Senior Java Architect, Banking, Kafka

Senior Java Architect | Banking, Payments & AI Engineering

Location: London (Hybrid)
Role Type: Contract
Rate: Up to £600 a day (Outside IR35)

We're seeking an experienced Java Architect to play a key role in a major banking transformation programme, helping to deliver enterprise-scale banking and payments platforms with a focus on cross-border banking capabilities.

This is a fantastic opportunity to work at the intersection of modern architecture, payments technology, cloud-native engineering and AI-assisted software delivery.

The Role

Working closely with the Lead Architect, you'll drive the design and delivery of scalable, secure and resilient backend platforms while providing technical leadership to offshore development teams.

Key responsibilities include:

• Designing enterprise-grade Java-based banking and payments solutions
• Leading offshore Java development teams
• Defining microservices and event-driven architectures
• Delivering payment solutions across SWIFT, ISO 20022, settlement and reconciliation
• Designing integrations with internal and third-party platforms
• Contributing to architecture governance, technical roadmaps and design reviews
• Collaborating with Business, Data, Integration and DevOps teams
• Driving AI-assisted engineering practices using tools such as GitHub Copilot, Claude Code or Cursor

Skills & Experience

• Strong Java and Spring Boot architecture experience
• Background delivering solutions within Banking, Payments or Financial Services
• Deep understanding of payments ecosystems, including SWIFT, ISO 20022, real-time payments, settlement and reconciliation
• Experience with microservices, APIs and event-driven architectures
• Cloud platform experience (AWS, Azure or GCP)
• Experience leading development teams and delivering complex enterprise programmes
• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills
• Experience using AI-assisted development tools such as GitHub Copilot, Claude Code, Cursor or similar

Desirable

• Cross-border payments experience
• Kubernetes experience
• TOGAF or Architecture certifications
• Experience delivering large-scale transformation programmes
• Cloud-native banking platform delivery

What's On Offer

• Opportunity to work on a high-profile banking transformation programme
• Enterprise-scale architecture and engineering challenges
• Collaborative and forward-thinking technology environment
• Strong focus on modern engineering practices and AI-led software development

Reasonable Adjustments:

Respect and equality are core values to us. We are proud of the diverse and inclusive community we have built, and we welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and perspectives. Our success is driven by our people, united by the spirit of partnership to deliver the best resourcing solutions for our clients.

If you need any help or adjustments during the recruitment process for any reason, please let us know when you apply or talk to the recruiters directly so we can support you.