Solutions Architect

FirstRand Life Assurance Ltd; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 1,400,000 - 2,000,000; Full time

Job summary

FirstRand Life Assurance Ltd in South Africa seeks a Solutions Architect to design, guide, and oversee integrated solutions that meet business needs while aligning with enterprise architecture.

You will define architecture strategy, standards, and roadmaps; lead complex applications, APIs, cloud solutions, and platform modernization; mentor developers and aligned teams to deliver secure, scalable, and cost-efficient outcomes.

Qualifications

• Qualification in computer science, information systems, or related fields.
• 5+ years of Architecture experience.
• Advanced experience in software development specifically in Java, Spring Boot.

Responsibilities

• Define and drive the software architecture strategy, standards, patterns, and roadmaps to support business objectives and long-term scalability.
• Lead architecture and design of complex applications, integrations, APIs, cloud solutions, and enterprise platforms.
• Provide architectural leadership and guidance to ensure solutions are scalable, secure, reliable, maintainable, and ROI-focused.
• Build partnerships with stakeholders to translate business requirements into effective architectural solutions.
• Establish governance frameworks, reference architectures, and technology standards across the enterprise.

Skills

Architecture

Java

Spring Boot

Cloud

Education

Qualification in computer science, information systems, or related fields

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
• Obsessed with mastery - you know what it takes to become good at what you do and are constantly pushing yourself to do it

Important Closing Date Note

Take note that applications will not be accepted on the below date and onwards, kindly submit applications ahead of the closing date indicated below. 06/10/26 All appointments will be made in line with FirstRand Group’s Employment Equity plan.

The Bank supports the recruitment and advancement of individuals with disabilities. In order for us to fulfil this purpose, candidates can disclose their disability information on a voluntary basis. The Bank will keep this information confidential unless we are required by law to disclose this information to other parties.

FirstRand provides a comprehensive range of financial services in South Africa and certain markets in broader Africa. The group also offers certain niche products and services in the UK and India. Listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) and the Namibian Stock Exchange (NSX), FirstRand Limited is the largest financial institution by market capitalisation in Africa. The group follows a multi-branding approach. Its portfolio of financial services businesses includes FNB, RMB, WesBank, Ashburton Investments, Aldermore, MotoNovo and DirectAxis. Many are leaders in their respective segments and markets, offering transactional, lending, investment and insurance products and services The FirstRand Corporate Centre houses many of the critical functions required by a large and complex financial services group. The group's track record of delivering superior returns to shareholders has been achieved through a combination of organic growth, acquisitions, innovation and the creation of completely new businesses. The group’s purpose of delivering Shared Prosperity provides many opportunities for employees to innovate to address social and environmental challenges in our markets. All of our businesses have successful Volunteering programmes which also allow employees to adopt and support causes close to their hearts.