Lead Solution Architect

Empowering Africa’s tomorrow, together…one story at a time.

Job Summary

Drive the design and delivery of complex fit for purpose, business strategy-aligned, high impact, cross domain technology solution blueprints & associated solutions & build architectural capability in Dev teams across an estate.

Job Description

Step into a role that shapes the future of digital banking across Africa. Our CIB Corporate Technology team is seeking a Lead Solution Architect to drive the design and delivery of cutting‑edge solutions within the Online Channels space for Cash Management. This is an exciting opportunity to influence how corporate clients experience our digital platforms - spanning payments, collections, liquidity, and the broader transactional banking ecosystem.

As part of a rapidly evolving technology landscape, you will operate at the intersection of business, engineering, and enterprise architecture, providing holistic exposure across domains. You will work closely with product, engineering, and strategic business teams to architect scalable, secure, and sustainable digital capabilities that enable seamless client experiences and support high‑volume, mission‑critical cash management services.

Accountability: Architecture

• Act as the trusted adviser to the business to help define and communicate high-level business architecture requirements, translating these into technical solution architecture designs.

• Leverage deep understanding of organizational strategy to design scalable, testable, reusable technology solutions.

• Collaborate with Product and delivery teams to analyse customer requirements.

• Leverage emotional, social & business acumen to incorporate stakeholder insights.

• Lead design thinking workshops to deliver solution blueprints & roadmaps.

• Use strong engineering background for solution design (DDD, microservices, loosely coupled integration, etc.).

• Own accountability for solution blueprint design & decisions.

• Maintain strong understanding of emerging technology & architecture principles.

• Build architectural capability across delivery teams.

• Contribute to architecture body of knowledge.

People

• Participate in Architecture Forums, peer reviews and knowledge sharing.

• Set & Cascade solution direction across technology delivery teams.

• Build & evolve architectural capability across Delivery teams.

• Support attraction, recruitment, development & retention of strong technology teams.

• Embed agile practices and support high‑performance delivery teams.

Financial & Vendor Management, Risk & Governance

• Carry accountability for risk associated with solution design.

• Apply organizational risk & governance frameworks.

• Ensure alignment to Group guidelines and sustainability.

• Engage chapter & guild leads using enterprise‑wide principles.

• Ensure alignment to regulatory requirements and maintain updated regulatory knowledge.

• Deliver on time & on budget.

Education and Experience Required

• BSc in Engineering or Computer Science

• BBA, MBA advantageous

• 8+ years Solution Architecture experience

• 8+ years hands-on engineering experience

• 5 years senior leadership experience, ability to lead domains, guide teams, and own strategic decisions. Maturity in influencing, coaching, and driving design governance required

• Hands on customer-facing disciplines, ability to translate business problems into architecture with a customer first approach

• Agile delivery disciplines

• T-shaped expertise across delivery & banking business domains

• Proven track record implementing complex architectures with deep engineering background

• Practical understanding & experience in Design Thinking, Jobs to be Done, Customer Journeys, Experience Design, CEM

• Strong interpersonal skills, ability to engage with technologists and senior stakeholders

Education

Bachelor's Degree: Information Technology

Absa Bank Limited is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. In compliance with the Employment Equity Act 55 of 1998, preference will be given to suitable candidates from designated groups whose appointments will contribute towards achievement of equitable demographic representation of our workforce profile and add to the diversity of the Bank.

Absa Bank Limited reserves the right not to make an appointment to the post as advertised