Solution Architect (Financial Services & Mobility)

techcarrot; Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 300,000 - 600,000; Full time

Job summary

techcarrot is seeking a Solution Architect to design and govern technology solutions across its Financial Services and Mobility businesses in the UAE. The role splits evenly between payments/lending and digital architecture, delivering secure, scalable architectures and prioritized roadmaps.

You will lead end-to-end solution architecture across origination, decisioning, payments, card processing, API ecosystems, and cloud-native deployments on Azure, with a focus on AI-enabled payments and

Qualifications

• Extensive architecture experience in payments, lending and digital platforms.
• Proven ability to model business capabilities and create target architectures.
• Strong presentation and communication skills for executive-level stakeholders.
• Hands-on with API management, event-driven integration and middleware.
• Cloud experience with Azure and familiarity with AI/Gen AI concepts.
• Knowledge of PCI DSS, card schemes and UAE payment rails is a plus.
• TOGAF or equivalent architecture certification is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end architecture for lending, cards and payments platforms.
• Define digital architecture using microservices, BFFs and frontend patterns.
• Oversee API-first designs, security, versioning and observability.
• Coordinate vendor tool integrations via SDKs and APIs with privacy in mind.
• Govern architecture decisions and ensure regulatory and security requirements are met.

Skills

API management

Event-driven integration

Azure cloud

AI opportunities

Security & PCI

Stakeholder communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/IT/Engineering

TOGAF

Azure Solutions Architect Expert

Azure AI Fundamentals

Tools

Salesforce

MoEngage

Google Analytics

Tag Manager

Job description

Job description

The Solution Architect will design and govern technology solutions across its Financial Services and Mobility businesses. The role is split equally between two areas of depth:

Payments, lending & cards (50%): financial lending (BNPL, consumer and auto loans), credit cards, payment gateways and orchestration, tokenisation and emerging agentic payments.

Digital architecture (50%): microservices, frontend and Backend-for-Frontend (BFF)architectures for websites, mobile apps, sales and marketing platforms, and their integration with partner tools through SDKs and APIs.

The role acts as a trusted advisor and technology lead to business and technology stakeholders, turning business needs into secure, scalable and reusable architectures. It also leads key architecture deliverables: business capability modelling, gap and opportunity assessment, As-Is, Transition and Target architecture views, and prioritized roadmaps.

Payments, lending & cards architecture (50%)

• Lead end-to-end solution architecture for lending and card products (BNPL, consumer and auto loans, credit cards) across origination, decisioning, limits, servicing, collections and settlement.
• Design payment acceptance and orchestration across in-store and online channels: payment gateways, PSPs, acquirers and orchestration platforms, card-on-file and recurring (merchant-initiated) payments, refunds and chargebacks.
• Define tokenisation and card-data security patterns (network and PSP tokens, hosted payment pages, 3-D Secure) that keep PCI DSS scope to a minimum.
• Design card issuing and processing integrations: card management and processor platforms, authorisation, scheme connectivity (Visa, Mastercard) and digital wallets (Apple Pay, Google Pay).
• Shape organisation's approach to agentic payments and commerce, where AI agents initiate or approve payments on a customer's behalf, with delegated authority, consent, tokenised credentials and fraud controls.
• Own integration of lending and payment platforms with credit bureau, KYC / AML, direct debit and finance systems (GL, settlement and reconciliation).

Digital, microservices & frontend architecture (50%)

• Define the target digital architecture for organisation websites, mobile apps, merchant portals and sales channels using microservices, micro-frontends and Backend-for-Frontend (BFF) patterns.
• Design API-first and event-driven services (REST, GraphQL, webhooks, event streaming) with API gateway management, versioning, security and observability.
• Architect the integration of sales, CRM, marketing automation, customer engagement and analytics tools (e.g., Salesforce, MoEngage, Google Analytics / Tag Manager) through vendor SDKs and APIs, with consent and data privacy built in.
• Set standards for web and mobile frontends, including headless CMS, performance, accessibility, SEO, A/B testing and personalisation, working with digital engineering teams.
• Define cloud-native deployment patterns on Azure (containers, Kubernetes, serverless) with DevOps, CI/CD and monitoring built in.

Business architecture & roadmap

• Maintain the Level 1 Business Capability Architecture across Financial Services and Mobility, mapping capabilities to applications, owners and gaps.
• Produce As-Is, Transition and Target architecture views and recommend prioritised roadmaps and initiatives.
• Present findings and recommendations to senior leadership in a clear, business-focused way.
• Delivery, governance & innovation
• Translate business requirements and customer journeys into solution designs that engineering and vendor teams can deliver, and guide them through build, test and go-live.
• Work closely with Product, Risk, Compliance, Finance and Operations to close design decisions.
• Drive approval of high-level designs through architecture governance; promote and enforce architectural principles, standards and patterns.
• Ensure security, data protection and regulatory requirements (including PCI DSS and Central Bank of the UAE rules) are built into designs.
• Identify AI and Gen AI opportunities across payments, lending and customer engagement, and keep current with fintech and digital technology trends.

Requirements

Key requirements

• A minimum of 12 years of experience in IT, including at least 5 years in a solution architecture role.
• Architecture experience in payments, cards or lending: payment gateways and orchestration, card issuing / processing, tokenisation, BNPL or consumer lending.
• Architecture experience in digital platforms: microservices, frontend and Backend-for-Frontend (BFF) architectures for customer-facing websites and mobile apps.
• Hands-on experience integrating third-party platforms through SDKs and APIs, including sales, marketing automation, customer engagement and analytics tools.
• Experience in business architecture: capability modelling and assessment, gap and opportunity identification, As-Is / Transition / Target views and prioritised roadmaps. Strong presentation (Microsoft PowerPoint) and communication skills are mandatory.
• Strong experience with API management, event-driven integration and enterprise middleware.
• Strong exposure to cloud platforms (Azure preferred) and to AI / Gen AI technologies, including awareness of agentic AI and agentic payments.
• Preferred certifications: TOGAF, CBA.

Other requirements

• Working knowledge of card schemes (Visa, Mastercard), PCI DSS, 3-D Secure, digital wallets and UAE payment rails (e.g., UAE Direct Debit System).
• Understanding of ERP and finance integration (e.g., settlement, reconciliation and General Ledger).
• Understanding of modern frontend technologies (e.g., React / Angular, React Native / Flutter), headless CMS and web performance.
• Understanding of security, identity (OAuth 2.0, OpenID Connect) and data privacy principles in a regulated environment.
• Experience working with third-party vendors and platform providers.
• Experience in architecture governance.
• Strong problem-solving and analytical abilities, with a focus on delivering business value.
• Experience in Agile / Scrum environments and familiarity with DevOps and CI/CD practices.
• Ability to work collaboratively in a team-oriented environment.
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering or a related field.
• Relevant certifications such as Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert or Azure AI Fundamentals are highly valued; payments certifications (e.g., Certified Payments Professional) are a plus.