Cloud API Architect

Location: Phoenix, AZ (Onsite)
Experience: 15+ Years
Domain: Banking / Financial Services
Employment Type: Full-Time / Contract

Role Overview

We are seeking a highly experienced Cloud API Architect to design, develop, and govern enterprise-grade API platforms for a leading banking client. This role will be responsible for defining API architecture strategy, implementing secure and scalable cloud-native APIs, and enabling seamless integration across enterprise applications, digital channels, and third-party systems. The ideal candidate will have deep expertise in API design, cloud platforms, microservices architecture, and enterprise security standards.

Key Responsibilities

API Architecture & Design

• Define enterprise API architecture strategy aligned with business and technology goals.

• Design scalable, secure, and high-performance REST, GraphQL, and SOAP APIs.

• Develop and maintain API standards, governance models, and best practices.

• Create and manage API specifications using OpenAPI/Swagger.

• Design reusable, versioned, and lifecycle-managed APIs.

Cloud & Microservices Architecture

• Architect cloud-native API solutions using AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud Platform.

• Design and implement microservices architecture using Domain-Driven Design (DDD) principles.

• Deploy and manage containerized services using Docker and Kubernetes.

• Design scalable, resilient, and fault-tolerant distributed systems.

Security & Compliance

• Implement enterprise-grade API security using OAuth2, JWT, SAML, and OpenID Connect (OIDC).

• Ensure APIs comply with banking security standards, regulatory, and compliance requirements.

• Implement encryption, authentication, authorization, and secure communication using TLS.

Integration & Messaging

• Design asynchronous and event-driven architectures using Kafka, RabbitMQ, or other messaging platforms.

• Enable integration with internal systems, external partners, and fintech platforms.

• Implement API gateway solutions for routing, throttling, security, and monitoring.

DevOps & Automation

• Implement CI/CD pipelines using Jenkins, GitHub Actions, Azure DevOps, or similar tools.

• Automate API deployment, testing, monitoring, and lifecycle management.

• Collaborate with DevOps teams to ensure reliable and automated releases.

Networking & Infrastructure

• Design and manage API infrastructure including DNS, load balancers, and network routing.

• Optimize performance, scalability, and availability of API platforms.

• Ensure high availability and disaster recovery capabilities.

Leadership & Collaboration

• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to engineering teams.

• Collaborate with enterprise architects, cloud architects, developers, and security teams.

• Work closely with business stakeholders to translate business requirements into technical solutions.

Required Qualifications

• 15+ years of software engineering experience.

• 5+ years of experience in API architecture and design.

• Strong expertise in REST, GraphQL, and SOAP APIs.

• Experience with OpenAPI/Swagger specifications.

• Deep knowledge of API security protocols: OAuth2, JWT, SAML, OIDC.

• Hands-on experience with cloud platforms: AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud Platform.

• Experience with Docker and Kubernetes.

• Strong understanding of microservices architecture and Domain-Driven Design.

• Experience with CI/CD tools such as Jenkins, GitHub Actions, or Azure DevOps.

• Experience with messaging platforms such as Kafka or RabbitMQ.

• Strong understanding of networking concepts including DNS, load balancers, and TLS.

• Experience working in banking or financial services environments is highly preferred.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with API Gateway platforms (Apigee, Kong, AWS API Gateway, MuleSoft, etc.)

• Experience with enterprise integration patterns.

• Knowledge of Zero Trust Architecture.

• Experience with observability tools such as Prometheus, Grafana, ELK, or Splunk.

• Cloud certifications (AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud Platform Architect) preferred.