Senior API Specialist

Job Purpose

The Senior API Specialist is responsible for designing, developing, and managing robust, scalable, and secure API solutions that support the organization's digital strategy and integration needs. This role ensures seamless integration across banking systems, third-party platforms, and digital channels, enabling efficient data exchange and service interoperability. You will lead API architecture initiatives, enforce best practices, and collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver high-performance API services aligned with business objectives.

This role supports the bank's digital transformation initiatives by ensuring APIs are aligned with business objectives, regulatory requirements, and industry best practices.

Key Responsibilities

1. Develop and maintain enterprise-grade APIs to support banking operations, digital channels, and external integrations.
2. Ensure all API solutions adhere to internal security policies, regulatory standards, and data privacy requirements.
3. Collaborate with business stakeholders, solution architects, and development teams to translate functional requirements into technical API specifications.
4. Manage the full API lifecycle including design, development, testing, deployment, monitoring, and retirement.
5. Integrate APIs with identity and access management systems using protocols such as OAuth2 and OpenID Connect.
6. Implement and enforce API governance frameworks, including version control, documentation standards, and access management.
7. Monitor API performance, availability, and usage, and lead resolution of technical issues.
8. Evaluate and recommend API management platforms and tools suitable for banking environments.
9. Provide technical leadership and mentorship to junior developers and integration teams.

Application Support & Monitoring:

1. Provide primary support for payment system applications
2. Aggressively respond to service requests
3. Manage and coordinate the SIT and UAT with technical, testing team and PayNet in according to the testing strategy.
4. Escalate issues to application vendors and keeping track of the issues to ensure timely resolution.
5. Coordinate and deploy application fixes into Test and Production Environments.
6. Ensure compliance of payment system in line with regulatory requirements.
7. Coordinate with the respective vendors that supply the off-the-shelf applications in the new and upgrade projects.
8. Troubleshoot or escalate technical issues, working to provide solutions quickly.
9. Maintain technical documentation

Incident & Problem Management:

1. Liaise with respective team and vendor to ensure incidents and problems are resolved in a timely and professional manner
2. Participate and ensure RCA (root cause analysis) activities on customer impacting incidents are executed and action items are assigned / completed.
3. Provide expertise and support during critical incidents, interfacing with all impacted groups to better manage the message.

Additional scope of responsibilities will entail:

1. Take responsibility and ownership for the application and its long-term success
2. Take initiative to identify issues, troubleshoot and drive short term incident resolution.
3. Identify recurring systemic issues and drive problem management of both long term and short-term fixes, working with internal and external groups for long term resolution, process improvements, enhancements
4. Troubleshoot technical issues; escalate and work with appropriate technology teams to provide solutions.
5. Support Production Releases and High Availability events off normal business hours
6. Be effective at documenting and communicating technical information to improve team processes
7. Escalate to outside groups and vendor partners on issues and process improvements
8. Should be able to provide 24/7 on-call support
9. Proven experience in incident/problem management.
10. Experience with log analysis and monitoring tools such as DynaTrace, BMC
11. Understanding of the Java/J2EE technology stack and web technologies
12. Ability to be proactive with a strong bias for action, naturally inquisitive, and bias for continuous improvement of practices / process.
13. Excellent influence, negotiation and presentation skills.
14. Experience with Incident Management methodologies, systems and tools.
15. Strong knowledge of relevant applications, development life cycles and testing life cycles.
16. Strong desire to learn new technology.
17. Ability to work independently as a self-starter, and within a team environment. Comfortable in a fast dynamic environment with an ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously.
18. Banking and/or financial services industry experiences a plus.
19. The ability to work on-call nights/weekends as needed.

Qualifications & Skills (including mandated licenses where applicable)

1. Banking Domain Knowledge: Familiarity with banking operations, digital banking platforms, and financial services integration.
2. Technical Expertise: Strong proficiency in RESTful API design, microservices architecture, and secure integration patterns.
3. Programming Skills: Experience in Java, .NET, Python, or Node.js, with exposure to cloud-native development.
4. Security & Compliance: Knowledge of API security protocols, encryption standards, and regulatory compliance (e.g., BNM, GDPR, PCI-DSS).
5. API Management Tools: Hands-on experience with platforms such as Axway API Management, Mulesoft, Kong, or Azure API Management.
6. Analytical Thinking: Ability to assess complex integration needs and propose scalable, efficient solutions.
7. Communication Skills: Strong verbal and written communication skills to engage with technical and non-technical stakeholders.
8. Leadership: Ability to lead API initiatives and promote best practices across teams.