Principal Architect - Digital Assets

Barclays•Jefferson, CO

20h

About The Position

The purpose of this role is to develop and evolve the bank's technology architecture through relevant solutions, strategies, and execution plans aligned with business and technology objectives. This includes the development, evolution, and adoption of foundational platforms and products. The role involves leading the architecture and engineering of Barclays’ Digital Asset Platform and driving it to production. This includes leading the design and build of Barclays’ next-generation Digital Asset Platform, defining not just what we architect, but how we engineer and deliver it at scale. The individual will drive end-to-end ownership of platform architecture and development execution, shaping how tokenization, wallets, and real-time settlement capabilities are designed, built, and integrated across Barclays. This is a rare opportunity to influence both strategy and hands-on delivery of a foundational platform that will power the future of digital money at Barclays. The role operates at the center of a cross-functional build organization, working daily with solution architects, engineers, product owners, and DevOps teams to drive architecture into production. The role owns the design and execution of a multi-network, multi-asset platform, enabling interoperability across networks, tokenized assets, and banking rails. It also leads architecture for live use cases, including tokenized deposits, securities, and future client-facing solutions. The role acts as a hands-on architecture leader, setting standards while actively coaching build teams, design decisions, and trade-offs across the delivery lifecycle.

Requirements

Strong appreciation for security, risk, compliance, and control frameworks within regulated technology environments.
Deep expertise in Digital Asset platforms, including tokenisation, wallets/custody, smart contract integration, and interoperability patterns.
Hands‑on experience with L1s, L2s, smart contracts, onchain compliance, cryptographic services (HSM, MPC, etc), and interoperability frameworks at a regulated financial institution.
Confident leading end-to-end platform design and development, including APIs, orchestration layers, integration patterns, and distributed systems.
Confident using AI-enabled tooling to accelerate architecture design, optimise delivery productivity, and proactively identify and manage platform and delivery risks.

Responsibilities

Development, evolution, and implementation of the bank's technology architecture and strategies aligned to the business and technology objectives, unlocking execution and run.
Collaboration with stakeholders, including Enterprise Architecture teams and other developers to provide subject matter expertise and share knowledge to foster continuous improvement, and clients to understand and deliver on their technical needs.
Motivation and leadership of a diverse collection of technologists, business and operations teams and enterprise leaders, with the goal to align business & technology strategy & standards, identifying opportunities and connecting people.
Assessment of new technologies to address current and future business needs, through a combination of curiosity and problem-solving skills.
Determination of the optimal solutions while balancing continuous requirements imposed by compliance, governance, security, and funding, through deep understanding of the business and customer outcomes and maintaining a strong and steady grasp on the underlying technologies.
Monitoring and analysis of the performance, resiliency, and stability of applications to identify and resolve issues and communicate and document key findings to stakeholders.
Compliance with applicable regulatory standards and identification of industry developments that may impact the bank's operations and controls to enhance the bank's application portfolio.
Support of engineering and architecture community initiatives to mentor team members, streamline operations, share and grow knowledge.
Lead the architecture and engineering of Barclays’ Digital Asset Platform and drive it to production.
Lead the design and build of Barclays’ next-generation Digital Asset Platform, defining not just what we architect, but how we engineer and deliver it at scale.
Drive end-to-end ownership of platform architecture and development execution, shaping how tokenization, wallets, and real-time settlement capabilities are designed, built, and integrated across Barclays.
Lead within a foundational Digital Asset Platform team, responsible for designing and delivering a reusable, enterprise-wide platform supporting token lifecycle, wallet services, and onchain movement of value.
Operate at the center of a cross-functional build organization, working daily with solution architects, engineers, product owners, and DevOps teams to drive architecture into production.
Own the design and execution of a multi-network, multi-asset platform, enabling interoperability across networks, tokenized assets, and banking rails.
Lead architecture for live use cases, including tokenized deposits, securities, and future client-facing solutions.
Act as a hands-on architecture leader, setting standards while actively coaching build teams, design decisions, and trade-offs across the delivery lifecycle.