Payments Technology Architect - Local to Pittsburgh, PA

CGI•Pittsburgh, PA

3d•Onsite

About The Position

We are seeking a Payments Technology Architect to lead technology strategy and modernization initiatives across complex enterprise platforms. This role defines target state architecture for scalable, resilient, API first and event driven systems, and advises senior technology and business leaders on engineering roadmaps, vendor strategy, operating models, and delivery execution. You will own the path from strategy to execution — translating modernization ambition into architecture that engineering teams can build, run, and scale. Experience with high volume, high resiliency payments and regulated financial infrastructure is a core differentiator for this role.

Requirements

12+ years in software engineering and architecture, including 5+ years in a principal, lead, or enterprise architect capacity.
Proven track record defining and delivering target state architecture for large scale, mission critical enterprise platforms.
Deep, hands-on expertise in distributed systems, microservices, API design and management, and event driven architecture (Kafka or equivalent streaming/messaging platforms).
Demonstrated experience modernizing legacy platforms toward cloud ready, modular architectures on a major cloud provider (AWS, Azure, or GCP).
Experience with high volume, high resiliency transaction processing systems — including availability, throughput, idempotency, reconciliation, and failure recovery design.
Experience in regulated financial services environments, with working knowledge of compliance, audit, data protection, and security by design expectations.
Strong integration engineering background: enterprise integration patterns, ESB/iPaaS, file based and real time interfaces, and third party/vendor platform integration.
Track record advising senior stakeholders and influencing technology decisions outside direct reporting lines.
Experience leading distributed, multi region delivery teams through implementation and go live.
Excellent written and verbal communication; able to move fluently between executive narrative and engineering detail.
Core payments platform experience is required.

Nice To Haves

Fiserv EPP: Hands on experience with Fiserv Enterprise Payments Platform (EPP) — implementation, configuration, integration, or modernization.
ACH processing: ACH origination and receipt, NACHA file formats and operating rules, return/NOC handling, settlement windows, and Same Day ACH.
Payment rails: Working knowledge across RTP, FedNow, wire transfer (Fedwire/SWIFT), card rails, and ISO 20022 migration.
Payments architecture: Payment hub and orchestration architectures, sanctions/AML screening integration, fraud controls, exception handling, and reconciliation.
Vendor platforms: Experience with other core banking or payments vendor platforms (Fiserv, FIS, Jack Henry, ACI, Finastra, Volante, Form3) is also valued.
Cloud or architecture certifications (AWS/Azure Solutions Architect Professional, TOGAF, or equivalent).
Experience introducing AI/ML or GenAI capability into engineering workflows or platform operations.
Background in SRE practices, observability tooling, chaos/resiliency engineering, and production incident leadership.
Consulting or client facing delivery experience within financial services.

Responsibilities

Define target state architecture for scalable, resilient, API first and event driven enterprise platforms.
Lead modernization of legacy platforms into cloud ready, modular, and integration friendly architectures.
Establish architecture standards, reference patterns, and decision frameworks across distributed systems, integration platforms, and APIs.
Evaluate and apply AI, automation, observability, and intelligent operations to improve engineering productivity and platform resilience.
Advise senior technology and business leaders on engineering roadmaps, vendor strategy, operating models, and delivery execution.
Partner with senior client and internal technology leaders to define modernization strategy, execution roadmaps, and multi-year delivery plans.
Build consensus across architecture, engineering, product, operations, security, and vendor teams to move transformation programs from strategy to execution.
Present architecture direction, tradeoffs, and risk posture to executive and governance forums.
Direct architecture and engineering teams across multi region client implementations spanning North America, Europe, and APAC.
Guide engineering teams through complex platform implementations, production readiness, go live planning, and post launch stabilization.
Translate complex enterprise requirements into scalable technical designs and executable implementation plans.
Coordinate distributed teams across analysis, architecture, development, testing, and production go live.
Provide hands on technical leadership during major implementations and production launches.
Mentor architects and engineers, improving solution quality, delivery discipline, and technical decision making.
Support the growth of engineers and solution architects into senior technical roles.
Raise the bar on design reviews, non-functional requirements, and production ownership.