Principal Architect - Digital Assets

About the role

Define, build, and scale Barclays’ Digital Asset Platform, leading its architecture and engineering to drive it into production. In this role, you will own the end-to-end design and delivery of a next-generation platform that powers tokenisation, wallets, and real-time settlement capabilities across the bank. You will shape both the strategic vision and hands-on execution, influencing how digital money is architected, engineered, and integrated at Barclays.

As a leader within the Digital Asset Platform team, you will design and deliver a reusable, enterprise-wide platform supporting token lifecycle, wallet services, and on-chain movement of value. You will operate at the center of a cross-functional build organisation, collaborating daily with solution architects, engineers, product owners, and DevOps teams to drive architecture into production. You will own the design and execution of a multi-network, multi-asset platform, enabling interoperability across networks, tokenized assets, and banking rails, while leading architecture for live use cases such as tokenized deposits and securities.

This is a rare opportunity to act as a hands-on architecture leader, setting standards while actively coaching build teams and guiding design decisions and trade-offs throughout the delivery lifecycle.

Responsibilities

• Develop, evolve, and implement Barclays’ technology architecture and strategies aligned to business and technology objectives, unlocking execution and operational efficiency.
• Collaborate with stakeholders, including Enterprise Architecture teams, developers, and clients, to provide subject-matter expertise and foster continuous improvement.
• Lead and motivate a diverse group of technologists, business, and operations teams to align business and technology strategy, identifying opportunities and connecting people.
• Assess new technologies to address current and future business needs through curiosity and problem-solving.
• Determine optimal solutions while balancing compliance, governance, security, and funding requirements, with a deep understanding of business and customer outcomes.
• Monitor and analyze the performance, resiliency, and stability of applications to identify and resolve issues, documenting key findings for stakeholders.
• Ensure compliance with applicable regulatory standards and identify industry developments that may impact the bank’s operations and controls.
• Support engineering and architecture community initiatives to mentor team members, streamline operations, and share knowledge.
• Manage a business function, contributing to and influencing policy and strategic initiatives across the organization.
• Lead organization-wide projects, acting as a deep technical expert and thought leader, and collaborating cross-functionally.
• Provide expert advice to senior management and committees to influence decisions outside your function.
• Manage, coordinate, and enable resourcing, budgeting, and policy creation for a significant sub-function.
• Escalate breaches of policies or procedures appropriately and foster compliance with regulations.
• Monitor the external environment, regulators, or advocacy groups to influence and represent Barclays when appropriate.
• Demonstrate extensive knowledge of how the function integrates with the business to achieve overall objectives.
• Use interpretative thinking and advanced analytical skills to solve complex or sensitive problems.
• Exercise management authority to make significant decisions or strategic recommendations.
• Negotiate with and influence stakeholders at a senior level, both internally and externally.
• Act as the principal contact point for key clients and counterparts in other functions or business divisions.
• Serve as a spokesperson for the function and business division.

Requirements

• Strong appreciation for security, risk, compliance, and control frameworks within regulated technology environments.
• Deep expertise in Digital Asset platforms, including tokenisation, wallets/custody, smart contract integration, and interoperability patterns.
• Hands-on experience with Layer 1 and Layer 2 blockchains, smart contracts, on-chain compliance, cryptographic services (HSM, MPC, etc.), and interoperability frameworks at a regulated financial institution.
• Confidence leading end-to-end platform design and development, including APIs, orchestration layers, integration patterns, and distributed systems.
• Experience using AI-enabled tooling to accelerate architecture design, optimize delivery productivity, and proactively manage platform and delivery risks.

Leadership Expectations

• Demonstrate the Barclays Values: Respect, Integrity, Service, Excellence, and Stewardship.
• Embody the Barclays Mindset: Empower, Challenge, and Drive.
• Exhibit the four LEAD behaviors: Listen and be authentic, Energise and inspire, Align across the enterprise, and Develop others.