Blockchain Architect

Role: Blockchain Architect

Location: Charlotte, NC (Hybrid)

Type: Contract

Description:

We are seeking a Senior Architect to join our Architecture group within the DTI. As a senior technical leader, you will leverage your deep domain expertise and strategic thinking skills to define, guide, and advance enterprise and platform architectures. Your role will involve designing scalable, secure, and resilient solutions across complex, multi-system environments while influencing technology direction beyond a single product or team.

Responsibilities:

• Lead architectural initiatives for blockchain-enabled solutions, including tokenized deposits, digital assets, and distributed settlement use cases, ensuring alignment with bank-grade security, resiliency, and regulatory standards.
• Design hybrid architectures that integrate distributed ledger platforms with core banking systems, payment platforms, data stores, and event-driven microservices.
• Define on-chain vs. off-chain responsibilities, including smart contracts, orchestration services, API layers, and operational controls.
• Evaluate and guide the use of permissioned distributed ledger technologies, identity and access models, privacy architectures, and governance structures suitable for regulated environments.
• Provide architectural leadership on smart contract concepts, focusing on deterministic business rule enforcement rather than workflow orchestration.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams in payments, liquidity, settlements, or financial market infrastructures within large-scale enterprises.
• Establish architectural guardrails and best practices for emerging digital asset and blockchain capabilities to ensure long-term interoperability and maintainability, avoiding vendor lock-in.
• Provide thought leadership to engineering teams and stakeholders on the business value of blockchain versus traditional platforms.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or a related field. Advanced degree preferred.
• Minimum of 10 years of experience in architecture roles, with a focus on blockchain, distributed ledger technologies, or financial market infrastructures.
• Proven mastery of architectural patterns, cloud and modern engineering practices, and non-functional requirements such as performance, resiliency, and security.
• Experience translating business strategy into technical direction and leading cross-functional alignment.
• Demonstrated ability to mentor architects and engineers and drive architectural consistency and innovation.
• Strong understanding of regulatory and compliance requirements within financial institutions.
• Excellent communication and leadership skills, with the ability to advise senior leadership.
• Must be onsite at the client location in Charlotte, NC at least 3 times per week.