Infrastructure Architect (Banking)

Introduction
At IBM, work is more than a job – it’s a calling: To build. To design. To code. To consult. To think along with clients and sell. To make markets. To invent. To collaborate. Not just to do something better, but to attempt things you’ve never thought possible. Are you ready to lead in this new era of technology and solve some of the world’s most challenging problems? If so, let’s talk.

Your Role and Responsibilities
We are seeking an experienced Infrastructure Architect to design and implement scalable and secure IT infrastructure solutions for a major migration, modernization, and IT transformation project in our banking organization. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in both on-premises infrastructure and cloud architecture, ensuring that all solutions align with business goals and regulatory standards.

Job Duties:

• Lead the architectural design of both on-premises and cloud infrastructure solutions.
• Oversee the migration of legacy systems to modern architectures, incorporating both on-prem and cloud strategies.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to gather requirements and design comprehensive solutions.
• Implement best practices for security, compliance, and performance optimization.
• Establish and maintain documentation for infrastructure designs and procedures.
• Evaluate new technologies and recommend improvements to existing infrastructure.
• Assist in training and mentoring junior staff on architectural best practices.

Responsibilities:

• Data Center Migration and Consolidation:
  • Lead the planning and execution of data center migrations, ensuring minimal downtime and risk mitigation.
  • Develop and implement strategies for consolidating multiple data centers into a streamlined, efficient infrastructure.
  • Assess and select appropriate migration tools and techniques, ensuring data integrity and compliance throughout the process.
• Infrastructure and Platform Modernization:
  • Design modern infrastructure solutions that leverage both on-premises and cloud resources, optimizing for cost, performance, and scalability.
  • Identify legacy systems that require modernization and develop actionable plans for their upgrade or replacement.
  • Implement the latest platform technologies to enhance infrastructure capabilities, including: Event-Driven Architectures, Distributed Caching Solutions, Container Orchestration.
  • Collaborate with application teams to facilitate the transition to microservices architectures and cloud-native applications.
  • Evaluate and recommend platform-as-a-service (PaaS) solutions and technologies to support application modernization.
  • Implement infrastructure monitoring and observability solutions to ensure high availability and performance of modern platforms.
• Infrastructure and Platform Governance:
  • Establish governance frameworks and policies for infrastructure and platform management to ensure compliance with industry standards and best practices.
  • Monitor adherence to governance policies and provide guidance to teams on best practices for infrastructure and platform use.
  • Lead reviews and audits of infrastructure and platform practices to ensure alignment with organizational goals and regulatory requirements.
• Collaboration and Communication:
  • Work closely with IT leadership and business stakeholders to ensure infrastructure aligns with business objectives and operational needs.
  • Communicate infrastructure designs and transformation strategies effectively to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
  • Provide leadership and mentorship to team members, promoting best practices in infrastructure design and implementation.
• Continuous Improvement:
  • Stay informed of industry trends, emerging technologies, and best practices in infrastructure and platform modernization.
  • Foster a culture of continuous improvement within the team, encouraging innovative solutions to enhance operational efficiency and service delivery.

Required Technical and Professional Expertise:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or a related field.
• 12+ years of experience in IT infrastructure design and architecture, with a focus on both on-premises and cloud environments.
• Extensive experience in designing and managing on-premises infrastructure, including servers, storage, networking, and virtualization technologies (VMware, Hyper-V).
• Proficiency in cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP, OCI) and experience in integrating cloud services with on-premises infrastructure.
• Proven experience in modernizing legacy systems using a hybrid approach that incorporates both on-prem and cloud-native solutions.
• Deep expertise in implementing infrastructure modernization strategies and utilizing the latest platform technologies, including:
  • Event-Driven Architectures (e.g., Apache Kafka)
  • Distributed Caching Solutions (e.g., Redis, Memcached)
  • Container Orchestration Platforms (e.g., Kubernetes, OpenShift)
• Comprehensive understanding of banking regulations and compliance standards such as PCI DSS, GDPR, and PSD2.
• Experience implementing monitoring and observability solutions (Prometheus, Grafana, ELK, Splunk) across hybrid environments.
• Expertise in designing secure infrastructure using Zero Trust architectures, IAM, and advanced encryption methods.
• Proven ability in designing and managing hybrid cloud networks with SD-WAN, VPNs, and dedicated connections.
• Proven experience in designing and implementing disaster recovery (DR) and high availability (HA) strategies for critical applications.
• Strong communication and leadership skills to engage stakeholders and drive successful project outcomes.
• Proven ability to manage large-scale infrastructure transformations using Agile and DevOps methodologies.

Preferred Technical and Professional Expertise:

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