Vice President - Solution Architect, Customer Solutions Center

Mastercard; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 1,200,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading financial technology company in Johannesburg is seeking a Vice President - Solution Architect to drive innovative technology solutions. The role focuses on strategic leadership, overseeing solution design, and managing a high-performing team. Ideal candidates will have over 12 years of experience in solution architecture and strong communication skills. This position is pivotal in aligning technical capabilities with business objectives.

Qualifications

• 12+ years of experience in solution architecture.
• Proven leadership experience in managing architecture teams and large-scale solution delivery.
• Strong business acumen and ability to align technology with strategic objectives.

Responsibilities

• Define and evolve the enterprise solution architecture strategy.
• Oversee the design of end-to-end solutions across multiple segments.
• Support pre-sales and customer solutioning efforts.

Skills

Solution architecture

Leadership

Stakeholder management

Communication

Technology evaluation

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field

Job description

Overview

Title and Summary

Vice President - Solution Architect, Customer Solutions Center. Job Summary: The Vice President, Solutions Architect is a strategic leadership role responsible for driving the design and delivery of innovative, scalable, and customer-centric technology solutions. This role bridges business needs with technical capabilities, ensuring alignment between enterprise architecture, product strategy, and customer requirements. The VP leads a team of solution architects and collaborates cross-functionally to support digital transformation, pre-sales engagements, and complex solution development.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership: Define and evolve the enterprise solution architecture strategy in alignment with business goals. Lead architectural governance and ensure compliance with technology standards and best practices. Partner with senior stakeholders to influence product roadmaps and investment decisions.
• Solution Design & Delivery: Oversee the design of end-to-end solutions across multiple segments (FI, Telco, Government, Retail and Commerce, Government). Ensure solutions are secure, scalable, and optimized for performance and scale revenue. Guide teams in translating business requirements into technical specifications.
• Customer Engagement: Support pre-sales and customer solutioning efforts, acting as a trusted advisor to clients. Drive innovation and differentiation in customer proposals and solution offerings.
• Team Management: Lead, mentor, and grow a high-performing team of solution architects and technical consultants. Foster a culture of collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement. Manage resource allocation and capability development across the architecture team.
• Technology Leadership: Stay abreast of emerging technologies and industry trends. Evaluate and recommend new tools, platforms, and methodologies. Champion architectural modernization and digital transformation initiatives.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field.
• 12+ years of experience in solution architecture.
• Proven leadership experience in managing architecture teams and large-scale solution delivery.
• Strong business acumen and ability to align technology with strategic objectives.
• Excellent communication, stakeholder management, and presentation skills.

Preferred Skills

• Experience in industry-specific domain, e.g., financial services, telecom, healthcare.
• Multinational or regional leadership experience.

Corporate Security Responsibility

All activities involving access to Mastercard assets, information, and networks comes with an inherent risk to the organization and, therefore, it is expected that every person working for, or on behalf of, Mastercard is responsible for information security and must:

• Abide by Mastercard’s security policies and practices;
• Ensure the confidentiality and integrity of the information being accessed;
• Report any suspected information security violation or breach, and
• Complete all periodic mandatory security trainings in accordance with Mastercard’s guidelines.