Head of Cloud-Native Architecture

Job Purpose

Lead the cloud-native architecture strategy for one of Oman’s largest banks by integrating modern data platforms, event-driven microservices, and a unified cloud-native approach. This key leadership role bridges cloud-native enablement, real-time data architecture, and modern integration to accelerate the bank’s digital transformation journey.

Strategic Responsibilities:

• Lead cloud-native architecture adoption (containers, Kubernetes, service mesh)
• Define and govern integration strategies using APIs, events, and messaging
• Establish architecture for streaming and batch data pipelines
• Develop reusable microservices, messaging contracts, and design patterns
• Drive DevOps enablement for integration services and data platforms
• Define modern data platform reference architecture (data lakehouse, ELT)
• Enable real-time data pipelines and CDC-based integration (e.g., Debezium, Kafka)
• Ensure alignment with data governance and security policies
• Guide ML/AI data architecture to enable intelligent analytics
• Standardize architecture building blocks for cloud, data, and integration layers
• Maintain and evolve integration patterns (sync, async, pub/sub, event sourcing)
• Participate in the Architecture Review Board for solution alignment
• Drive best practices for API, event schema, and interface governance

Functional Responsibilities

• Review and guide architecture for core platforms (ESB, Kafka, API Gateway, Data Lake)
• Own technical decisions around data flows across systems and services
• Collaborate with business, data, and dev teams to design scalable services
• Lead POCs and architecture spikes to evaluate modern integration tech
• Enable observability and monitoring patterns for distributed systems

Knowledge & Experience

• 12+ years in enterprise architecture with at least 6 in data and integration architecture
• Strong knowledge in event-driven systems (Kafka, RabbitMQ), APIs, iPaaS/ESB
• Experience in cloud platforms (OCI, AWS, Azure, GCP), containers, serverless
• Expertise in modern data stack: Spark, Flink, Airflow, Snowflake/BigQuery/Dremio
• Hands-on understanding of SCD, CDC, data mesh, lakehouse, and ETL/ELT tools
• TOGAF certified (preferred)
• Experience building and governing microservices-based solutions
• Deep knowledge of integration and messaging patterns
• Familiarity with BIAN, DAMA-DMBOK, and cloud-native design principles
• Understanding of core banking, digital banking platforms, and regulatory constraints
• Knowledge of financial data flows and real-time payment architecture is a plus

Knowledge & Experience

• Strong stakeholder engagement skills with cross-functional teams
• Technical mentoring and capability building
• Analytical and strategic thinking to align architecture with business outcomes

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Integration reliability and latency metrics
• Cloud and data platform availability and scalability
• Architecture compliance and reuse rates
• Event and API design consistency
• Time to market for new services
• Stakeholder satisfaction on integration responsiveness