VP, Principal I, Infrastructure Solution Architect (JRI-5417)

The Japan Research Institute (JRI) Limited is a subsidiary of Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) Group. SMBC Group is a Tokyo-based bank holding company that is ranked among the largest 25 banks globally by assets under management. JRI provides comprehensive, highly value-added information services through the coordinated application of its 3 functions. i.e. information systems, consulting and think-tank. As a system integrator, JRI offers services in IT strategy planning, implementation and outsourcing to a broad range of industries and activities. JRI Singapore currently supports the overall IT functions of Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) in Asia Pacific Region.

Responsibilities

• Provide architectural oversight for all integration projects, ensuring adherence to best practices, security standards, and performance requirements.
• Design and manage API-led connectivity architecture to create reusable, flexible, and scalable integration patterns.
• Evaluate and recommend new integration technologies, tools, and platforms to enhance the ESB capabilities.
• Lead the design, development, and implementation of end-to-end integration solutions using the chosen ESB platform.
• Ensure the ESB platform's performance meets operational requirements, troubleshooting and resolving performance and scalability issues.
• Implement security policies, including OAuth, API security, and encryption for secure API communication.
• Drive the adoption of CI/CD pipelines and DevOps practices for integration development and deployment.
• Lead, mentor, and provide technical guidance to a team of integration architects and developers.
• Collaborate with various business units, product owners, and technical teams to gather requirements, understand business processes, and translate them into effective integration solutions
• Lead troubleshooting and resolution of complex production issues, conducting root cause analysis.
• Develop and maintain comprehensive documentation for integration solutions, architectures, and operational procedures.
• Contribute to the overall IT strategy, identifying opportunities for leveraging the ESB platform to achieve business objectives.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree in IT or closely related field with miniimum 15+ years of working experience, preferably in IT middleware domain.
• Strong expertise in IBM ACE and IBM MQ products.
• Min 8 years of experience in handling IBM ACE and IBM MQ platforms in large organization.
• Must have demonstrated strong technical proficiency in supporting IBM ACE in a High Availability environment.
• Proven experience with IBM ACE and IbM MQ configurations, deployments, and troubleshooting.
• Deep understanding of ESB architecture, integration patterns (e.g., publish-subscribe, request-reply, choreography, orchestration), and messaging protocols (e.g., SOAP, REST, JMS, AMQP).
• Proficiency in programming languages commonly used in integration (e.g., Java, Python, JavaScript).
• Strong knowledge of web standards relating to APIs and security standards (OAuth, SSL, CORS, JWT).
• Lead, mentor, and provide technical guidance to a team of integration architects and developers.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement within the integration team.
• Proven ability to work well in a challenging technical environment.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, able to articulate complex technical concepts to diverse audiences.
• Proactive, accountable, and ownership-driven approach to tasks.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to diagnose and resolve complex technical issues.
• Certifications in IBM ACE or IBM MQ are preferred.
• Familiarity with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) and containerization technologies (Docker, Kubernetes) is highly desirable.
• Experience with CI/CD tools (e.g., Jenkins, GitLab CI/CD, GitHub Actions) and version control systems (e.g., Git).
• Understanding of database concepts and SQL.
• Experience with Linux server environments.
• Ability to time-manage and prioritize, take a proactive approach to improving services, and have an innovative and keen interest in learning new technologies.