Role Purpose

To provide end-to-end solution and application architecture for the bank's technology initiatives. The Solution Architect will translate business and technical requirements into secure, scalable, resilient and maintainable solution designs, ensuring alignment with the bank's business strategy, enterprise architecture principles and technology standards.

This role requires strong Java backend engineering experience and the ability to make practical architecture decisions across applications, APIs, integrations, data, security, infrastructure and delivery constraints.

Key Responsibilities

• Design end-to-end application and solution architectures for business and technology initiatives.
• Translate functional and non-functional requirements into clear, deliverable technical solution designs.
• Define architecture for Java-based backend applications, services, APIs and integrations.
• Design scalable, secure and resilient solutions using modern backend and integration patterns.
• Balance business needs against architecture principles, cost, resource utilisation, performance, security, scalability and delivery timelines.
• Produce and maintain solution architecture artefacts, including:
  • Solution design documents
  • Application and integration architecture diagrams
  • API and service design specifications
  • Data flow and security considerations
  • Architecture decision records
  • Risks, assumptions, dependencies and constraints
• Work closely with Business Analysts, Product Owners, Engineering Leads, Developers, Enterprise Architects, Security, Infrastructure, Cloud and Integration teams.
• Review detailed technical designs and provide architecture guidance to development teams.
• Ensure alignment to Nedbank architecture governance, approved technology standards and strategic roadmaps.
• Identify opportunities for reuse, simplification, modernisation and reduction of technical debt.
• Support delivery teams throughout the solution lifecycle, including design, build, testing, deployment and post-implementation support.
• Participate in architecture review forums, technical governance sessions and solution design workshops.

Required Experience

• Proven experience as a Solution Architect, Application Architect, Technical Architect or Senior Java Architect.
• Strong hands-on background in Java backend development.
• Experience designing and delivering enterprise-scale application solutions.
• Strong experience with Java, Spring Boot, microservices and RESTful APIs.
• Experience designing integration-heavy solutions across multiple systems and platforms.
• Solid understanding of non-functional requirements including:
  • Performance
  • Scalability
  • Resilience
  • Availability
  • Security
  • Maintainability
  • Monitoring and supportability
• Experience working in complex enterprise environments with formal architecture governance.
• Ability to engage effectively with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Technical Skills

• Java
• Spring Boot
• Microservices architecture
• REST APIs and API design
• Integration architecture
• Event-driven architecture
• Kafka, messaging platforms or similar technologies
• SQL and relational databases
• API gateways and service orchestration
• Cloud platforms, preferably Azure or AWS
• Docker and Kubernetes
• CI/CD and DevOps practices
• Application security and secure coding principles
• High availability, resilience and performance design
• Architecture modelling and documentation tools

Advantageous Experience

• Banking or financial services experience.
• Exposure to digital banking, payments, lending, collections, customer platforms or transactional systems.
• Experience with cloud-native architecture and modernisation initiatives.
• TOGAF or similar enterprise architecture certification.
• Experience working within Agile delivery environments.
• Exposure to architecture governance boards or design authorities.