Payments Solution Architect

Solution Architect – Payments / Cards / Banking

Robert Half (an S&P 500 global staffing firm) is supporting a major UK banking programme following a large-scale acquisition. We are seeking experienced Solution Architects with strong payments and cards architecture expertise to support BAU stabilisation and change across regulated banking platforms. This role is hands-on and delivery-focused, working closely with Payments and Card Architecture leads, engineering teams, and risk stakeholders to design and govern secure, scalable payment solutions.

Assignment Details

• Initial Duration: 3–6 months (likely extension to 6–12 months)
• Location: UK – Remote
• Day Rate: £700 per day plus 12.07% accrual pay via PAYE (employer NI & tax deducted at source – no umbrella admin fees)
• Start Date: ASAP / January

Key Skills and Experience

• Strong experience delivering solution architecture within UK banking environments
• Deep expertise in Cards and Payments architecture, including issuing and acquiring
• Strong understanding of ISO 20022 message standards and payment flows
• Knowledge of UK payments schemes and protocols (e.g. Faster Payments, CHAPS, cards)
• Experience designing end-to-end payment journeys and transaction processing flows
• Hands-on production of HLDs, LLDs, API specs, and sequence diagrams
• Integration-led design across APIs, microservices, and event-driven architectures
• Familiarity with architecture tooling such as Sparx EA, Abacus, or ServiceNow CMDB
• Ability to work closely with engineering, security, data, and ops teams
• Comfortable operating in complex, regulated financial services environments

Role Overview

• You will join an established payments and card architecture function supporting BAU and post-acquisition activity. The role involves translating business and regulatory requirements into robust technical designs, shaping payment and card solutions, and supporting architectural governance across the programme.
• This is not a strategy-only role. You will actively steer design decisions, support delivery teams, and ensure solutions meet standards for security, resilience, performance, and regulatory compliance.

Screening: All candidates must pass standard screening, including Right to Work, employment verification, and credit/criminal checks.

If you are a seasoned Payments or Cards Solution Architect with ISO 20022 exposure and UK banking experience, and want to support a critical programme at pace, get in touch.