This position is listed on behalf of a partner company, who manages all applications and next steps. Our partner is looking for a Principal Architect – Digital Banking & Credit Union Transformation based in Canada.
This is a senior technology leadership opportunity focused on shaping the next generation of digital banking for Canadian credit unions.
You’ll work closely with CIOs, CTOs, executives, technology partners, and multidisciplinary delivery teams to define transformation strategies.
The role spans enterprise architecture, digital banking platforms, cloud, integration, data, identity, security, and modernization.
You’ll lead complex initiatives such as digital banking platform migrations while balancing business priorities with scalable technical architecture.
Beyond individual engagements, you’ll help create reusable architecture patterns, migration playbooks, accelerators, and industry perspectives.
Your expertise will influence both client outcomes and the continued development of a specialized digital banking transformation practice.
This role is ideal for an experienced architect who combines deep financial-services expertise with strong executive presence and hands-on technical leadership.
Accountabilities:
- Own architecture and technical leadership for complex digital banking transformations, including migrations between legacy platforms and modern digital banking ecosystems.
- Assess current-state technology environments and define target-state and transition architectures spanning digital banking, core banking, integration, cloud, data, identity, security, and third-party systems.
- Lead architecture across digital banking, API, integration, Microsoft Azure, CRM, and related technology ecosystems.
- Establish API, microservices, and integration strategies connecting digital banking platforms with core banking, payments, CRM, identity, fraud, analytics, and other financial-services systems.
- Lead architecture governance and Design Authority activities across client, partner, and delivery teams.
- Translate complex architectural decisions into clear business implications and recommendations for CIOs, CTOs, and other senior stakeholders.
- Guide multidisciplinary engineering and delivery teams throughout architecture, implementation, testing, migration, and go-live.
- Champion configuration over unnecessary customization, upgradeable platforms, security-by-design principles, and API-first integration approaches.
- Mentor solution architects, technical leads, and engineers while strengthening architecture and engineering capabilities.
- Develop reusable reference architectures, migration playbooks, integration patterns, and technical accelerators that can support future transformation programs.
- Contribute to strategic pursuits, client workshops, technical presentations, thought leadership, industry events, and technology partner relationships.
- Help identify emerging opportunities as Canadian credit unions modernize legacy environments, consolidate through mergers, and adopt shared technology models.
- Build trusted relationships across the Canadian credit union, digital banking, fintech, and technology ecosystem.
- Support the growth of future transformation engagements by establishing strong client relationships and demonstrating measurable technical value.
Requirements:
- 12+ years of experience in enterprise architecture, solution architecture, or senior technology leadership.
- Significant professional experience within Canadian credit unions, banking, financial services, or closely related environments.
- Proven experience leading 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 operate comfortably at both executive-strategy and detailed technical levels, communicating effectively with CIOs, CTOs, architects, and engineering teams.
- Demonstrated experience leading architecture governance and multidisciplinary technology or delivery teams.
- Excellent communication, stakeholder management, influencing, and relationship-building skills.
- Hands-on experience with platforms such as VeriPark, VeriChannel, VeriLink, Central 1 Forge, Backbase, ebankIT, Temenos, Intellect Design, Finastra, or comparable digital banking platforms is highly valuable.
- Experience migrating from Forge or another legacy digital banking platform to a modern digital banking solution is an asset.
- Experience with Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Power Platform architecture is a plus.
- Existing relationships within the Canadian credit union, digital banking, fintech, or financial-services ecosystem are highly valuable.
- Industry thought leadership, conference speaking, publishing, or participation in banking technology communities is an advantage.
- Experience delivering accessible digital solutions and ensuring AODA/WCAG AA compliance is an asset.
- Strong strategic thinking, commercial awareness, mentoring ability, and comfort operating in complex and ambiguous transformation environments.
Benefits:
- Competitive contract compensation: CAD $80–$110 per hour, depending on experience, digital banking expertise, and demonstrated leadership capabilities.
- Premium expertise recognition: Exceptional candidates with deep experience in VeriPark, Forge, and the Canadian credit union ecosystem may receive compensation reflecting the strategic value of their expertise.
- Senior-level impact: Opportunity to shape major digital banking transformation initiatives and influence technology strategy at the executive level.
- Practice-building opportunity: Ability to develop reusable architecture assets, migration frameworks, accelerators, and industry perspectives.
- Client and industry exposure: Work directly with senior financial-services leaders and technology partners across the Canadian credit union ecosystem.
- Technical leadership: Opportunity to influence architecture standards, modernization strategies, integration approaches, and engineering practices.
- Professional growth: Exposure to major digital banking platforms, cloud technologies, enterprise transformation programs, and emerging financial-services technology.
- Mentorship and influence: Opportunity to develop architects, technical leads, and engineering teams while contributing to broader organizational capabilities.
- Contract-to-hire pathway: The position is structured as a contract-to-hire opportunity, offering potential for a longer-term relationship based on mutual fit and business needs.
How Jobgether works:
We use an AI-powered matching process to ensure your application is reviewed quickly, objectively, and fairly against the role's core requirements. Our system identifies the top-fitting candidates, and this shortlist is then shared directly with the hiring company. The final decision and next steps (interviews, assessments) are managed by their internal team.
We appreciate your interest and wish you the best!
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