In today’s fast-changing digital environment, organizations must be both innovative and resilient to deliver solutions that meet customer needs while driving operational excellence. At I&M Bank, we are dedicated to delivering high-quality digital products and services that support our business growth and customer satisfaction. To continue building transformative solutions that address evolving business demands, we are seeking an experienced and dynamic Solutions Architect to join our Digital Business team in Nairobi.
This role is a unique opportunity for a professional who is passionate about technology, system design, and collaboration. The Solutions Architect will serve as a bridge between business needs and technical execution, ensuring that every solution is not only functional but also scalable, secure, and cost-effective. At I&M, Solution Architects play a critical role in converting business requirements into implementable technical designs while owning and communicating a shared technical and architectural vision.
If you are looking for a challenging and rewarding role that allows you to shape the future of digital banking solutions, this position is for you.
Main Purpose of the Role
The Solutions Architect is responsible for ensuring that envisioned digital solutions become reality. You will analyze business requirements, identify technical challenges, and propose innovative, scalable, and secure solutions that align with both short-term operational needs and long-term strategic goals. This role demands a professional who can balance technical expertise, business understanding, and stakeholder engagement.
Key Duties, Responsibilities, and Functions
1. Solution Design
- Analyze complex business requirements to identify technical challenges and propose practical solutions.
- Design and document solutions that address stakeholder needs, incorporating both functional and non-functional aspects, such as security architecture and data architecture.
- Participate actively in the quality assurance process, ensuring comprehensive coverage, quality, and completeness of tests for both new and existing solutions.
2. Solution Optimization
- Continuously identify opportunities for optimization, digitization, and automation to increase organizational efficiency.
- Design and implement scalable, high-performance systems that deliver maximum return on investment.
3. Stakeholder Engagement
- Facilitate discussions with business owners, development teams, operations, and other stakeholders to gather requirements and communicate architectural visions.
- Provide timely clarifications and technical insights throughout the solution development lifecycle.
4. Service Availability and Quality
- Minimize service outages by addressing architectural gaps.
- Eliminate bugs and rework through robust solution designs that cover both breadth and depth.
5. Architecture Maturity
- Contribute to the ongoing evolution of the enterprise architecture framework.
- Ensure every solution aligns with broader organizational strategies and long-term technology roadmaps.
Decision-Making and Accountabilities
The role does not directly control financial resources but influences decisions that have a major impact on organizational finances and operational outcomes. Key areas of accountability include:
- Architecture Decisions: Recommending cost-effective solutions (e.g., cloud platforms, technology stacks, service providers) that impact scalability, operational costs, and budgets.
- Tool Selection: Evaluating and recommending the right tools, frameworks, and platforms for development and deployment.
- Optimization Initiatives: Identifying process or system optimization opportunities that reduce costs and inefficiencies.
- Vendor Negotiations: Providing technical insights during vendor discussions to ensure solutions are cost-effective and aligned with architectural goals.
The role also directly influences client and customer outcomes by shaping systems and solutions that affect reliability, performance, and satisfaction.
Impact on Organizational Success
A Solutions Architect at I&M Bank plays a pivotal role in:
- Designing scalable, secure, and efficient systems that improve operational workflows and customer experience.
- Selecting the right technology stack to ensure high-quality deliverables within timelines.
- Building collaboration across business, development, and operations teams to drive project success.
- Defining customer-focused architectures that support front-end applications with high reliability and performance.
- Recommending improvements to deployment pipelines and workflows that enhance overall team efficiency.
- Contributing to long-term technology strategies that align with organizational objectives.
Skills, Competencies, and Experience
Education and Experience
- Bachelor’s degree plus relevant professional qualifications.
- 4 to 6 years of progressive work experience in systems design, architecture, and implementation.
Technical Expertise
- Strong understanding of programming languages, tools, and frameworks including Java, Maven, Spring Boot, JMS, Docker, and Kubernetes.
- In-depth knowledge of Enterprise Integration Patterns and Frameworks.
- Experience with Microservices architecture and Cloud platforms (AWS, Azure).
- Familiarity with API description formats such as OpenAPI for REST APIs.
- Working knowledge of Web and App Development Technologies such as Angular, Swift, and Kotlin.
- Ability to leverage AI and machine learning for advanced solution delivery.
- Broad operational understanding of infrastructure components such as application servers, databases, and load balancers in highly available environments.
Stakeholder Engagement
- Ability to build consensus among stakeholders with differing views.
- Strong collaboration skills across diverse teams.
- Conflict resolution expertise to align teams toward shared objectives.
Analytical and Problem-Solving Skills
- Ability to interpret complex system metrics and resolve issues efficiently.
- Critical thinking and data-driven problem-solving capabilities.
- Expertise in identifying root causes and implementing lasting technical fixes.
Cloud and Microservices Expertise
- Extensive experience with AWS and Azure platforms.
- Skilled in containerization and orchestration (Docker, Kubernetes).
- Proficient in building and deploying cloud-native microservices solutions.
Additional Skills
- Excellent technical writing and documentation abilities.
- Ability to simplify complex technical concepts for diverse audiences.
- Strong attention to detail with a commitment to quality outcomes.
- Comfortable working independently or as part of a cross-functional team.
Why Join I&M Bank?
At I&M Bank, we don’t just build solutions—we build legacies. Our technology team is empowered to shape the digital landscape of banking by working on cutting-edge platforms and services. Joining us means:
- Being part of a leading financial institution in East Africa with a strong growth trajectory.
- Collaborating with some of the brightest minds in digital business and technology.
- Contributing to projects that directly impact customer experience and operational excellence.
- Accessing opportunities for continuous learning, professional growth, and career progression.
- Driving innovation in financial services by leveraging advanced technologies.
Application Deadline
If you are excited about this opportunity and believe you meet the outlined requirements, we invite you to take the next step in your career journey with I&M Bank. Applications must be submitted on or before 25th September 2025.
How to Apply
To apply for this position, visit our official website:
www.imbankgroup.com/ke → Careers → Select Solutions Architect – Digital Business and complete your application online.
