Head of Architecture - Risk & Compliance Technology

Ready to set architecture direction across Risk and Compliance Technology?

Why HSBC

HSBC is one of the largest banking and financial services organisations in the world. Guided by our purpose of opening up a world of opportunity, our ambition is to become the world’s most trusted bank globally, putting customers at the heart of everything we do.

The Role

As Head of Architecture - Risk & Compliance Technology you’ll set the enterprise architecture direction across the Group’s risk and compliance domains and own the R&C Technology Design Authority. Working with senior business, risk, compliance and technology stakeholders you’ll shape target-state architecture and transition roadmaps aligned to Group strategy, standards and regulatory and control requirements. The focus is simplification and control-by-design - reducing application and technology complexity while improving delivery speed and reuse through shared platforms. You’ll set the architectural approach for strategic R&C initiatives including the Compass risk intelligence platform, model risk management tooling and the R&C AI and GenAI agenda. You’ll also modernise the architecture operating model for a codified, AI-enabled world so engineering teams can deliver safely and efficiently. Success means clear guardrails, timely decisions and separable, resilient applications with measurable reductions in duplication, cost and operational risk across a portfolio that regulators and Group control functions depend on.

What you'll be doing

• Own and chair the Technology Design Authority for Risk and Compliance including decision governance, the architecture working group and exception management
• Set future-state enterprise architecture and transition roadmaps across R&C value streams aligned to Group strategies, standards, patterns and control requirements
• Shape strategic technology direction with senior stakeholders across R&C Technology, Group Risk and Compliance, GCIO and Group Architecture
• Provide architectural direction for strategic R&C initiatives including the Compass risk intelligence platform, model risk management tooling and the R&C AI and GenAI agenda
• Embed control-by-design across security, resilience, separability, privacy, records management, auditability and regulatory traceability requirements
• Establish a clear reuse-build-buy approach aligned to Group platform strategies including data and integration platforms and Low-Code and No-Code exception control
• Oversee application and technology simplification including rationalisation, interface standardisation and decommissioning to reduce complexity, cost and operational risk
• Create codified and automation-friendly architecture practices and reusable assets including consumable patterns, guardrails, golden paths, reference implementations and NFR baselines

What we're looking for

• Bring substantial senior enterprise architecture experience in large-scale, complex, internationally regulated organisations
• Demonstrate established ownership of architecture governance such as a Design Authority with clear standards, principles and decision processes
• Show proven experience shaping target-state architecture and transition roadmaps aligned to business outcomes and platform strategies
• Evidence delivery of technology transformation including application rationalisation, simplification and adoption of shared platforms
• Apply strong understanding of security, resilience, data privacy, records management, auditability and broader regulatory and control requirements in architecture decisions
• Bring working knowledge of AI and GenAI architecture and its governance in a regulated environment
• Communicate effectively with senior stakeholders presenting options, trade-offs, risks and recommendations to enable timely decisions
• Demonstrate experience modernising architecture ways of working including codified or automated approaches
• Build and develop architecture capability through people leadership, coaching and strengthening collaboration across teams and communities

Setting R&C Architecture Direction

This role sits where strategy becomes real delivery - turning Group standards and regulatory and control requirements into practical architecture engineering teams can use. You’ll shape how Risk and Compliance modernise their technology estate, reduce duplication, build on shared platforms and adopt AI responsibly. Through the Technology Design Authority you’ll set the pace and quality of decisions so delivery stays safe, compliant and efficient. If you want clear impact on simplification, governance and modern architecture practice in one of the Group’s most control-critical technology domains we’d welcome your application.

Being open to different points of view is important for our business and the communities we serve. At HSBC, we’re dedicated to creating diverse and inclusive workplaces - no matter their gender, ethnicity, disability, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic background or age. We are committed to removing barriers and ensuring careers at HSBC are inclusive and accessible for everyone to be at their best. We take pride in being a Disability Confident Leader and will offer an interview to people with disabilities, long term conditions or neurodivergent candidates who meet the minimum criteria for the role.

If you have a need that requires accommodations or changes during the recruitment process, please get in touch with our Recruitment Helpdesk via [email protected] .