Head of Systems Integration – Core Banking Transformation

Codeconnect Staffing; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 1,200,000 - 1,650,000; Full time

Job summary

CodeConnect Staffing is recruiting on behalf of a leading financial services organisation for an experienced technology leader to take ownership of end-to-end systems integration architecture and delivery within a major core banking and channel modernisation programme.

The role requires a senior technology leader with deep expertise in integration across APIs, event-driven and file-based approaches, and the ability to steer multidisciplinary teams in a complex enterprise environment.

Qualifications

• 11+ years of experience in technology, systems integration or enterprise architecture.
• 6–7 years of management or leadership experience.
• Proven ability to lead multidisciplinary/virtual teams delivering complex technology capabilities.
• Experience defining and governing API, event-driven and file-based integration patterns.
• Strong understanding of enterprise architecture, roadmaps and technical debt.
• Experience managing technology strategies, risk, resilience and operational stability.

Responsibilities

• Own the end-to-end integration architecture and delivery strategy for the core banking modernisation programme.
• Govern integration approaches across APIs, event-driven and file-based patterns.
• Maintain the integration blueprint, interface catalogue and standards.
• Lead integration across core banking, channels, payments and data platforms.
• Define and manage the technology asset strategy, roadmaps and target-state architecture.
• Collaborate with Product Owners to prioritise the technology portfolio and backlogs.

Skills

Systems integration

Enterprise architecture

API integration

Event-driven architecture

Team leadership

Stakeholder management

IT risk & resilience

Education

Advanced Diploma or Bachelor's Degree

BSc Computer Science

BCom Informatics

Engineering

Job description

Job Specifics

• Location: Johannesburg, South Africa
• Work Model: Hybrid
• Role Type: Permanent | Full-time

About the Role

CodeConnect Staffing is recruiting on behalf of a leading financial services organisation for an experienced technology leader to take ownership of end-to-end systems integration architecture and delivery within a major core banking and channel modernisation programme.

The role will be responsible for ensuring seamless integration between the core banking environment and the organisation's wider technology ecosystem, including channels, payments, data platforms, finance, risk, CRM, data warehousing and other shared enterprise services.

The Ideal Candidate

The successful candidate will be an established senior technology leader with extensive experience across systems integration, integration architecture and complex enterprise technology delivery.

They will have the technical depth to lead integration architecture across APIs, event-driven and file-based integrations, combined with the leadership capability to manage multidisciplinary teams, technology portfolios and complex stakeholder environments.

Experience within banking, financial services, core banking modernisation or similarly complex enterprise environments will be highly relevant. Exposure to Temenos or other enterprise core banking platforms would be particularly valuable given the nature of the programme.

Key Responsibilities

• Own the end-to-end integration architecture and delivery strategy across the core banking modernisation programme.
• Define and govern enterprise integration approaches across APIs, event-driven architecture and file-based integrations.
• Maintain and evolve the integration architecture blueprint and interface catalogue.
• Lead integration across core banking, channels, payments, data platforms and broader enterprise systems.
• Ensure solutions align with established enterprise architecture, application and integration standards.
• Drive consistent and reusable integration patterns across multiple subsidiaries and technology value streams.
• Coordinate and sequence integration build, testing and implementation activities across multidisciplinary teams.
• Define and maintain the technology asset strategy, roadmap and target-state architecture.
• Lead decisions relating to target-state architecture, transitional solutions and technical debt.
• Own and prioritise consolidated technology portfolio backlogs in collaboration with Product Owners and relevant stakeholders.
• Ensure technology environments remain stable, resilient, reliable and appropriately governed.
• Oversee IT risk, disaster recovery, high availability, monitoring, data integrity and data lineage requirements.
• Drive technology upgrades, technical debt reduction, ITSM practices, automated pipelines and cloud enablement where appropriate.
• Manage technology portfolio budgets and optimise total cost of ownership (TCO).
• Lead and develop multidisciplinary technical teams and build future-fit technical capabilities.
• Drive continuous improvement, innovation and successful operational delivery.

Requirements

Essential Requirements

• 11+ years' experience within technology, systems integration, enterprise architecture or a related technical environment.
• Minimum 6–7 years' management or leadership experience.
• Proven experience leading multidisciplinary and/or virtual technical teams delivering complex technology capabilities within a large corporate environment.
• Strong experience in systems and enterprise integration architecture.
• Experience defining and governing API, event-driven and file-based integration patterns.
• Strong understanding of enterprise technology architecture, application landscapes and integration standards.
• Experience managing technology strategies, roadmaps, target-state architecture and technical debt.
• Strong understanding of IT risk, resilience, disaster recovery, high availability and operational stability.
• Experience working across multiple technology teams, business stakeholders and complex delivery environments.
• Relevant Advanced Diploma or Bachelor's Degree.

Preferred Qualifications

Qualifications in the following or related disciplines would be advantageous:

• BSc Computer Science
• BCom Informatics
• Engineering

Preferred Certifications

Any of the following would be advantageous:

• TOGAF
• Leading SAFe
• PMP / PMI / PMBOK
• PRINCE2