Solutions Architect

Firstrand Bank India; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 1,600,000 - 2,600,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Opportunities to network andCollaborat

Challenging work environment

Opportunities to innovate

Job summary

FR Life Assurance in Johannesburg seeks an experienced Solutions Architect to design, oversee, and implement integrated solutions that meet business needs while aligning with enterprise architecture.

You will define architecture strategy, evaluate technologies, mentor teams, and collaborate with stakeholders to drive scalable, secure, and cost-efficient delivery across the bank.

Qualifications

• Have a qualification in computer science, information systems, or related fields.
• Have 5+ years of experience in Architecture.
• Have advanced experience in software development specifically in Java, Spring Boot.

Responsibilities

• Define and drive the software architecture strategy, standards, patterns, and technology roadmaps to support business objectives and long-term scalability.
• Evaluate, recommend, and implement innovative technologies, architectural methodologies, and design patterns that improve efficiency, reduce costs, mitigate risks, and accelerate delivery.
• Assess existing technology landscapes and identify opportunities to retire, replace, consolidate, or modernize inappropriate or underperforming technologies to optimize operational and capital expenditure.
• Provide architectural leadership and guidance to ensure solutions are designed for scalability, security, reliability, maintainability, and maximum return on investment.
• Build strong partnerships with business stakeholders, product owners, project teams, and technology leaders to ensure business requirements are translated into effective architectural solutions.

Skills

Architecture

Java

Spring Boot

Education

Computer Science

Information Systems

Job description

Job Description

To design, recommend, and oversee the implementation of integrated solutions that address business needs and resolve operational challenges across the bank.
Ensure alignment with enterprise architecture by managing change processes and establishing solution frameworks that support scalable, sustainable delivery.

Hello Future Solutions Architect,

Welcome to FNB, the home of the #changeables. We design for the shapeshifters and deliver products and services that make us incredibly proud of people that make it happen.

As part of our talent team at FR Life Assurance, you will be surrounded by unique talents, diverse minds, and an adaptable environment that lives up to the promise of staying curious. Now’s the time to imagine your potential in a team where experts come together and ignite effective change.

Are you someone who can:

• Define and drive the software architecture strategy, standards, patterns, and technology roadmaps to support business objectives and long-term scalability.
• Evaluate, recommend, and implement innovative technologies, architectural methodologies, and design patterns that improve efficiency, reduce costs, mitigate risks, and accelerate delivery.
• Assess existing technology landscapes and identify opportunities to retire, replace, consolidate, or modernize inappropriate or underperforming technologies to optimize operational and capital expenditure.
• Provide architectural leadership and guidance to ensure solutions are designed for scalability, security, reliability, maintainability, and maximum return on investment.
• Build strong partnerships with business stakeholders, product owners, project teams, and technology leaders to ensure business requirements are translated into effective architectural solutions.
• Establish and maintain architectural governance frameworks, reference architectures, design principles, and technology standards across the enterprise.
• Collaborate with enterprise architects, solution architects, infrastructure teams, security specialists, and development teams to ensure alignment between business strategy and technology execution.
• Lead the architecture and design of complex applications, integrations, APIs, cloud solutions, and enterprise platforms while ensuring alignment with enterprise architecture standards.
• Conduct architecture reviews and provide assurance that proposed solutions meet functional, non-functional, security, compliance, and operational requirements.
• Analyze business requirements and translate them into architecture blueprints, technical specifications, solution designs, and implementation roadmaps.
• Identify, assess, and mitigate architectural, technical, operational, and business risks associated with solution delivery and platform evolution.
• Guide development teams on architectural best practices, coding standards, integration patterns, cloud-native principles, AI adoption, and software engineering excellence.
• Provide technical leadership during project delivery, ensuring architectural integrity is maintained throughout design, development, testing, deployment, and support phases.
• Design resilient, secure, and high-performing solutions that support business continuity, disaster recovery, data protection, and regulatory compliance requirements.
• Lead proof-of-concepts, technology evaluations, and architecture innovation initiatives to validate emerging technologies and recommended solutions.
• Support DevSecOps, CI/CD, automation, and platform engineering initiatives that improve software quality, deployment speed, and operational efficiency.
• Create and maintain architecture artifacts including architecture diagrams, solution blueprints, system integration models, data flow diagrams, and technology standards documentation.
• Collaborate with operations and support teams to ensure solutions are supportable, observable, maintainable, and aligned with operational requirements.
• Provide architecture oversight for testing strategies, non-functional testing, performance testing, and environment management to ensure solution readiness and quality.
• Estimate architectural effort, identify technical dependencies, and contribute to delivery planning, resource forecasting, and implementation timelines.
• Review solution designs produced by other architects and development teams, ensuring architectural consistency, quality, and cost-effectiveness across the technology landscape.
• Champion modernization initiatives including cloud adoption, API-led integration, event-driven architecture, microservices, platform simplification, AI enablement, and technical debt reduction.
• Mentor and coach solution architects, developers, technical leads, and engineering teams on architecture principles, emerging technologies, and software engineering best practices.
• Maintain expert knowledge of industry trends, architecture frameworks, software development methodologies, cloud platforms, cybersecurity practices, and emerging technologies to continuously enhance organizational capability.
• Drive architectural decisions that balance business value, technical feasibility, operational sustainability, security, risk, and delivery timelines.

You will be an ideal candidate if you:

• Have a qualification in computer science, information systems, or related fields
• Have 5+ years of experience in Architecture
• Have advanced experience in software development specifically in Java, springboot

You will have access to:

• Opportunities to network and collaborate
• Challenging Working
• Opportunities to innovate

We can be a match if you are:

• Curious & courageous - you’re driven by always wanting to know more and learn more and you’re brave enough to