Solution Architect - Acquirer Processing
Network International8 days ago
Cairo, EgyptStaff+
Responsibilities
- Own end-to-end solution design across merchant onboarding, merchant management, payment gateways, switches, aggregators/PayFacs, authorization, settlement, disputes, fraud, reporting, and servicing.
- Architect merchant acquiring platforms, self-service portals, fraud and risk decisioning, 3-D Secure flows, tokenization, P2PE, QR/soft-POS, terminal management, merchant analytics, and payment integrations.
- Design cloud-native and hybrid architectures across AWS, Azure, GCP, and private cloud, including containerization, API connectivity, resilience, disaster recovery, security, and data residency.
- Translate Visa, Mastercard, domestic scheme, PCI-DSS, EMV, regulatory, and certification requirements into architecture and system requirements.
- Lead or support scheme, processor, and terminal/device certification testing, documentation, roadmaps, and sign-off.
- Define API, integration, data, security, DevOps, CI/CD, monitoring, observability, and site-reliability architecture standards for payment platforms.
- Develop strategic architecture blueprints, multi-year roadmaps, modernization plans, build-versus-buy-versus-partner assessments, and cost-optimization strategies.
- Lead technical solutioning for RFP/RFI responses, presales engagements, client workshops, proposals, solution costing, and executive or board-level presentations.
- Manage technical relationships with platform vendors, schemes, fraud and analytics providers, terminal manufacturers, and TMS providers.
- Mentor solution architects and engineering teams and promote architecture governance, standards, documentation, and knowledge sharing.
- Align architecture with AML/KYB, merchant underwriting, central-bank, cross-border data-protection, and other risk and compliance obligations.
- Evaluate emerging capabilities including real-time payments, open banking acceptance, embedded finance, soft-POS, click-to-pay, BNPL, and digital currencies.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field; a Master's degree is preferred.
- 10+ years of experience in payments or merchant-acquiring technology, including at least 5 years in solution or enterprise architecture.
- Hands-on experience with payment gateways, switches, aggregator/PayFac platforms, and merchant-management lifecycle systems.
- Experience with acquiring and switching platforms such as Base24-class switches, Way4 acquiring modules, and ACI-class payment platforms, plus fraud platforms such as Falcon.
- Experience with cloud architecture and migration projects involving AWS, Azure, or GCP.
- Strong knowledge of Visa and Mastercard acquiring rules, EMV, PCI-DSS, merchant onboarding, and underwriting processes.
- Experience leading or contributing to scheme and terminal/device certification processes.
- TOGAF 9+ or equivalent enterprise architecture certification required or in progress.
- Experience contributing to RFP responses, client-facing presales, senior-stakeholder presentations, and board-level communications.
- Knowledge of ISO 8583, ISO 20022, API gateways, microservices, event-driven design, HSMs, key management, P2PE, tokenization, and payment security.
- Experience or exposure to Visa Token Service, Mastercard MDES, digital wallets, fraud and decisioning platforms, AI-based fraud detection, merchant BI, and transaction or settlement streaming.
- Understanding of AML/KYB, data residency, regulatory requirements, DevOps/CI-CD tooling, and site-reliability practices.
- Experience with PayFac and sub-merchant onboarding, payment consulting or systems integration, and emerging payment trends is preferred.
- Strong strategic thinking, solution-design, stakeholder-management, analytical, communication, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
Benefits
- Equal opportunity employer committed to an inclusive workplace welcoming candidates of all backgrounds, nationalities, and experience levels.
Tech Stack
Categories
Solutions Engineering