Section Head (API Services)

BDO Unibank; Metro Manila; On-site; PHP 2,000,000 - 3,200,000; Full time

Job summary

BDO Unibank, Inc. seeks a Section Head to define, design, and govern enterprise-grade API architectures for banking systems. You will lead API strategy, governance, and tech leadership to deliver secure, scalable APIs enabling digital transformation across platforms.

Qualifications include a Bachelor’s/Master’s in CS/IT and 7+ years in software architecture with 3+ years in banking API architecture. Onsite role in Makati/Ortigas, with focus on API-first design and regulatory compliance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or related field.
• At least 7 years in software architecture/design, with 3+ years in API architecture for banking/financial services.

Responsibilities

• Define the API strategy, roadmap, and governance framework aligned with business IT goals.
• Establish API design standards, best practices, and compliance metrics.
• Maintain an API catalog and promote API-as-a-Product principles for reuse.
• Lead API-first design using OpenAPI/Swagger and produce diagrams and reference architectures.
• Define disaster recovery, observability, and security measures for APIs.
• Ensure APIs are reusable, secure, and scalable across banking domains.

Skills

API architecture

OpenAPI/Swagger

Security models

Regulatory compliance

Cloud/Platform

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s in CS/IT

Tools

Apigee

MuleSoft

Kong

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

As a Section Head, you will be responsible for defining, designing, and governing enterprise-grade API architectures for banking systems, ensuring alignment with the organization’s enterprise architecture blueprint, global banking standards, and regulatory requirements. The role drives API strategy, architecture governance, and technical leadership to deliver secure, scalable, and reusable APIs that enable digital transformation and interoperability across banking platforms.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic & Governance:

• Define the API strategy, roadmap, and governance framework aligned with business objectives and IT goals.
• Establish API design standards, best practices, and compliance metrics across the organization.
• Maintain an API catalog and promote API-as-a-Product principles for reuse and consistency.
• Assess the enterprise architecture blueprint and propose target-state API architecture aligned with BIAN service domains and ISO 20022 standards.
• Lead API-first design using Open API/Swagger and produce high-level and low-level sequence diagrams, reference architectures, and integration patterns.
• Ensure APIs are designed for reusability, modularity, and interoperability across banking domains.

Security & Compliance

• Define and enforce API security models (OAuth 2.0, JWT, TLS/mTLS) and ensure compliance with privacy regulations and industry standards (e.g., PCI DSS, GDPR).
• Implement secure-by-design principles, including input validation, encryption, and audit logging.

Performance & Scalability

• Compute rate limits and throughput based on non-functional requirements for high-volume banking transactions.
• Optimize APIs for low latency, high availability, and horizontal scalability; apply resilience patterns (circuit breaker, retry/backoff).

Platform & Operations

• Evaluate and manage API management platforms (Apigee, MuleSoft, Kong) and integrate with CI/CD pipelines.
• Define disaster recovery, failover strategies, and implement observability (logging, tracing, metrics).
• Work with solution architects, product managers, and engineering teams to translate business requirements into technical designs.
• Provide technical leadership, mentorship, and training on API design best practices.
• Participate in architecture review boards and roadmap planning.
• Conduct POCs for emerging API technologies and integration strategies.
• Monitor API performance and adoption; recommend improvements for scalability and developer experience.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or related field.
• At least 7 years in software architecture/design, with at least 3 years in API architecture for banking or financial services.
• Proven experience in API strategy, design governance, and platform implementation.
• Must be willing to work onsite and be assigned in Makati/Ortigas.