Senior Java Architect

Senior Java Engineering Architect – Banking, Payments & AI-Driven Engineering London / (4 days/week from office; 1 day/week from home) Contract or Perm £120Kpa or £500pd (Inside IR35) Role Summary We are seeking a highly experienced Java Engineering Architect to lead the architecture, design, and delivery of next-generation Banking and Payment platforms. The ideal candidate will have deep expertise in payment engines, banking operations, messaging architecture, integration patterns, cloud-native engineering, and AI-driven software delivery. This role requires a strong technology leader who can define enterprise architecture, drive engineering excellence, lead large backend engineering teams, and leverage AI-powered development practices to accelerate software delivery and innovation. ​​​​​​​Required Skills & Experience Core Architecture * 15+ years of software engineering experience. * 8+ years in Solution Architecture, Enterprise Architecture, or Principal Engineering roles. * Proven experience delivering enterprise-scale Banking and Payment solutions. Java & Backend Engineering * Expert-level knowledge of: Java, Spring Boot, Spring Cloud, Microservices Messaging & Integration Deep expertise in Messaging Hub architecture. * Strong experience with: Kafka, NATS, Event Streaming Platforms * Expert understanding of: Integration patterns, Enterprise Integration Architecture, Messaging patterns, API architecture, Event-driven architecture Databases * Strong expertise in: Oracle, PostgreSQL * Data modelling, performance tuning, HA/DR architecture, and transaction-heavy systems. Leadership & Communication * Exceptional stakeholder management and executive communication skills. * Ability to influence senior leadership and engineering organizations. * Strong architectural documentation and presentation capabilities. * Experience leading globally distributed teams. * Strategic thinker with a hands-on engineering mindset. Preferred Qualifications * Banking or Financial Services industry background. * Experience with large-scale modernization and transformation programs. * TOGAF, Kubernetes, Cloud, or Architecture certifications. * Experience building AI-enabled engineering organizations. * Exposure to GenAI and Enterprise LLM integration patterns