Executive Director, Application Architecture

To be considered for this position, applications and resumes are accepted only through our careers site by directly applying to the posted job. We do not accept unsolicited resumes or sales solicitations from staffing agencies. Any OCC employee wishing to submit a referral must do so through their Workday account. Any resume submitted outside of an active job posting will not be considered for employment. What We Offer: Organizational mandate to define and enforce architecture standards at a SIFMU, with real consequences when they are not followed Executive sponsorship and a leadership team that treats architecture as a strategic function, not a compliance gate The opportunity to shape how OCC's application portfolio evolves through one of the most significant technology transformation programs in the organization's history OCC is consolidating its architecture function under a unified, clarity-of-accountability model. The Executive Director of Application Architecture leads the team responsible for shaping OCC's technology strategy across applications, integrations, APIs, tech stack selection, and software design patterns. 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 Qualifications: The requirements listed are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the primary functions. Required: Demonstrated experience defining and enforcing application architecture standards at organizational scale across complex, multi-system portfolios Deep hands-on background in application architecture — APIs, integration patterns, distributed systems, event-driven architecture, and microservices Experience with both legacy/brownfield modernization and greenfield cloud-native development Strong working knowledge of CI/CD, automated testing, and quality gate enforcement as architecture concerns Ability to lead through influence as well as authority — building alignment across Engineering, Security, QA, and Governance without losing the ability to make hard calls Excellent communication skills — able to represent architecture decisions to executive leadership and translate strategy into actionable standards for development teams Preferred: Experience in financial services, particularly regulated environments (SIFMU, clearinghouse, exchange, or bank) Familiarity with Regulation SCI, CPMI-IOSCO, or equivalent financial market infrastructure regulatory frameworks Technical Skills (Preferred): Hands-on experience with Java, Kafka, Kubernetes, and cloud-native architectures on AWS or equivalent Experience with scaled agile frameworks (SAFe) in large enterprise delivery programs Familiarity with AI-assisted development practices and their implications for architecture and standards Education and/or Experience: BS degree in Computer Science, Information Systems Management, Mathematics, or a similar technical field. Certificates or Licenses: None About Us The Options Clearing Corporation (OCC) is the world's largest equity derivatives clearing organization. Founded in 1973, OCC is dedicated to promoting stability and market integrity by delivering clearing and settlement services for options, futures and securities lending transactions. As a Systemically Important Financial Market Utility (SIFMU), OCC operates under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. OCC has more than 100 clearing members and provides central counterparty (CCP) clearing and settlement services to 19 exchanges and trading platforms. More information about OCC is available at www.theocc.com. Benefits A highly collaborative and supportive environment developed to encourage work-life balance and employee wellness. Some of these components include: A hybrid work environment, up to 2 days per week of remote work Tuition Reimbursement to support your continued education Student Loan Repayment Assistance Technology Stipend allowing you to use the device of your choice to connect to our network while working remotely Generous PTO and Parental leave 401k Employer Match Competitive health benefits including medical, dental and vision Visit https://www.theocc.com/careers/thriving-together for more information. Compensation The salary range listed for any given position is exclusive of fringe benefits and potential bonuses. If hired at OCC, your final base salary compensation will be determined by factors such as skills, experience and/or education. In addition, we believe in the importance of pay equity and consider internal equity of our current team members as part of any final offer. We typically do not hire at the maximum of the range in order to allow for future and continued salary growth. We also offer a substantial benefits package as noted on www.theocc.com/careers All employees may be eligible for a discretionary bonus. Discretionary bonuses are based on various factors, including, but not limited to, company and individual performance and are not guaranteed. Salary Range $207,600.00 - $342,200.00 Incentive Range This position is eligible for an annual discretionary incentive compensation award, for which the target range is listed above (see Incentive Range ). The amount of such award, if any, will be based on various factors, including without limitation, both individual and company performance. Step 1 When you find a position you're interested in, click the 'Apply' button. Please complete the application and attach your resume. Step 2 You will receive an email notification to confirm that we've received your application. Step 3 If you are called in for an interview, a representative from OCC will contact you to set up a date, time, and location. For more information about OCC , please click here . OCC is an Equal Opportunity Employer