Cards Solution Architect

Hydrogen Group; England; Hybrid; GBP 125,000 - 150,000; Part time

Job summary

A leading technology recruitment firm is seeking a Cards Solution Architect for a contract role in Knutsford. The candidate will design and implement technology solutions in the core banking sphere, focusing on scalability and security. Ideal applicants will have substantial experience in the payments and banking landscape, with a strong ability to manage stakeholders and influence strategy across teams. This contract is for 2-3 months with a daily rate of £500 inside IR35.

Qualifications

• Experience in designing technology solutions for core banking.
• Hands-on experience in payments and current account switching.
• Ability to influence strategy across multiple teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design for scalable, secure solutions in core banking.
• Oversee architectural governance and produce design artefacts.
• Advise on innovation in the banking landscape and integration strategies.

Skills

Expertise in current account journeys

Strong knowledge of core banking systems

Stakeholder management

Tools

JIRA

Tableau

Excel

PowerPoint

Confluence

Job description

Overview

Card Solution Architect – Knutsford (2 days a week in office). Duration: 2-3 months. Rate: £500 p/d Inside IR35.

Role Description

Seeking a Cards Solution Architect with experience in current account journeys, including loans and account switching. The ideal candidate will be responsible for designing, developing, and implementing technology solutions for complex core banking and current account challenges, ensuring systems are scalable, resilient, and secure. This role requires strong domain expertise in payments, core banking, and cards systems.

You will work closely with stakeholders across business and technology, taking ownership of solution architecture for core banking programmes, and guiding integration strategies—balancing cloud adoption, automation, and compliance.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide expertise in the Cards and Payments domain, particularly in card issuance and authorisation journeys.
• Lead design and technical architecture for loans, savings/current accounts, current account switching, and payments, with focus on scalability, resiliency, security, and regulatory compliance.
• Collaborate with project managers, product owners, and business analysts to align solutions with business requirements and risk controls for current accounts.
• Oversee architectural governance, producing design artefacts for privacy, records management, and risk.
• Advise business and product teams, support technical delivery, and drive innovation in the banking landscape.
• Evaluate and integrate vendor products, contribute to systems strategy, and automate operational processes to reduce manual intervention.

Essential Expertise

• Strong knowledge of the current account and core banking landscape, payment schemes, and architecture paradigms (cloud, APIs, DevOps, security).
• Hands-on experience with workforce planning tools and reporting platforms (Excel, PowerPoint, JIRA, Tableau, Confluence).
• Familiarity with project delivery best practices.
• Excellent stakeholder management, business acumen, and ability to influence strategy across multiple teams and business functions.