Director, Application Architecture - Kafka, Java, Kubernetes

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Director, Application Architecture - Kafka, Java, Cloud

SALARY: $270k - $280k plus 30% bonus

LOCATION: CHICAGO, IL

HYBRID 3 DAYS ONSITE

Looking for a Director over Java application and is hands on Java Kafka Kubernetes Cloud AWS.

What We Offer:

• Organizational mandate to define and enforce architecture standards at a SIFMU, with real consequences when they are not followed
• Executive sponsorship and a leadership team that treats architecture as a strategic function, not a compliance gate
• The opportunity to shape how application portfolio evolves through one of the most significant technology transformation programs in the organization's history is consolidating its architecture function under a unified, clarity-of-accountability model. The Executive Director of Application Architecture leads the team responsible for shaping technology strategy across applications, integrations, APIs, tech stack selection, and software design patterns.
  
  

Lead the Application Architecture Function

• Lead, develop, and set direction for a team of application architects, each retaining individual domain focus across clearing, risk, data, APIs, and integrations
• Establish and enforce architecture standards across applications, integration patterns, API design, tech stack selection, and software design patterns
• Own the Application Architecture vision
• Ensure consistent application of enterprise standards across all delivery teams
• Serve as the primary architecture partner to Engineering, Product, Financial Risk
• Management, and Quantitative Risk Management
• Collaborate with Security, QA, and Governance/Risk to ensure architectural decisions satisfy regulatory requirements including Regulation SCI and CPMI-IOSCO principles
• Engage with Product Owners, Technology Leads, and senior leadership to translate business requirements into durable architectural strategies
• Provide architecture input and review for vendor selections, technology evaluations, and major program decisions
  
  

Qualifications:

• Demonstrated experience defining and enforcing application architecture standards at organizational scale across complex, multi-system portfolios
• Deep hands-on background in application architecture APIs, integration patterns, distributed systems, event-driven architecture, and microservices, Kafka, Kubernetes, Cloud
• Experience with both legacy/brownfield modernization and greenfield cloud-native development
• Strong working knowledge of CI/CD, automated testing, and quality gate enforcement as architecture concerns
• Ability to lead through influence as well as authority building alignment across Engineering, Security, QA, and Governance without losing the ability to make hard calls
• Excellent communication skills able to represent architecture decisions to executive leadership and translate strategy into actionable standards for development teams
• Technical Skills (Preferred):
• Hands-on experience with Java, Kafka, Kubernetes, and cloud-native architectures on AWS or equivalent
• Experience with scaled agile frameworks (SAFe) in large enterprise delivery programs
• Familiarity with AI-assisted development practices and their implications for architecture and standards
• BS degree