Design Lead

Job Description

Overview

We are looking for a skilled and experienced Architect / Design Lead to join our product development team. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in software architecture and solution design, with the ability to bridge business requirements and technical implementation. This role requires both strategic thinking and hands-on technical expertise, as well as strong leadership skills to guide engineering teams toward building scalable, secure, and high-quality systems.

The Architect / Design Lead will play a key role in defining the product architecture, ensuring technical excellence, and collaborating with stakeholders across business, product, and engineering teams.

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Key Responsibilities

• Define and maintain the overall product and system architecture, ensuring scalability, performance, and maintainability.
• Lead the design of critical components, frameworks, and integration patterns.
• Review and validate technical solutions proposed by engineering teams, ensuring alignment with architectural principles and business goals.
• Collaborate closely with Product Owners, Business Analysts, and client stakeholders to understand requirements and translate them into technical solutions.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to development teams, fostering knowledge sharing and best practices.
• Drive adoption of secure coding practices, compliance with industry standards (e.g., OWASP), and ensure adherence to architectural guidelines.
• Conduct design and code reviews to maintain quality standards.
• Identify risks and propose mitigation strategies for architectural and technical challenges.
• Support the migration and transition of responsibilities across locations, ensuring knowledge transfer and continuity of delivery.
• Stay up to date with emerging technologies and recommend their adoption where appropriate.

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Required Skills and Qualifications

• 12+ years of IT experience with at least 5 years in a software architecture or design leadership role.
• Strong expertise in enterprise application architecture, microservices, and cloud-native systems (AWS preferred).
• Proficiency in Java and related frameworks (Spring Boot), with solid understanding of frontend integration (React or similar).
• Strong experience with API design and integration (REST, event-driven, messaging systems).
• Hands-on experience with CI/CD pipelines, DevOps practices, and containerization (Docker, Kubernetes).
• Deep understanding of security, performance optimization, and scalability principles.
• Strong collaboration and communication skills, with experience working in Agile/Scrum environments.
• Proven ability to mentor, guide, and influence technical teams.

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Nice to Have

• Experience in the Banking or Payments industry.
• Exposure to architectural frameworks (TOGAF, SAFe) or certifications (e.g., AWS Solutions Architect, Certified Software Architect).
• Knowledge of automated testing, quality gates, and code inspection tools (SonarQube, JFrog Xray).
• Experience with monitoring and observability tools (Prometheus, Grafana, ELK).

Additional Information

At Endava, we're committed to creating an open, inclusive, and respectful environment where everyone feels safe, valued, and empowered to be their best. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives—because we know that inclusive teams help us deliver smarter, more innovative solutions for our customers. Hiring decisions are based on merit, skills, qualifications, and potential. If you need adjustments or support during the recruitment process, please let us know.