Section Head (API Engineering)

BDO Unibank; Metro Manila; On-site; PHP 2,000,000 - 4,000,000; Full time

Job summary

BDO Unibank, Inc. is seeking a Head of API Engineering to lead the engineering capability for BIAN service domains across channels and consuming systems.

The role drives the delivery of secure, scalable APIs aligned to BIAN specifications and oversees both internal teams and vendor partners to ensure high productivity and adherence to architectural standards. The candidate will guide modern API development practices, DevSecOps, microservices, and cloud-native patterns while ensuring regulatory

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science / Information Technology or related field, or equivalent work experience.
• 10+ years' experience in software engineering, integration, or API development.
• 3–5 years in engineering leadership managing teams or large-scale programs.
• Strong experience implementing API platforms, service orchestration, and microservices.
• Background in BIAN framework or financial services integration is a strong advantage.
• Willing to work onsite and be assigned in Ortigas.

Responsibilities

• Establishing and managing the engineering capability to implement and maintain BIAN Service Domains across channels and consuming systems.
• Driving delivery of reusable, standardized, secure, and scalable APIs aligned to BIAN specs and the bank's integration architecture.
• Leading and managing internal engineering teams and vendor partners to ensure productivity, quality, and utilization.
• Ensure all API solutions meet target state architecture, non-functional requirements, and regulatory compliance.
• Governing API implementation activities across multiple programs and guiding teams on modern API practices, CI/CD, and cloud-native patterns.
• Approve designs, code quality standards, deployment processes, and integration approaches for API projects.

Skills

API platforms

Microservices

Service orchestration

Enterprise integration

Leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science / Information Technology

Job description

BDO Unibank, Inc. is the Philippines’ leading full-service bank, offering a wide range of financial and digital banking services. Guided by our brand promise “We Find Ways,” we are committed to delivering easy, reliable, and customer-focused services. Build your career with a trusted industry leader.

Job Summary:

The role ensures that API engineering practices, delivery frameworks, technical designs, and implementation strategies adhere to BDO enterprise architecture guardrails, integration standards, and modernization objectives.

The Head of API Engineering is responsible for:

• Establishing and managing the engineering capability required to implement and maintain BIAN Service Domains across all channels and consuming systems.
• Driving the delivery of reusable, standardized, secure, and scalable APIs aligned to BIAN specifications and the bank’s integration architecture.
• Leading and managing both internal engineering teams and third-party managed service providers, ensuring optimal productivity, quality, and utilization.
• Ensuring all API-related solutions meet the expected target state architecture, quality gates, non-functional requirements, and regulatory compliance.
• Governing API implementation activities across multiple business and technology programs.
• Guiding engineering teams on modern API development practices, DevSecOps, microservices, and cloud-native patterns.

Key Responsibilities:

Compliance with Enterprise Architecture

• Understand, apply, and advocate BDO’s Enterprise Architecture guardrails, including architecture principles, technology standards, integration patterns, and non-functional requirements (NFRs).
• Ensure BIAN standard guidelines, canonical models, and service domain boundaries are consistently applied across all engineering deliverables.
• Create and maintain engineering implementation templates, reusable patterns, API design standards, and best practices aligned to enterprise integration strategy.
• Partner with Enterprise Architects, Domain Architects, and Platform Owners to ensure a unified architectural direction for API ecosystems.

Project & Delivery Execution

• Translate business capabilities and BIAN service domain mappings into engineering work packages, backlog items, and implementation roadmaps.
• Lead the engineering execution for large-scale API programs, ensuring delivery commitments are met with quality, timeliness, and alignment to strategic objectives.
• Work with program managers, system owners, architects, and vendor teams to define API specifications, technical dependencies, sequencing, and integration approaches.
• Identify and resolve engineering challenges, risks, and issues that may affect solution architecture, delivery, or operational stability.
• Validate that all implemented APIs adhere to approved solution architectures and BIAN guidelines without critical deviations.
• Drive continuous modernization by identifying technical debt, legacy patterns, or outdated integration approaches requiring refactoring.
• Approve engineering-level designs, code quality standards, deployment processes, and integration approaches for all API related projects.
• Ensure all engineering outputs (code, documentation, configurations, API contracts) follow BDO templates and regulatory/operational requirements.
• Oversee day-to-day performance and delivery outputs of vendor-managed service teams, ensuring contractual compliance and high engineering productivity.
• Define KPIs, SLAs, coding standards, documentation requirements, and delivery expectations for all vendor engineering groups.
• Conduct regular performance reviews, technical assessments, and quality audits of partner resources.
• Serve as the main technical and delivery escalation point for third-party engineering teams.
• Ensure vendor partners operate as an extension of the internal API COE, aligned to bank standards and priorities.
• Champion modern engineering practices including CI/CD pipelines, automated testing, security scanning, and cloud-native deployment frameworks.
• Standardize API development toolchains, code repositories, branching strategies, and automated quality gates.
• Ensure engineering teams are trained and continuously updated on BIAN, microservices, containerization, and integration best practices.
• Promote reusability, standardization, and modular engineering to accelerate delivery and improve maintainability.

Capability Building & Technical Thought Leadership

• Build and maintain deep technical and functional knowledge of BIAN Service Domains and how they apply to BDO products, channels, and backend systems.
• Conduct coaching, training, and technical knowledge-sharing with internal API engineers and vendor teams.
• Stay informed on emerging API technologies, integration trends, and regulatory requirements affecting banking APIs.
• Drive internal community-of-practice initiatives to uplift engineering maturity

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science / Information Technology, similar courses/disciplines or with relevant work experience
• Minimum 10 years' experience in software engineering, integration, or API development.
• At least 3-5 years in engineering leadership, managing development teams or large-scale integration programs.
• Strong experience implementing API platforms, service orchestration, microservices, and enterprise integration patterns.
• Background in BIAN framework, domain-driven design, or financial services integration is a strong advantage.
• Must be willing to work onsite and be assigned in Ortigas