Director, Digital Payments Architecture & Transformation

JP Morgan Chase; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 176,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

JPMorganChase is seeking a Principal Architect - Digital Architecture for Payments to shape target-state architecture for Merchant Payments across web, API, headless checkout, commerce, and mobile experiences. The role combines strategic leadership with hands-on design and delivery, reporting to senior business and technology executives.

The candidate will drive digital transformation, mentor architects, and influence architecture governance while partnering with product, engineering, and

Qualifications

• Formal training or certification on software engineering concepts and 10+ years applied experience, including significant architecture leadership with software patterns and principles.
• Strong executive communication and leadership presence, with the ability to influence senior stakeholders and steer outcomes in complex, matrixed organizations.
• Proven track record shaping digital transformation in payments or financial services, such as digital onboarding, client self-service, developer experience, and partner integration.
• Strong experience with agentic commerce, headless commerce, and checkout architectures for eCommerce and omnichannel merchant experiences.
• Deep hands‑on experience with web architecture, modern web frameworks, and mobile frameworks.
• Expertise in APIs, including API standards, functional design, lifecycle management, and governance.
• Experience in establishing AI standards, design, and governance.
• Strong experience in Identity and Access Management (IAM), including partner integration through APIs and web (e.g., OAuth, OIDC, SSO, federation).
• Solid understanding of acquiring and merchant services payments, including in-store and eCommerce payment flows. Practical, hands‑on experience with cloud‑native architecture and delivery.
• Experience as a functional (business/product) architect who can turn business requirements into designs and technical delivery roadmaps. Strong grasp of domain modeling, business process flows, client journeys, and use cases.

Responsibilities

• Define and drive the digital architecture strategy and target state for Merchant Payments products, aligned to business goals and go-to-market plans.
• Shape and execute the digital transformation roadmap, covering digital onboarding, client self-service, partner integration, and omnichannel commerce.
• Architect headless checkout and commerce solutions that connect web, mobile, in-store, and partner channels.
• Lead API strategy, including API standards, design-first practices, governance, and partner and developer experience.
• Establish web and mobile framework developer practices and governance.
• Partner with business and technology stakeholders to assess needs, propose design options, and recommend the best path to market.
• Build trusted relationships with senior business and technical decision makers, both internal and client-facing, and provide thought leadership.
• Break product strategy down into technical delivery roadmaps, milestones, and executable workstreams for engineering teams.
• Find opportunities to modernize platform capabilities alongside business initiatives. Contribute to and influence architecture governance forums, championing standards, patterns, and reusable capabilities.
• Lead evaluations of external vendors, fintechs, startups, and internal solutions, assessing architecture, technical credentials, and fit. Mentor and influence architects and engineers across teams to raise architecture maturity

Skills

Executive presence

Digital transformation

API strategy

Headless commerce

Web/mobile architecture

IAM and security

Cloud-native architecture

Solution design

Leadership with stakeholders

Architectural governance

Tools

APIs

Modern web frameworks

OAuth/OIDC/SSO

Job description

JPMorganChase is seeking a Principal Architect - Digital Architecture for Payments to shape target-state architecture for Merchant Payments across web, API, headless checkout, commerce, and mobile experiences. The role combines strategic leadership with hands-on design and delivery, reporting to senior business and technology executives.

The candidate will drive digital transformation, mentor architects, and influence architecture governance while partnering with product, engineering, and