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 transforma...