Senior Lead Architect, Vice President: Payments

Location: Plano, TX, United States

Job Family: Architecture

About the Role

At JP Morgan Chase, we are at the forefront of reimagining the future of payments, powering seamless global transactions for millions of customers and businesses. As a Senior Lead Architect, Vice President in Payments, you will play a pivotal role in shaping the target state architecture across multiple domains, driving significant business impact in one of the world's largest financial institutions. Based in our state-of-the-art Plano, TX campus, you will lead architectural initiatives that enhance the efficiency, security, and innovation of our payments ecosystem, from real-time processing to cross-border settlements. This position offers the opportunity to influence strategic decisions that align with our commitment to regulatory excellence and technological leadership in the financial services industry. In this high-impact role, you will collaborate with executive stakeholders, engineering teams, and compliance experts to design scalable solutions that support JP Morgan Chase's expansive payments portfolio. Your expertise will be crucial in evaluating emerging technologies like blockchain and AI-driven fraud detection, ensuring our architectures meet the demands of a rapidly evolving digital economy. You will mentor a team of architects, conduct rigorous reviews, and contribute to roadmaps that integrate payments with broader banking platforms, all while adhering to stringent standards such as PCI-DSS and global privacy regulations. This is a chance to drive transformative change in a dynamic environment where your technical vision directly contributes to business growth and customer trust. We value architects who thrive in complex, fast-paced settings and bring a blend of technical depth and business insight. Joining JP Morgan Chase means becoming part of a collaborative culture that invests in your professional growth through world-class training and resources. If you are passionate about architecting the future of finance and ready to lead at the intersection of innovation and reliability, this role in Plano, TX, is your opportunity to make a lasting difference.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the design and evolution of target state architecture across payments domains, including core processing, settlement, and fraud detection
• Collaborate with business leaders to align architectural strategies with JP Morgan Chase's global payments objectives and regulatory requirements
• Evaluate and recommend emerging technologies to enhance payment efficiency, security, and scalability in a high-stakes financial environment
• Mentor junior architects and oversee the implementation of architectural best practices within agile development teams
• Conduct architecture reviews and risk assessments to ensure compliance with industry standards and internal governance
• Drive integration of payments systems with broader enterprise platforms, such as treasury management and customer banking apps
• Partner with technology and operations teams to optimize infrastructure for real-time global transactions
• Contribute to strategic roadmaps that support JP Morgan Chase's innovation in digital payments and open banking
• Analyze performance metrics and propose architectural improvements to reduce latency and costs in payment processing
• Foster a culture of architectural excellence by documenting standards and sharing knowledge across the organization

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field; Master's degree preferred
• 10+ years of experience in enterprise architecture, with at least 5 years focused on payments systems in financial services
• Proven track record in designing scalable, secure architectures for high-volume transaction processing
• Deep knowledge of regulatory compliance standards such as PCI-DSS, GDPR, and SOX in the banking sector
• Experience leading cross-functional teams in agile environments within large financial institutions
• Strong understanding of cloud platforms like AWS or Azure, with emphasis on financial data security
• Ability to influence senior stakeholders and drive architectural decisions in a complex organizational structure

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced certifications such as TOGAF, AWS Certified Solutions Architect, or CISSP
• Experience with real-time payment systems like RTP, FedNow, or SWIFT GPI
• Prior work at a major bank or fintech firm on payments modernization initiatives
• Familiarity with blockchain or distributed ledger technologies for payments innovation
• MBA or equivalent business acumen in financial services strategy

Required Skills

• Enterprise architecture frameworks (TOGAF, Zachman)
• Payments protocols and standards (ISO 20022, SEPA, ACH)
• Cloud computing and microservices architecture
• Cybersecurity and data encryption for financial transactions
• Agile and DevOps methodologies
• Stakeholder management and communication
• Strategic thinking and problem-solving
• Java, Python, or similar programming for architectural prototyping
• API design and integration (REST, GraphQL)
• Big data technologies (Hadoop, Kafka) for transaction analytics
• Risk assessment and compliance auditing
• Leadership and team collaboration
• Business acumen in financial services
• Innovation in fintech trends
• Project management tools (Jira, Confluence)

Benefits

• Competitive base salary and performance-based annual bonuses
• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance plans
• 401(k) retirement savings plan with generous company matching
• Paid time off, including vacation, sick leave, and parental leave
• Professional development programs, including tuition reimbursement and leadership training
• Employee stock purchase plan and financial wellness resources
• On-site fitness centers, wellness programs, and mental health support
• Flexible work arrangements, including hybrid options in Plano, TX

JP Morgan Chase is an equal opportunity employer.