Principal Architect – Digital Banking & Credit Union Transformation (Canada)
About The Position
Aequilibrium is seeking a Canadian-based Principal Digital Banking Architect for a contract-to-hire role to spearhead the next generation of digital banking transformation for Canadian credit unions. This position requires a senior technology leader capable of collaborating with credit union CIOs and CTOs, understanding their business and technology environments, defining strategic pathways, and guiding multidisciplinary teams through complex digital banking transformations. Aequilibrium has extensive experience in credit union digital banking, including work with Central 1's Forge, and is currently assisting credit unions with platform modernization. The role involves leading transformations, developing reusable expertise, accelerators, and architecture patterns to solidify Aequilibrium's standing as a trusted partner.
Requirements
- 12+ years in enterprise architecture, solution architecture, or senior technology leadership.
- Significant experience within Canadian credit unions, banking, or financial services.
- Proven leadership of at least one major digital banking modernization, platform migration, or comparable enterprise transformation from strategy through implementation.
- Strong understanding of digital banking architecture, core banking integration, payments, identity, security, and member-facing digital channels.
- Deep expertise in APIs, microservices, event-driven architecture, and enterprise integration.
- Strong Microsoft Azure architecture experience.
- Ability to move comfortably between executive strategy and detailed technical discussions with engineering teams.
- Demonstrated experience leading architecture governance and multidisciplinary delivery teams.
- Excellent communication and executive stakeholder management skills.
Nice To Haves
- Hands-on experience with VeriPark, VeriChannel and VeriLink.
- Experience with Central 1 Forge and the Canadian credit union ecosystem.
- Experience migrating from Forge or another legacy digital banking platform to VeriPark.
- Experience with Backbase, ebankIT, Temenos, Intellect Design or other major digital banking platforms.
- Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Power Platform architecture.
- Relationships within the Canadian credit union, digital banking, or fintech ecosystem.
- Industry thought leadership, conference speaking, publishing, or participation in banking technology communities.
Responsibilities
- Own architecture and technical leadership for complex digital banking transformations, including Forge-to-VeriPark migrations.
- Assess current-state environments and define target-state and transition architectures across digital banking, core banking, integration, cloud, data, identity, security and third-party systems.
- Lead architecture for VeriChannel, VeriLink, Microsoft Azure and Dynamics 365/Power Platform ecosystems.
- Establish integration and API strategies that connect digital banking platforms with core banking, payments, CRM, identity, fraud, analytics, and other financial-services systems.
- Lead Design Authority and architecture governance across Aequilibrium, client and vendor teams.
- Translate complex technical decisions into clear business implications for CIOs, CTOs and other executives.
- Guide engineering teams from architecture through implementation, testing, migration and go-live.
- Champion configuration over customization, platform upgradeability, security by design and API-first integration.
- Mentor solution architects, technical leads and engineers.
- Develop reusable reference architectures, migration playbooks, integration patterns and accelerators.
- Help define Aequilibrium's point of view on digital banking modernization and platform migration.
- Participate in strategic pursuits, client workshops and technical presentations.
- Build trusted relationships across the Canadian credit union ecosystem and with platform and technology partners.
- Contribute to thought leadership through articles, webinars, conferences, and industry discussions.
- Help identify emerging opportunities as credit unions modernize legacy platforms, consolidate through mergers, and collaborate through shared technology models.
Benefits
- Competitive rate of CAD $80–$110/hour
- Contract-to-hire opportunity
- Compensation will reflect strategic value and expertise for exceptional candidates
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What This Job Offers
Career Level
Senior
Education Level
No Education Listed
