Senior Enterprise Architect - Digital Banking

About the role

A fast-growing, fully digital bank in the UAE, licensed and regulated by the Central Bank, is hiring a Senior Enterprise Architect. The role sets and owns the bank's architecture direction, covering both engineering and infrastructure, and reports to the head of the technology function. It suits someone who creates the architecture vision, not only delivers it, with a clear path to wider technology leadership.

Key responsibilities

• Define and own the enterprise architecture vision, principles, standards and target-state roadmap for a digital-first bank
• Design blueprints across application, data, infrastructure and security
• Lead architecture governance and guide major technology initiatives
• Act as the link between business and technology, turning strategy into scalable architecture
• Lead legacy modernisation, cloud adoption and platform migration
• Assess emerging technologies (cloud, APIs, event-driven systems, blockchain, analytics) and recommend which to adopt
• Ensure architecture meets regulatory, security and privacy requirements

Required profile

• 10+ years in enterprise or solution architecture within banking, financial services or digital businesses
• Proven record of creating and owning architecture strategy, not just executing someone else's
• Experience leading large digital transformation, cloud or modernisation programmes
• Strong knowledge of TOGAF, Zachman or SABSA
• Good understanding of core banking systems (Finacle experience is a plus) and financial services regulation
• Experience in mature, highly regulated markets is highly valued
• Certifications such as TOGAF, AWS/Azure/GCP Architect, CISSP, ITIL or COBIT are an advantage
• Strong communicator and leader able to influence senior stakeholders

The position is based in Dubai, UAE; relocation candidates are welcome.