AI Architect for Payments, Automation & Governance

Smart4 Cloud Limited; Stellenbosch; On-site; ZAR 1,200,000 - 2,000,000; Full time

Job summary

Smart4 Cloud Limited is seeking a senior AI architect to own the long-term AI-driven architecture and its evolution. You will map end-to-end operations, identify gaps, and define a Payments automation roadmap, integrating with financial systems and ensuring robust controls.

You will design agentic AI layers, build reusable frameworks, and partner with Compliance, Infrastructure, and the AI Center of Excellence to enable scalable, future-ready platforms.

Qualifications

• Experience in AI governance and risk management.
• Strong architectural thinking for scalable platforms.
• Ability to translate business/finance requirements into technical roadmaps.
• Comfort working in fast-paced, ambiguous environments.

Responsibilities

• Own the long-term AI architecture and evolution toward AI.
• Assess and map end-to-end operations including reconciliations, reporting & controls, and audit.
• Identify bottlenecks and capability gaps.
• Define a Payments automation roadmap.
• Design the AI System with integration to financial systems and control/reporting frameworks.
• Design and implement an agentic Payments layer to automate workflows and enable migration to future state architecture.
• Represent Payments in the AI Center of Excellence and ensure cross-team alignment.
• Classify automation by risk tier before development and ensure audit logging and access controls.
• Develop reusable frameworks, templates, and workflows; create documentation and standards to scale adoption.
• Build dashboards and metrics to measure cost reduction and ROI; train Payments teams on AI-enabled workflows and tools.
• Collaborate with Payments Backend, Infrastructure, Compliance, and AI COE; translate business requirements into technical roadmaps.
• Communicate effectively with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Skills

LLM orchestration

Multi-agent systems

AI risk management

Bridging business and engineering

Tools

Spring AI/Python-based orchestration

Workflow engines (n8n)

AI APIs (Anthropic/Claude)

Job description

Smart4 Cloud Limited is seeking a senior AI architect to own the long-term AI-driven architecture and its evolution. You will map end-to-end operations, identify gaps, and define a Payments automation roadmap, integrating with financial systems and ensuring robust controls.

You will design agentic AI layers, build reusable frameworks, and partner with Compliance, Infrastructure, and the AI Center of Excellence to enable scalable, future-ready platforms.