Executive Director, Application Architecture

The OCC • Chicago, IL

4d • Hybrid

About The Position

OCC is consolidating its architecture function under a unified, clarity-of-accountability model. The Executive Director of Application Architecture leads the team responsible for shaping OCC's technology strategy across applications, integrations, APIs, tech stack selection, and software design patterns.

This is the role that sets the architectural standard for how OCC builds software, not as a review function that approves designs after the fact, but as an embedded strategic partner that drives resilient design from the start. You will lead a team of experienced architects, align with Platform Architecture and Engineering, and ensure that every system OCC builds or acquires is architected to withstand stress, change, and uncertainty. The team you will lead includes architects with deep domain knowledge across clearing, risk, data, and integration. Your job is to make that expertise coherent, consistent, and actionable across OCC's application portfolio — spanning the legacy Encore platform and the next-generation Ovation platform under the Renaissance program.

Requirements

• Demonstrated experience defining and enforcing application architecture standards at organizational scale across complex, multi-system portfolios
• Deep hands-on background in application architecture — APIs, integration patterns, distributed systems, event-driven architecture, and microservices
• Experience with both legacy/brownfield modernization and greenfield cloud-native development
• Strong working knowledge of CI/CD, automated testing, and quality gate enforcement as architecture concerns
• Ability to lead through influence as well as authority — building alignment across Engineering, Security, QA, and Governance without losing the ability to make hard calls
• Excellent communication skills — able to represent architecture decisions to executive leadership and translate strategy into actionable standards for development teams
• BS degree in Computer Science, Information Systems Management, Mathematics, or a similar technical field.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in financial services, particularly regulated environments (SIFMU, clearinghouse, exchange, or bank)
• Familiarity with Regulation SCI, CPMI-IOSCO, or equivalent financial market infrastructure regulatory frameworks
• Hands-on experience with Java, Kafka, Kubernetes, and cloud-native architectures on AWS or equivalent
• Experience with scaled agile frameworks (SAFe) in large enterprise delivery programs
• Familiarity with AI-assisted development practices and their implications for architecture and standards

Responsibilities

• Lead the Application Architecture Function
• Lead, develop, and set direction for a team of application architects, each retaining individual domain focus across clearing, risk, data, APIs, and integrations
• Establish and enforce architecture standards across applications, integration patterns, API design, tech stack selection, and software design patterns
• Own the Application Architecture vision: shape the technology strategy for OCC's applications and integrations — architecting systems built to withstand stress, change, and uncertainty, where resilient design is the standard for every solution we deliver
• Ensure consistent application of enterprise standards across all delivery teams
• Develop and maintain Solution Design documentation standards in collaboration with the rest of the OTSI team
• Enforce design patterns and architectural guardrails across teams delivering on both legacy and greenfield systems
• Establish non-functional requirements standards: performance, scalability, fault tolerance, observability as first-class architecture concerns
• Coordinate with Platform Architecture to ensure application designs reflect infrastructure reality and operational constraints
• Serve as the primary architecture partner to Engineering, Product, Financial Risk Management, and Quantitative Risk Management
• Collaborate with Security, QA, and Governance/Risk to ensure architectural decisions satisfy regulatory requirements including Regulation SCI and CPMI-IOSCO principles
• Engage with Product Owners, Technology Leads, and senior leadership to translate business requirements into durable architectural strategies
• Provide architecture input and review for vendor selections, technology evaluations, and major program decisions
• Conduct architecture and design reviews with enough rigor to catch problems before they reach production
• Establish feedback loops between operational incidents, post-mortems, and forward looking architecture decisions
• Drive team engagement with industry trends, emerging patterns, and evolving standards ensuring OCC's architecture practice does not fall behind the curve
• Track and report on architecture health metrics and standards adoption across the portfolio
• Manage and develop a team

Benefits

• A highly collaborative and supportive environment developed to encourage work-life balance and employee wellness. Some of these components include:
• A hybrid work environment, up to 2 days per week of remote work
• Tuition Reimbursement to support your continued education
• Student Loan Repayment Assistance
• Technology Stipend allowing you to use the device of your choice to connect to our network while working remotely
• Generous PTO and Parental leave
• 401k Employer Match
• Competitive health benefits including medical, dental and vision

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Executive
• Number of Employees: 501-1,000 employees