Software Architect

Location: Johannesburg

Time Type: Full time

Job Description

Job Description

The Software Architect will define, design, and govern scalable, secure, and high‑performance data integration and processing architectures for the bank. This role is accountable for architecting Ab Initio–based solutions, data pipelines, platform standards, and integration patterns that align with enterprise strategy, regulatory expectations, and FNB’s digital transformation roadmap.
The architect will collaborate closely with Enterprise Architects, Data Engineers, BI Developers, Database Administrators, Data Scientists, and Product Owners to drive end‑to‑end technical design for data platforms and ensure architectural integrity across all delivery teams.

• Key Responsibilities

  . Architecture Design & Governance

  • Define target‑state architectures for data ingestion, processing, curation, and serving across Ab Initio, Teradata, Hadoop, and Kafka platforms.
  • Develop and maintain architectural blueprints, integration patterns, and reference models.
  • Evaluate and select appropriate technologies, ensuring alignment to enterprise strategy and governance standards.
  • Run architectural reviews, solution assurance forums, and technical walkthroughs to ensure high‑quality delivery.
  • Guide solution teams in adhering to architecture principles, security standards, and regulatory requirements.

  Ab Initio Platform Architecture & Enablement

  • Design logical and physical architectures for Ab Initio environments (GDE, Co>Operating System, EME, sandboxes, CICD).
  • Govern how Ab Initio components (graphs, plans, PDLs, metadata, reusable patterns) are designed and maintained.
  • Specify standards for performance optimization, parallelism, resource management, and high‑availability configurations.
  • Drive roadmap planning for platform upgrades, enhancements, new features, and integrations.
  • Provide expert oversight for troubleshooting, performance issues, and design bottlenecks encountered by development teams.

  Data Modeling & Integration Architecture

  • Architect conceptual, logical, and physical data models for enterprise‑scale banking datasets.
  • Define data integration patterns for batch, real‑time, micro‑batch, and streaming workloads.
  • Ensure models conform to enterprise data governance, lineage, security, and quality expectations.
  • Design ingestion frameworks, canonical data models, and end‑to‑end transformation pipelines.
  • Collaborate with Data Governance, Information Security, and Risk to enforce controls around privacy, PII, retention, and data policies.

  Platform Optimization & Technology Strategy

  • Lead initiatives to improve scalability, efficiency, and resilience of data platforms.
  • Conduct platform capacity planning, cloud readiness assessments, and cost optimization reviews.
  • Evaluate emerging technologies (cloud, containerization, streaming, automation tools) and recommend adoption.
  • Drive standardization of engineering methods, code quality practices, and automation approaches across teams.
  • Provide expert input into vendor engagements, RFPs, and technology procurement.

  Technical Leadership & Coaching

  • Conduct architecture knowledge‑sharing sessions, technical deep dives, and training programs.

  • Serve as an escalation point for complex data‑engineering, performance, or integration challenges.
  • Facilitate cross‑team collaboration to uplift engineering maturity and foster innovation.

  Stakeholder Engagement

  • Partner with Product Owners to shape technical backlogs, project scope, and delivery priorities.
  • Collaborate with Enterprise Architecture to align platform architecture with organisational strategy.
  • Work with Infrastructure, Cloud, DBA, and Security teams to ensure seamless deployment and operation.
  • Participate in agile ceremonies, planning sessions, and governance forums.

  Qualifications & Experience

  • Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or relevant technical field.
  • Proven experience as a Software Architect, Data Architect, or Lead Data Engineer in enterprise environments.
  • Extensive experience with Ab Initio administration, architecture, and graph design.
  • Strong understanding of Teradata, Hadoop ecosystems, and Kafka streaming.
  • Proficiency in Linux/Unix scripting and automation (Shell/Bash; Python advantageous).
  • Demonstrated experience designing scalable, resilient, and secure data architectures.
  • Experience in end‑to‑end data integration solutions and high‑volume data processing.
  • Experience working in financial services, regulatory, or highly governed environments.

  Preferred

  • Ab Initio certifications (CS100/CS200 Admin, GD300 Developer, GD335/TS410 Architect).
  • Experience working in hybrid cloud or containerized environments (AWS, Azure, GCP, Docker, Kubernetes).
  • Familiarity with CI/CD, automation pipelines, DevOps practices, and DataOps principles.
  • Architectural frameworks (TOGAF, Zachman, SAFe Architecture).

  Competencies & Behaviours

  • Strong architectural thinking and ability to simplify complex technical concepts.
  • High analytical capability, attention to detail, and structured problem solving.
  • Excellent communication and the ability to influence senior technical and business stakeholders.
  • Ability to work independently and lead technical decisions through consensus.
  • Resilience under pressure and strong ownership mentality.
  • Collaborative mindset with a commitment to continuous learning and team upliftment.

  Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

  • Quality and completeness of architectural designs and documentation.
  • Adoption and compliance with architecture standards across delivery teams.
  • Stability, performance, and scalability of Ab Initio and data integration platforms.
  • Successful execution of platform upgrades, enhancements, and new capability rollouts.
  • Reduction in platform issues, outages, and long‑running or failing pipelines.
  • Engineering team uplift measured through reduced defects, better performance, and improved delivery velocity.

  Working Conditions

  • Hybrid working model with on‑site collaboration as needed.
  • Occasional after‑hours work for production releases or critical incidents.
  • Participation in on‑call or escalation rotation when required.

 

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.

22/05/26