Head of Digital Architect

Description

• Role : Head of Digital Architect
  Location : Abu Dhabi
  
  Role Purpose:
  
  The Head of Digital Architect is accountable for defining governing and continuously evolving ADIBs Digital Ecosystem architecture. This includes digital channels mobile and web experiences APIs microservices integration layers identity and access capabilities CRM and customer engagement platforms data and analytics interfaces AI-enabled capabilities partnerintegrationsand supporting platform role ensures that digital solutions are designed as part of a cohesive secure scalableresilientand future-ready ecosystem aligned with business strategy enterprise architecture principles regulatoryexpectationsand customer experience ambitions.
  
  Key Accountabilities of the role
  
  Define andmaintainthe target-state architecture for the Digital Ecosystem across mobile web API microservices integration identity dataAIand partner-facing capabilities.

• Translate digital business priorities and product roadmaps intoarchitectureroadmaps transitionstatesand platform evolution plans.

• Ensure digital architecture decisions support speed to market while protecting long-term platform health scalability resilience and maintainability.

• Architect digital capabilities to provide consistentsecureand high-performing customer experiences across digital channels.

• Promote reusable customer product authentication notificationcommunicationand servicing capabilities across the ecosystem.

• Ensure digital journeys are designed with clear consideration for performance availability observability accessibilitysecurityand operational support.

• Define and govern API-first architecture principles API standards service boundaries interface contracts and integration patterns.
• Guide secure and scalable integration with core banking cards payments CRM risk fraud identity analytics third-party providers and fintech partners.
• Ensure ecosystem integrations are designed with clear ownership versioning error handling throttling monitoring resilience and lifecycle management.

• Provide architecture direction for microservices event-driven patterns container platforms cloud-nativecapabilitiesand digital platform modernization.

• Define reusable reference architectures technologypatternsand design guardrails to reduce duplication and improve consistency across squads.

• Assess platform constraints architecture debt technologyobsolescenceand scalability risks and driveprioritisedremediation plans.

• Own digital architecture review and design assurance for strategic digital initiatives major ecosystem changes and reusable platform capabilities.

• Ensure solution designs address functional scope non-functional requirements dependencies data flows security resilience operational impacts and regulatory expectations.

• Govern architecture exceptions architecture decision records design standards and alignment with enterprise architecture principles.

• Embed secure-by-design and privacy-by-design principles across the Digital Ecosystem including identity access data protection APIsecurityandsecretsmanagement.

• Partner with Information Security Risk Compliance Infrastructure and Operations teams to ensure digital architecture meets controlresilienceand regulatory requirements.

• Ensure architecture decisions proactively mitigate operational cyber integrationperformanceand customer-impact risks.

• Provide architecture direction for AI-enabled digital capabilities conversational banking customer engagementautomationand intelligent service journeys.

• Evaluate emerging technologies based on business value architecture fit ecosystem interoperability securitysupportabilityand total cost of ownership.

• Ensure new digital capabilities are introduced through governed architecture patterns rather than isolated point solutions.

• Act as the senior architecture advisor to Product Owners Engineering Leads Enterprise Architecture Security Infrastructure DataOperationsand senior stakeholders.

• Lead and mentor architects and senior technical contributors to improve architecture discipline decisionqualityand design consistency.

• Communicate architecture options trade-offs risksdependenciesand recommendations clearly to both technical and executive audiences.

  Specialist Skills / Technical Knowledge Required for this role:
  

• Deep knowledge of digital banking ecosystem architecture including mobile web APIs microservices integration identity dataAIand partner platforms.

• Ability to define target-state architecture transition architecture reference architecture ecosystem principles architecturestandardsand reusable design patterns.

• Strong understanding of API-first design RESTful APIs API gateways service decomposition domain boundaries interfacecontractsandintegrationlifecycle management.

• Experience with microservices event-driven architecture domain-driven design container platforms cloud-nativepatternsand platform modernization.

• Strong understanding of non-functional requirements including scalability availability performance resilience observability supportabilityrecoverabilityand operational readiness.

• Knowledge of secure architecture practices including IAM/CIAM API security authenticationauthorisation encryptionsecretsmanagement dataprotectionand secure integration patterns.

• Ability to assess third-party platforms SDKs fintech integrations and vendor solutions from architecture security interoperabilitylifecycleand supportability perspectives.

• Experience with architecture governance architecture decision records design review forums exception management technical debtgovernanceandstandardsadoption.

• Good understanding of modern software engineering practices DevOps CI/CD automated testing release governance codequalityand operational monitoring to guide architectural decisions.

• Excellent writtenverbaland executive communication skills with the ability to simplify architecture trade-offs for senior stakeholders.

Required Experience:

Director

Employment Type : Full-Time
Experience: years
Vacancy: 1