Software Engineering Lead - GenAI Platform Modernization, VP

Role Overview

We are seeking a highly experienced VP Software Engineering lead focusing on AI-enabled engineering transformation, enterprise integration, and platform modernization within Transaction Banking Technology. The role combines hands‑on architecture leadership with delivery accountability across regulated banking platforms, including payments, workflow orchestration, real‑time integration, observability, and AI governance. The VP will drive the design and production adoption of agentic GenAI capabilities, Graph RAG knowledge systems, and modernization accelerators that convert legacy platform complexity into clear specifications, reusable engineering patterns, and measurable delivery outcomes.

• Lead enterprise platform modernization programs across Transaction Banking with accountability for architecture, execution, adoption, and operational readiness.
• Design and product ionise agentic GenAI solutions for engineering productivity, legacy modernization, operational diagnosis, and knowledge retrieval in regulated banking environments.
• Build and govern reusable AI platform patterns including prompt templates, tool/function calling, context management, summarisation logic, evaluation instrumentation, and LLM gateway integration.
• Deliver Graph RAG and knowledge systems using graph databases, vector retrieval, text‑to‑query patterns, embeddings, and auditable execution ledgers.
• Own distributed integration architecture across REST APIs, IBM MQ, Kafka, file‑based interfaces, and event‑driven systems.
• Partner with enterprise governance, cyber, risk, and architecture teams to ensure AI, data, and integration solutions meet security, audit, resilience, and control expectations.
• Lead vendor architecture reviews, RFP evaluations, technical due diligence, and re‑platforming assessments to determine where capabilities should be bought, integrated, or insourced.
• Mentor senior engineers, establish reusable engineering frameworks, and promote adoption across U.S. and global delivery teams.

• 10+ years of software engineering experience in financial services, with significant ownership of enterprise platforms, distributed systems, or banking technology delivery.
• Hands‑on experience with Java and Python, including microservices, REST APIs, SQL, integration frameworks, and production‑grade platform design.
• Strong experience with Generative AI or applied AI engineering, including LLM integration, Lang Chain/Lang Graph or comparable orchestration frameworks, prompt engineering, RAG, agentic workflows, and evaluation approaches.
• Experience building governed, auditable systems in regulated environments, including metadata capture, run identifiers, token/cost accounting, traceability, failure classification, and operational controls.
• Strong cloud/platform engineering background including Kubernetes, Docker, CI/CD, health‑check frameworks, reliability engineering, and production observability.
• Demonstrated leadership across architecture, delivery, mentoring, cross‑team adoption, documentation, SRE partnership, QA strategy, and production support.
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related discipline; equivalent practical experience will be considered.

• Transaction Banking and payments technology including ACH, wires, payment initiation, clearing, settlement, reporting, exception handling, and reconciliation.
• SWIFT, ISO
  20022, MT formats, BAI/BAI2, lockbox, account reporting, and bank file‑based integration patterns.
• Legacy modernization programs involving code analysis, specification generation, re‑platforming, vendor capability replacement, and measurable productivity improvement.

Operate as a senior engineering leader who translates ambiguous business and technology goals into executable architecture, delivery plans, and measurable outcomes. Communicate effectively with executive stakeholders, architects, product owners, risk partners, vendor teams, and engineering squads. Balance hands‑on technical credibility with people leadership, coaching, prioritization, delivery governance, and long‑term platform strategy.