Architect

About the role
As an Architect, you help shape a future-ready technology landscape that supports critical banking services.
You translate business and product strategy into coherent architecture and work closely with Product Owners, Tribe Leads, engineering teams, Security, Risk and Enterprise Architecture. Your goal is to ensure solutions are scalable, resilient, secure and compliant, while forming part of an integrated technology platform rather than operating as individual point solutions.
This is a role for someone who combines strategic thinking with practical technical leadership. You should be equally comfortable discussing target architecture with senior stakeholders and reviewing API designs or event models together with engineers.

What you will do
Shape the architecture vision and roadmap
• Define and maintain target architecture across one or more Transaction Services domains, including payments processing, cash management and liquidity, trade finance, client channels or connectivity.
• Translate business and product strategy into architecture roadmaps, transition states and clear priorities.
• Identify opportunities to simplify the technology landscape, increase reuse and retire legacy applications.
Design scalable solutions
• Lead end-to-end solution design across client channels such as host-to-host connectivity, APIs and portals, as well as processing engines, clearing and settlement connections and back-office systems.
• Work with technologies and infrastructures including SWIFT, SEPA, TARGET2/T2 and instant-payment schemes.
• Promote API-first and event-driven architecture, including domain modelling, integration patterns and data flows.
• Support migration towards ISO 20022 and other relevant industry standards, with a focus on interoperability and data quality.
• Balance performance, availability, cost, security and time-to-market, documenting key trade-offs through architecture decision records.
Build resilience, security and compliance into the architecture
• Incorporate non-functional requirements from the outset, including 24/7 availability, low latency, throughput, recoverability and observability.
• Partner with Security and Risk stakeholders on requirements related to DORA, PSD2/PSD3, sanctions screening, AML/KYC controls and data privacy.
• Contribute to operational resilience through scenario planning, capacity planning and disaster-recovery design.
Lead, collaborate and influence
• Serve as an architecture point of contact for squads and tribes.
• Coach engineers and encourage strong engineering practices.
• Participate in architecture governance and design reviews, providing pragmatic technical guidance and constructive challenge.
• Work with Enterprise Architecture and architecture peers across countries to align standards, reference architectures and shared platforms.

What you bring
Essential experience
• 10+ years of professional IT experience, including at least 5 years in an architecture role, such as Solution Architect, Domain Architect or Enterprise Architect.
• Strong experience within payments, cash management, liquidity or trade finance, preferably in a wholesale or transaction-banking environment.
• Demonstrated experience delivering large-scale, mission-critical technology platforms.
• Experience leading or playing a significant role in legacy-modernisation initiatives
Technical expertise
• Payment flows, clearing and settlement
• ISO 20022 and SWIFT MT/MX
• SEPA, including SCT, SCT Inst and SDD
• Real-time payment schemes
• Microservices architecture
• REST APIs and OpenAPI
• Event streaming technologies such as Kafka
• Enterprise integration patterns
• Cloud-native technologies, including containers and Kubernetes
• Private and public cloud environments
• DevOps and CI/CD practices
• Data architecture and security architecture, including IAM, encryption and zero-trust principles
• Observability

What will help you succeed
In addition to your technical background, this position suits someone who can operate between strategy and implementation. You can communicate architecture choices clearly to different audiences and work effectively across product, engineering, security, risk and architecture disciplines.
You take a pragmatic approach to architecture: setting clear direction while remaining close enough to engineering to understand the implications of technical decisions.

What we offer:
• A competitive salary based on your qualities and experience
• NS business card to cover your commute expenses
• 25 days of paid holiday per year
• A laptop and a smartphone
• A pension scheme
• Health insurance
• Organization driven by technology – we have a tremendous technology backbone
• Access to Udemy, Cognizant Academy digital libraries for your continuous learning
• Open, ‘can do’ team spirit and international environment that encourages making your ideas reality!

Diversity and Inclusion at Cognizant:
At Cognizant, we believe diversity and inclusion are at the heart of our ability to execute successfully and consistently over the long term. We recognize that our people are our most important asset. We strive to create an environment where all associates feel comfortable to be themselves, feel accepted and can therefore thrive both personally and professionally. We continue to drive D&I throughout our organization to unlock the insights, imagination and innovation of our associates, as well as reflect the diversity of our clients and communities. We are a Dutch and European Top Employer and continually drive employment recognition and engagement through employee friendly policies and affinity groups such as “Women Empowered”, “Embrace LGBTQ+” and “Race Equality Network”. For more information, see https://careers.cognizant.com/global/en/diversity-and-inclusion

Recruiter contact details
Name: Nikoletta Katona
Email: Nikoletta.Katona@cognizant.com

Additional employment information
Compensation information is accurate as of the date of this posting. Cognizant reserves the right to modify this information at any time, subject to applicable law.

Applicants may be required to attend interviews in person or by video conference. In addition, candidates may be required to present their current state or government issued ID during each interview.

Cognizant is an equal opportunity employer. Your application and candidacy will not be considered based on race, color, sex, religion, creed, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, veteran status or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

Applicants for US based positions must be currently authorized to work for any employer in the United States. The company is unable to provide employment-based immigration sponsorship for US based positions.

If you have a disability that requires reasonable accommodation to search for a job opening or submit an application, please email CareersNA2@cognizant.com for roles based in the Americas or CareersIndia2@cognizant.com for roles based in India.

About Cognizant:
Cognizant (Nasdaq: CTSH) is an AI Builder and technology services provider, bridging the gap between AI investment and enterprise value by building full-stack AI solutions for our clients. Our deep industry, process and engineering expertise enables us to build an organization’s unique context into technology systems that amplify human potential, drive tangible outcomes and keep global enterprises ahead in a fast-changing world. See how at cognizant.ai or @cognizant.