Lead Solutions Architect

U.S. Bank • Chicago, IL

3d • $139,230 - $163,800 • Hybrid

About The Position

Responsible for defining and guiding end-to-end technology solutions that align with business strategy, regulatory requirements, and enterprise architecture direction. This role partners closely with business, product, and engineering leaders to design scalable, secure, and resilient architectures that support core banking operations, digital transformation, and customer experience initiatives.

Requirements

• Architecture Design Expertise in designing scalable, secure, and high-performance architectures for banking systems
• Strong proficiency in microservices-based architectures, event-driven systems, and API-first design
• Ability to define architectural standards, patterns, and guardrails that enable consistency across teams while supporting innovation
• Hands-on experience with cloud platforms such as AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud
• Strong understanding of cloud-native services, containerization, Kubernetes, and serverless architectures
• Ability to design hybrid and multi-cloud solutions that meet security, resiliency, and regulatory requirements
• Experience designing enterprise integration strategies across legacy and modern platforms
• Proficiency with API management, messaging, and middleware technologies such as Kafka, MuleSoft, or IBM MQ
• Strong understanding of synchronous and asynchronous integration patterns and service orchestration
• Design and govern end‑to‑end data architectures across transactional, operational, and analytical systems.
• Strong knowledge of data architecture principles spanning relational, NoSQL, and cloud‑native data stores.
• Experience designing architectures that enable multi‑cloud data interoperability, supporting seamless data sharing and integration across platforms such as Azure, AWS, and Snowflake while minimizing data duplication and lock‑in.
• Deep understanding of data modeling techniques (conceptual, logical, and physical), including canonical models and domain‑specific data models.
• Experience with data warehousing, ETL/ELT processes, lakehouse patterns, and large‑scale analytical platforms.
• Ability to define and govern domain‑aligned data products and data contracts, enabling discoverability, reuse, and trusted consumption across business domains.
• Partner with enterprise data governance teams to incorporate metadata, lineage, data quality, and access controls into solution and platform designs.
• Understanding of AI and ML capabilities applicable to banking use cases such as customer insights, financial guidance, fraud detection, and operational efficiency
• Ability to evaluate AI-driven solutions and integrate them responsibly into enterprise architectures
• Strong focus on scalability, explainability, security, and regulatory compliance for AI-enabled systems
• Strong understanding of security principles, encryption, authentication, and data protection mechanisms
• Ability to design solutions compliant with regulatory frameworks such as PCI DSS, GDPR, and SOX
• Experience leading modernization initiatives, including cloud migration and legacy platform integration
• Ability to assess third-party platforms, APIs, and vendor solutions against business and architectural criteria
• Provide architectural guidance during implementation and design phases
• Mentor engineering teams and promote best practices across the organization
• Operate effectively in a fast-paced, highly regulated environment
• Create clear architectural diagrams, solution designs, and technical documentation
• Communicate complex technical concepts to business leaders and non-technical stakeholders with clarity and confidence
• Preferably a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field
• Proven experience in solution or enterprise architecture within banking or financial services
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and stakeholder engagement skills

Responsibilities

• Design and evolve enterprise-grade architectures for banking platforms, including core banking, payments, and digital channels
• Act as a strategic bridge between business objectives and technology execution
• Evaluate and recommend technologies, platforms, and integration approaches aligned to enterprise standards
• Ensure compliance with banking regulations, data privacy laws, and security standards
• Provide architectural leadership and guidance throughout solution delivery
• Communicate architecture decisions clearly through diagrams, documentation, and executive-ready presentations
• Support the evolution of end-to-end data architectures, including domain-aligned data products, shared data services, and analytical platforms

Benefits

• Healthcare (medical, dental, vision)
• Basic term and optional term life insurance
• Short-term and long-term disability
• Pregnancy disability and parental leave
• 401(k) and employer-funded retirement plan
• Paid vacation (from two to five weeks depending on salary grade and tenure)
• Up to 11 paid holiday opportunities
• Adoption assistance
• Sick and Safe Leave accruals of one hour for every 30 worked, up to 80 hours per calendar year unless otherwise provided by law

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior