Design Lead - Java

Overview
We are looking for a skilled and experienced Architect / Design Lead to join our product development team. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in software architecture and solution design, with the ability to bridge business requirements and technical implementation. This role requires both strategic thinking and hands-on technical expertise, as well as strong leadership skills to guide engineering teams toward building scalable, secure, and high-quality systems.
The Architect / Design Lead will play a key role in defining the product architecture, ensuring technical excellence, and collaborating with stakeholders across business, product, and engineering teams.
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Key Responsibilities
• Define and maintain the overall product and system architecture, ensuring scalability, performance, and maintainability.
• Lead the design of critical components, frameworks, and integration patterns.
• Review and validate technical solutions proposed by engineering teams, ensuring alignment with architectural principles and business goals.
• Collaborate closely with Product Owners, Business Analysts, and client stakeholders to understand requirements and translate them into technical solutions.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to development teams, fostering knowledge sharing and best practices.
• Drive adoption of secure coding practices, compliance with industry standards (e.g., OWASP), and ensure adherence to architectural guidelines.
• Conduct design and code reviews to maintain quality standards.
• Identify risks and propose mitigation strategies for architectural and technical challenges.
• Support the migration and transition of responsibilities across locations, ensuring knowledge transfer and continuity of delivery.
• Stay up to date with emerging technologies and recommend their adoption where appropriate.
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Required Skills and Qualifications
• 12+ years of IT experience with at least 5 years in a software architecture or design leadership role.
• Strong expertise in enterprise application architecture, microservices, and cloud-native systems (AWS preferred).
• Proficiency in Java and related frameworks (Spring Boot), with solid understanding of frontend integration (React or similar).
• Strong experience with API design and integration (REST, event-driven, messaging systems).
• Hands-on experience with CI/CD pipelines, DevOps practices, and containerization (Docker, Kubernetes).
• Deep understanding of security, performance optimization, and scalability principles.
• Strong collaboration and communication skills, with experience working in Agile/Scrum environments.
• Proven ability to mentor, guide, and influence technical teams.
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Nice to Have
• Experience in the Banking or Payments industry.
• Exposure to architectural frameworks (TOGAF, SAFe) or certifications (e.g., AWS Solutions Architect, Certified Software Architect).
• Knowledge of automated testing, quality gates, and code inspection tools (SonarQube, JFrog Xray).
• Experience with monitoring and observability tools (Prometheus, Grafana, ELK).