Background information about the job or company

Family Bank (formely Family Finance Building Society) was registered as a Building Society in October 1984 in Kenya, under the Building Societies Act and commenced operations in the early 1985. Family Bank converted into a fully fledged bank in May 2007 and the main driver for our conversion was the need to offer a wider range of products and services to our...

Job Purpose:

To design and document technology solution architectures that meet business requirements, comply with the Bank’s Enterprise Architecture standards, and deliver secure, scalable, and cost-effective outcomes. The Solution Architect works closely with project managers, business analysts, QA teams, and integration engineers to translate business and functional requirements into well-defined architectural designs, ensuring that all solutions are fit for purpose and aligned to the Bank’s technology roadmap.

Key Responsibilities:

Solution Design & Documentation

• Design and document end-to-end solution architectures for assigned ICT projects and technology changes.
• Produce High-Level Design (HLD) and Low-Level Design (LLD) documents, architecture decision records, data flow diagrams, and integration specifications.
• Evaluate alternative solution options and recommend the most appropriate architecture based on business needs, cost, and risk.
• Ensure all solution designs are reviewed and approved by the Solution Architecture Lead before submission.
• Maintain architecture artefacts throughout the project lifecycle and update documentation post-implementation.

Enterprise Architecture Alignment

• Ensure all designed solutions comply with the Bank’s Enterprise Architecture framework, standards, and guidelines.
• Identify and flag deviations from EA standards to the Solution Architecture Lead.
• Contribute to the maintenance and evolution of the architecture repository.
• Apply established reference architectures and design patterns in solution design work.

Project & Stakeholder Engagement

• Engage with Business Analysts to understand and translate business requirements into technical architectures.
• Collaborate with System Integrators, developers, and QA teams to ensure architecture designs are accurately implemented.
• Participate in project meetings, technical design reviews, and architecture workshops.
• Provide technical guidance to development and integration teams throughout the build phase.
• Prepare and present solution architecture designs to the Solution Architecture Lead and project governance forums

Security & Compliance

• Incorporate security controls, data protection requirements, and compliance considerations into all solution designs.
• Coordinate with the Information Security team to conduct architecture security reviews for assigned solutions.
• Ensure designed solutions comply with CBK technology regulations and the Bank’s ICT policies.

Change Impact Assessment & Continuous Improvement

• Assess the architectural impact of proposed technology changes and provide input for Change Approval Board submissions.
• Contribute to the continuous improvement of architecture standards, templates, and methodologies.
• Stay current on emerging technologies, architecture patterns, and industry trends relevant to banking.
• Participate in team knowledge-sharing and professional development activities

Academic & Professional Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Information Technology, Software Engineering, or a related field (required).
• TOGAF Foundation certification is an added advantage.
• Cloud architecture certification (AWS, Azure, or GCP – Associate or Professional level) is an added advantage.
• ITIL Foundation certification is an added advantage.

Experience Requirements

• Minimum 3–5 years’ experience in solution architecture, systems design, or software development.
• Demonstrated experience in designing technology solutions for banking or financial services environments.
• Experience in integration design and API architecture.
• Exposure to cloud architecture and hybrid deployments.
• Experience producing architecture documentation (HLDs, LLDs, architecture diagrams).

• Design and document end-to-end solution architectures for assigned ICT projects and technology changes.
• Produce High-Level Design (HLD) and Low-Level Design (LLD) documents, architecture decision records, data flow diagrams, and integration specifications.
• Evaluate alternative solution options and recommend the most appropriate architecture based on business needs, cost, and risk.
• Ensure all solution designs are reviewed and approved by the Solution Architecture Lead before submission.
• Maintain architecture artefacts throughout the project lifecycle and update documentation post-implementation.
• Ensure all designed solutions comply with the Bank’s Enterprise Architecture framework, standards, and guidelines.
• Identify and flag deviations from EA standards to the Solution Architecture Lead.
• Contribute to the maintenance and evolution of the architecture repository.
• Apply established reference architectures and design patterns in solution design work.
• Engage with Business Analysts to understand and translate business requirements into technical architectures.
• Collaborate with System Integrators, developers, and QA teams to ensure architecture designs are accurately implemented.
• Participate in project meetings, technical design reviews, and architecture workshops.
• Provide technical guidance to development and integration teams throughout the build phase.
• Prepare and present solution architecture designs to the Solution Architecture Lead and project governance forums
• Incorporate security controls, data protection requirements, and compliance considerations into all solution designs.
• Coordinate with the Information Security team to conduct architecture security reviews for assigned solutions.
• Ensure designed solutions comply with CBK technology regulations and the Bank’s ICT policies.
• Assess the architectural impact of proposed technology changes and provide input for Change Approval Board submissions.
• Contribute to the continuous improvement of architecture standards, templates, and methodologies.
• Stay current on emerging technologies, architecture patterns, and industry trends relevant to banking.
• Participate in team knowledge-sharing and professional development activities

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Information Technology, Software Engineering, or a related field (required).
• TOGAF Foundation certification is an added advantage.
• Cloud architecture certification (AWS, Azure, or GCP – Associate or Professional level) is an added advantage.
• ITIL Foundation certification is an added advantage.