Solution & Systems Architect (IC)

Job Title: Solution & Systems Architect
Reports to: DVT Client Partner
Role overview
The Solution & Systems Architect is a senior individual-contributor and technical leadership role that combines enterprise-scale architecture with hands-on AI architecture and governance. You will serve as DVT's foremost technical authority on platform design, system integration, and the responsible application of AI across client engagements and internal initiatives.
This role is ideal for a seasoned architect who has operated at VP or CTO level and is looking to return to deep technical work — owning architectural decisions, driving AI adoption with rigour, and being the force multiplier that elevates teams and delivery outcomes.
Key Responsibilities
Enterprise Architecture
Define and own high-level solution architecture across multi-service, cloud-native platforms for DVT clients and internal products
Establish and chair Architecture Review Boards (ARBs) to govern design decisions and maintain architectural integrity across engineering teams
Lead technical discovery, architecture assessments, and platform migrations for enterprise client engagements
Translate complex business requirements into scalable, secure, and maintainable technical designs
AI Architecture & Governance
Design AI-native architectures that integrate machine learning, LLMs, and agentic tooling into production systems with appropriate governance, validation, and security controls
Lead DVT's AI adoption strategy — defining standards for context engineering, prompt governance, output validation, and responsible AI use across engagements
Architect AI-assisted workflows for use cases including fraud detection, KYC automation, intelligent document processing, and decision-support systems
Apply healthy technical scepticism to AI outputs: review for correctness, compliance, and security before integration into regulated or mission-critical systems
Evaluate and select AI frameworks, models, and toolchains appropriate to each engagement context
Technical Leadership & Mentorship
Serve as the senior technical reference point for DVT engineering teams and client stakeholders — resolving ambiguity, unblocking delivery, and raising technical standards
Mentor senior engineers and architects across DVT, cultivating the next generation of technical leaders
Contribute to DVT's thought leadership — through internal knowledge sharing, client workshops, and external publication where appropriate
Support pre-sales and proposal efforts by providing authoritative technical input, architecture diagrams, and solution narratives
Required experience and skills
Essential
15+ years of progressive experience in software engineering and architecture, with a minimum of 5 years in a principal or chief architect capacity
Demonstrable experience designing and delivering large-scale, distributed, cloud-native systems in production environments
Hands-on AI architecture experience — integrating LLMs, ML models, or agentic frameworks into real-world systems, with attention to governance and compliance
Strong command of architectural patterns: microservices, event-driven architecture, domain-driven design (DDD), CQRS, and API design
Experience establishing Architecture Review Boards or equivalent governance structures
Exceptional ability to communicate technical concepts to both engineering teams and executive stakeholders
Track record of mentoring and developing senior technical talent
Advantageous
Domain expertise in payments, FinTech, banking, or regulated financial services environments
Experience with African or emerging-market technology infrastructure (mobile money, payment rails, telco integration)
Hands-on proficiency in Go, Python, or similar systems languages; PostgreSQL or advanced database design
Familiarity with AWS, Azure, or GCP architecture patterns and cost-optimisation
Background in compliance-aware engineering: PCI-DSS, GDPR, AML, or KYC regulatory frameworks
Tech skills needed
Go / Python
Domain-Driven Design
LLMs & Agentic AI
API Gateway Patterns
Microservices
PostgreSQL
REST/ gRPC
AI Governance
Event-Driven Architecture
AWS/ Azure / GCP
CI/CD & DevOps
Security Architecture

Employment type
Independent Contractor

Work arrangement
No