Software Architect (Cards & Payments) - Contract | Hybrid (Knutsford)
Duration: Until 31st December 2025
Rate: =-£579/day
Location: Knutsford - 2-3 days onsite per week
Eligibility: Must be eligible for BPSS clearance
About the Role
We're seeking an experienced Software Architect with strong Cards and Payments expertise to lead design and technical architecture across core banking and current account platforms for a major financial institution.
You'll shape large-scale, resilient, and secure technology solutions - ensuring scalability, compliance, and innovation across critical payments and account-related systems.
What You'll Do
* Lead architecture and design for current account, loans, and payments platforms.
* Drive solution design across cards issuance, authorization, and account switching journeys.
* Collaborate with cross-functional teams (engineering, product, risk, and compliance) to align technology with business goals.
* Oversee architectural governance - producing design artefacts for privacy, risk, and records management.
* Evaluate and integrate third-party vendor solutions, ensuring alignment with strategic objectives.
* Champion best practices in cloud adoption, automation, and DevOps within the banking domain.
What You'll Bring
Strong experience in Cards & Payments architecture (cards issuance, authorization, switching).
Proven background in core banking and current account platforms .
Solid understanding of cloud, APIs, DevOps, and security architecture .
Excellent stakeholder management, communication, and business engagement skills.
Familiarity with regulatory frameworks and governance artefacts (privacy, risk, records).
Experience with tools such as JIRA, Confluence, Excel, PowerPoint, Tableau .
Why Apply?
This is an opportunity to work on high-impact financial transformation programmes, shaping next-generation banking solutions for one of the UK's most well-known financial institutions. You'll collaborate with top architects and engineers driving modernisation and innovation across the banking ecosystem.