Executive Director, Application Architecture

About the role

This is the role that sets the architectural standard for how OCC builds software, not as a review function that approves designs after the fact, but as an embedded strategic partner that drives resilient design from the start. You will lead a team of experienced architects, align with Platform Architecture and Engineering, and ensure that every system OCC builds or acquires is architected to withstand stress, change, and uncertainty. The team you will lead includes architects with deep domain knowledge across clearing, risk, data, and integration. Your job is to make that expertise coherent, consistent, and actionable across OCC's application portfolio - spanning the legacy Encore platform and the next-generation Ovation platform under the Renaissance program. Primary Duties and Responsibilities: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each primary duty satisfactorily. Lead the Application Architecture Function Lead, develop, and set direction for a team of application architects, each retaining individual domain focus across clearing, risk, data, APIs, and integrations Establish and enforce architecture standards across applications, integration patterns, API design, tech stack selection, and software design patterns Own the Application Architecture vision: shape the technology strategy for OCC's applications and integrations - architecting systems built to withstand stress, change, and uncertainty, where resilient design is the standard for every solution we deliver Ensure consistent application of enterprise standards across all delivery teams Define and Enforce Standards Develop and maintain Solution Design documentation standards in collaboration with the rest of the OTSI team Enforce design patterns and architectural guardrails across teams delivering on both legacy and greenfield systems Establish non-functional requirements standards: performance, scalability, fault tolerance, observability as first-class architecture concerns Coordinate with Platform Architecture to ensure application designs reflect infrastructure reality and operational constraints Partner Across the Organization Serve as the primary architecture partner to Engineering, Product, Financial Risk Management, and Quantitative Risk Management Collaborate with Security, QA, and Governance/Risk to ensure architectural decisions satisfy regulatory requirements including Regulation SCI and CPMI-IOSCO principles Engage with Product Owners, Technology Leads, and senior leadership to translate business requirements into durable architectural strategies Provide architecture input and review for vendor selections, technology evaluations, and major program decisions Drive Continuous Improvement Conduct architecture and design reviews with enough rigor to catch problems before they reach production Establish feedback loops between operational incidents, post-mortems, and forward looking architecture decisions Drive team engagement with industry trends, emerging patterns, and evolving standards ensuring OCC's architecture practice does not fall behind the curve Track and report on architecture health metrics and standards adoption across the portfolio Supervisory Responsibilities: Manage and develop a team