Senior Principal Architect

JOB DESCRIPTION

Why GM Financial Technology?

GM Financial is set to change the auto finance industry and is leading the path with embarking on tech modernization - we have a startup mindset, preserve our small company culture, in a public company environment with financial stability and intense growth over a decade long history. We are data junkies and trust in data and insights to advance our business objectives.

We take our goal of zero emission, zero collision, zero congestion and zero friction very seriously. We believe as the auto finance market leader we are in the driver seat to lead us in the GM EV mission to change the world. We are building global platforms, LATAM, Europe, China - our high performing talent needs a high performing leader. GMF is comprised of over 10,000 team members globally. Join our fin-tech culture within a Blue-Chip company where we are changing the way we use technology to support our customer and business.

RESPONSIBILITIES

About the Role:

As a Senior Principal Architect, you will be supporting the global systems business for the vehicle retail loan business, you will be a key influencer in the achievement of strategic alignment and provide a positive impact on business value. You will partner with leaders in the business unit to identify initiatives with high impact which drive the business strategy forward. The person in this role is also expected to be an energetic, dynamic and innovative leader and influencer, acting as an avid promoter of process improvement to enhance productivity and performance of assigned business area. The Senior Principal is an established and recognized figure both internally and externally. This person will represent GM Financial in the broader community and serve as a de-facto ambassador for the organization. It will be important for the Senior Principal to maintain a strong network in the community and represent GM Financial well.

In this role, you will:

• Lead the architecture and development of our core global platforms, ensuring they are scalable, secure, and highly available.
• Design and implement cloud architecture solutions that support our transformation initiatives, utilizing best practices for cloud infrastructure and services.
• Develop integration strategies with third-party systems, including payment gateways, CRM systems, and other essential services.
• Leverage experience working with Salesforce Technologies and help organization make robust decisions based on established patterns and best practices.
• Oversee the development and maintenance of highly transactional loan management systems, ensuring performance, security, and compliance with industry standards.
• Collaborate closely with business and product teams to understand business needs and translate them into technical solutions that enhance customer experience.
• Provide strategic guidance and input on the development of product capabilities, ensuring alignment with business objectives and market trends.
• Work with cross-functional teams, including product, engineering, and operations, to define and execute the technical roadmap for our core platforms.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to junior architects and developers, fostering a culture of innovation and continuous improvement.
• Stay current with emerging trends and technologies in the consumer loan, AI and cloud architecture space, evaluating their potential impact on our platforms.
• Be a trusted and valued partner of business senior leaders by providing subject matter expertise, guidance and support for related business unit
• Drive technical thought-leadership, acting as a change agent and advocate for new methodologies that enable higher levels of business agility and operational excellence
• Contribute to the business unit's vision, goals and strategies, translating vision to solutions while balancing risk, investment needs and fit for purpose
• Promote open communication that welcomes information sharing, seeks input from others and values diverse viewpoints
• Nurture a strong internal network by working across the business unit to foster a culture of trust, inclusion, engagement and integrity
• Drive cross-team solutions, anticipating and addressing problems ahead of the need by acting as a key influencer across business units
• Experience with leading cross-functional and/or global initiatives from start to finish
• Advanced knowledge of business acumen and a deep understanding of business implications of decisions

• This role reports to: VP Architecture

• Experience preferably in global businesses, working with distributed architectures, including Salesforce/CRM and consumer loan management systems.
• Strong proven background in solution architecture and system design of banking, and commercial lending platforms. Experience with retail and consumer services preferred.
• Proven experience in designing and implementing cloud architecture solutions, preferably with AWS and/or Azure
• Extensive experience integrating with third-party systems, including hands-on experience with APIs, web services, and middleware.
• Strong knowledge of highly transactional banking systems, customer analytics, including security and compliance requirements.
• Demonstrated understanding of the salesforce platform capabilities (AutoCloud, FinancialCloud, AgentForce, analytics), and experience working with business and product teams to develop DTC products and customer experiences.
• Excellent problem-solving skills and the ability to work in a fast-paced, dynamic environment, preferably in Agile and Product Management teams.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to convey complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Advanced relationship management skills and ability to influence others to achieve results by working across the business unit, being open to ideas and actively engaging and influencing others
• Proven skills in providing leadership through mentorship, influence, inspiration, collaboration and teamwork. Experience leading team of architects would be useful in the role.
• Exemplifies professional behavior in using logic, analysis and judgment when encountering challenges
• Strong ability to map long-term vision for the business unit and generate innovative ideas that create value
• Ability to maintain and grow strong working relationships and build trust with peers, cross-functional partners and related professional organizations
• Demonstrated ability to make smart decisions with a strong sense of urgency to accelerate continuous progression

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field required
• 12+ years experience in technical leadership and architecture roles required
• 5-7 years experience working with or developing on Salesforce platform required
• 5-7 years experience driving thought leadership and innovation across products required
• AWS, Azure Cloud and AI Certifications preferred.
• OpenGroup or any architecture certification preferred