Lead Architect Banking Operations

Wells Fargo Bank•Charlotte, NC

About The Position

Wells Fargo is seeking an influential Lead Systems Architect to help shape the future of technology within Banking Operations. In this pivotal role, you will architect the next-generation technology landscape across a broad suite of platforms and products, ensuring the organization is positioned for innovation, scalability, and long-term success. Reporting directly to the Head of Architecture for Consumer Operations, you’ll operate as a key strategic advisor and thought leader within one of the company’s most critical business areas. As a Lead Systems Architect, you will collaborate with senior business and technology leaders to define technical direction, champion modern architectural practices, and guide complex initiatives spanning multiple agile squads. You will provide ongoing architectural oversight, help steer major transformation efforts, and continuously evolve the target architecture that powers the Banking Operations business. This is a role for a systems thinker, a problem solver, and a strategist—someone excited to influence enterprise-wide decisions, accelerate modernization, and deliver meaningful impact across millions of customer interactions.

Requirements

5+ years of Architecture experience, or equivalent demonstrated through one or a combination of the following: work experience, training, military experience, education
5+ years of experience creating strategy, architectural design and planning experience

Nice To Haves

Hands on knowledge of enterprise-scale AI-driven architectures, aligning technology strategy with business goals, and ensuring compliance and innovation across platforms
Experience in one or a combination of the following: systems, applications, or architecture planning
Strong verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills
Ability to influence across all organizational levels, particularly senior management
Ability to negotiate, influence, and collaborate to build successful relationships
Knowledge and understanding of applications technology management role including managing applications development and support for multiple systems and business functions
Ability to identify key issues, involve affected parties, design solutions, obtain buy-in, and communicate effectively through resolution
Ability to be proactive, innovative and creative in meeting customer and enterprise needs
Experience with a customer service mindset and a focus on continuous improvement
Ability to effectively assess stakeholder, partner, or client needs while consulting, building solutions, and developing processes
Experience consulting, influencing and partnering with business executives, leadership, human resources partners and peers
Knowledge and understanding of centralized Operations
Financial services industry experience
Experience with Openshift Container Platforms and other cloud computing technologies
Extensive technical skills and comprehensive knowledge and understanding of an entire line of business or infrastructure sub-domain

Responsibilities

Lead the implementation of complex projects and initiatives that have companywide scope
Assist in the creation of architectural artifacts for key technology initiatives
Participate in the definition of future technology architecture and strategy
Identify medium to high architectural impact projects
Conduct complex technology and system assessments for architecture solutions
Communicate the companywide Architecture strategy and direction to both management and systems related teams
Make decisions in the development and maintenance of architectures
Understand compliance and risk management requirements for supported areas
Ensure applications adhere to established Wells Fargo standards, policies, methodologies and industry best practices
Collaborate and consult with peers, colleagues and managers to resolve issues and achieve goals
Act in a strategic role in the development and maintenance of architectures for a line of business or infrastructure sub-domain that are transformative and in compliance with the Enterprise Architecture.
Create, review and approve architectural impact designs
Based on understanding of current state architecture, define an architecture roadmap to realize target state.
Communicate the target state architecture and direction to both management and systems related teams within their line of business or infrastructure sub-domain (organizational unit) and direct implementation of the architecture.
Serve as the highest-level technical consultant to internal clients and technical management to ensure conformity with Enterprise Architecture, having expertise across a broad portion of the organizational unit's architecture, or in-depth expertise within a more specific portion of the architecture.
Act as a transformational agent for change across Banking Operations product
Proficient in architecting AI solutions, designing and deploying scalable AI solutions that seamlessly integrate with existing business and IT infrastructure.
Maintain knowledge of industry best practices and new technologies and recommend innovations that enhance operations or provide a competitive advantage to the organization
Strategically engage with all levels of professionals and managers across the enterprise and serve as an expert advisor to leadership
Rationalize applications and domains in Banking Operations with Enterprise solutions
Adapt to and influence Consumer Operations Technology and Enterprise technology strategies
Contribute to Banking Operations SRE strategy and ensure that architecture patterns and frameworks uphold it
Drive efforts to ensure resiliency, fault tolerance, and performance of Banking Operations Technology.
Contribute to NFR requirements and drive strategies to uphold NFR's through automation and frameworks
Evaluate cost efficiency of the new platforms in how we develop and support software.
Stay abreast of technology innovations and industry best practices and apply to Banking Operations Technology solutions where valuable as well as staying up to date with advancements in AI, machine learning, and data science.
Implement best practices for AI testing, deployment, and maintenance.
Collaborate with firm-wide security team on evolving security patterns utilized in Banking Operations Technology solutions.