Sr. Director, Core Banking Strategy & Transformation (Center of Excellence)

Sr. Director, Core Banking Strategy & Transformation (Center of Excellence)

Location: Remote

Eligibility Requirement: Candidates must reside in one of the following states: Arkansas (AR), Missouri (MO), Oklahoma (OK), Kansas (KS), Florida (FL), Georgia (GA), Tennessee (TN), or Texas (TX)

Compensation: $200K–$275K base + bonus + profit sharing. Up to $350K/year total compensation.

Role Overview

The Senior Director of Core Banking (Center of Excellence) will lead the fundamental re-imagining of the bank’s operational core, transforming technology from a business constraint into a primary engine for growth.

This role is central to architecting the organization for its next phase—building an Enterprise Digital Backbone that supports a $40B future. The leader will drive the modernization of a complex, multi-core banking ecosystem while aligning business strategy, technology platforms, and organizational structure.

Mission & Strategic Objective

• Mission: Transform core banking into a scalable, modern, and business-aligned ecosystem
• Objective: Build an Enterprise Digital Backbone that enables speed, agility, and innovation across all banking domains

Key Responsibilities

Core Transformation & Architecture

• Lead the deconstruction of a 30-year-old monolithic core environment into modular, scalable components
• Drive the transition of:
• Account origination → Terafina (Salesforce-based)
• Servicing → Salesforce Service Cloud
• Implement modern architectural principles including:
• Event-Driven Architecture (EDA)
• CQRS (Command Query Responsibility Segregation)
• Reduce point-to-point integrations and enable loosely coupled, domain-driven services

Platform Strategy & Oversight

• Own the strategy and optimization of core platforms (Fiserv, Signature, Thought Machine Vault, TSYS, FIS, etc.)
• Establish and maintain a capability roadmap aligned with enterprise and product strategy
• Drive platform simplification, reuse, and scalability
• Manage vendor relationships across key core providers

Operating Model Transformation

• Transition the organization from a platform-centric to a domain-based, business-aligned model
• Establish best practices across:
• CI/CD and release management
• Capacity planning and prioritization
• Workflow governance and execution frameworks
• Build a scalable structure supporting both:
• “Keep the lights on” operations
• New product and platform innovation

Strategic Alignment & Business Partnership

• Act as the bridge between business, product, and technology teams
• Ensure all initiatives align with both:
• Immediate business needs (growth, revenue)
• Long-term architecture goals
• Define and track ROI and IRR metrics for platform investments

Risk, Security & Compliance

• Partner with Information Security to enforce best practices across platforms
• Ensure compliance with:
• Regulatory requirements
• BSA/AML standards
• PCI and Non-Public Information (NPI) protections
• Own resilience strategy including:
• Business continuity
• Disaster recovery

Leadership & Team Development

• Lead a team of ~40 (4–6 direct reports)
• Redesign organizational structure for scale and efficiency
• Coach and develop talent to align with evolving technical and business needs
• Play a key role in leadership succession planning

Required Experience

• 15+ years in banking, financial services, or fintech
• 10+ years of relevant experience across technology, operations, or platform leadership
• 5+ years of leadership experience managing teams
• Deep expertise across core banking platforms and multiple lines of business

Technical & Architectural Expertise

• Strong understanding of:
• Event-Driven Architecture (EDA)
• CQRS patterns
• Distributed systems and modern integration patterns
• Experience modernizing legacy monolithic systems into modular architectures
• Knowledge of:
• Customer 360 / Operational Data Stores
• Transaction processing systems
• Payment hubs (e.g., Fiserv EPP)
• Experience building observability practices (telemetry, tracing, monitoring)

Strategic & Problem-Solving Capabilities

• Proven ability to:
• Address scalability constraints in legacy environments
• Balance modernization with ongoing delivery
• Align infrastructure investments to business outcomes
• Experience navigating complex environments with multiple stakeholders

Leadership Competencies

• Track record of improving:
• Speed to market (target: 50% reduction in lead time)
• System reliability (target: 99.99% uptime)
• Strong cross-functional collaboration skills
• Ability to influence without direct authority in complex organizations

Preferred Background

• Experience across multiple institutions or environments
• Background with core providers (Fiserv, FIS, Thought Machine, etc.)
• Exposure to M&A or platform consolidation initiatives
• Certifications such as Lean Six Sigma, PMP, or banking/finance credentials

Compensation & Benefits

• Base Salary: $200K–$275K
• Annual Bonus: Target 25% of base salary, with potential payout up to 150% of target based on performance
• Profit Sharing: Included as part of total rewards
• 401(k): Immediate vesting
• Comprehensive health, financial, and wellness benefits

What Success Looks Like (First 12 Months)

• Stand up a domain-based operating model
• Establish structured delivery, capacity, and governance processes
• Deliver measurable progress toward a modern digital core architecture
• Improve alignment between business priorities and technology execution
• Advance adoption of next-generation core platforms

Key Interview Topics

Candidates should be prepared to discuss:

• Leading multi-year core modernization efforts
• Applying EDA and CQRS in real-world environments
• Aligning infrastructure investments with customer and business needs
• Designing secure architectures that minimize PCI and compliance scope

Why This Role

• Opportunity to lead a full-scale transformation of a core banking ecosystem
• Direct impact on enterprise growth and digital strategy
• High visibility with executive leadership
• Clear path toward expanded leadership responsibility