability Governance:** Map Channels technical capabilities to business capability model; participate in capability investment planning and rationalization.* **Delivery Readiness Handshakes (PI / Build Execution):** Confirm architecture completeness at PI planning gates; support delivery teams through architecture queries during build and validate that solutions are built to design. **What We're Looking For** **Core Requirements** * **10+ years** of software engineering experience, with the last 5+ in an architecture or technical leadership role.* Proven track record designing and delivering production-grade full stack systems at enterprise scale — not just contributing to them.* Deep expertise in **modern frontend architecture**: micro-frontends, module federation, React (or equivalent), component systems, and frontend performance engineering.* Strong backend engineering grounding: **Java** or **Node.js**, REST and GraphQL API design, and distributed systems fundamentals.* Solid understanding of **API gateway patterns**, security (OAuth2, mTLS, OIDC), and integration architecture.* Experience with **Microsoft Azure** and cloud-native application delivery.* Comfortable with ambiguity — able to define the path forward when requirements are incomplete and tradeoffs are real. **Nice to Have** * Exposure to event-driven connectivity using **Kafka**, **Solace**, or similar messaging platforms.* Experience with **Kubernetes**-based application deployment and platform engineering.* Familiarity with design systems and component library governance at scale.* Financial services or transaction banking domain experience. **Why Join Us** This is a rare opportunity to do foundational architecture work — not incremental improvements to an established system, but defining how a major financial institution's client-facing technology is built for the next decade. You'll have real authority, proximity to business outcomes, and a team of strong engineers. The work is hard, the platform is genuinely interesting, and the decisions you make will matter. **#LI-TECH**
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