Digital Infra & API Architect (E) - MI
Axian Group
- Dubai
- Permanent
- Full-time
The Digital Infra & API Architect at Axian Telecom is responsible for designing and evolving the middleware, API gateway, and microservices architecture that underpins the company's digital services. Reporting to the IT Business Partner Director, Business Support, this role works closely with cross-functional teams (B2B, OSS/BSS, VAS, Consumer, Infrastructure) and specialized entities (Stellar iX for infrastructure, ITCo for data/AI, PULSE for ITSM) to ensure Axian Telecom's application layer is scalable, secure, and aligned with industry frameworks (e.g., TM Forum, GSMA). By enforcing API standardization and microservices best practices, the Digital Infra & API Architect enables efficient service integration, faster time-to-market, and enhanced digital user experiences.Mission:
The mission of the Digital Infra & API Architect is to bridge Axian Telecom's strategic objectives for digital transformation with robust, standardized API architectures and microservices-based infrastructures. By advocating consistent integration patterns, security standards, and compliance with TM Forum or GSMA frameworks, this role drives operational efficiency, cross-domain interoperability, and innovative digital services for Axian Telecom's pan-African footprint.
Essential duties and responsibilities include:
Architecture & DesignMiddleware & API Gateways: Develop and maintain architectures for enterprise middleware platforms, API gateways, and microservices orchestration, ensuring seamless data flows across systems (BSS, OSS, VAS, CRM, etc.).
Framework Compliance: Adopt and promote TM Forum or GSMA standards for APIs, integrating industry best practices for performance, security, and governance.
Microservices Strategy: Define guidelines for microservices decomposition, containerization (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes), and continuous integration/continuous delivery (CI/CD) pipelines.Integration & StandardizationAPI Governance: Establish and enforce API design standards (REST, GraphQL, etc.), versioning policies, and lifecycle management processes, ensuring consistency across Axian Telecom's application landscape.
Cross-Domain Synergy: Collaborate with architects from Consumer (CEX, super apps), Business Support (BSS/OSS, S&D), and Enterprise (ERP, HRMS) to align on integration patterns and data models.
Best Practices & Templates: Create reusable templates, patterns, and libraries for microservices and APIs, reducing duplication and accelerating project delivery.Collaboration & Stakeholder EngagementTech & Business Alignment: Work with product owners, PMO, and IT Business Partner Directors to understand business requirements and translate them into scalable technical solutions.
Vendor & Partner Coordination: Evaluate and manage relationships with external providers of integration platforms, API management tools, and middleware solutions, ensuring compliance with Axian Telecom's standards.
Governance Committees: Participate in architecture review boards, security councils, and data governance forums to ensure broad alignment with Axian Telecom's enterprise strategies.Innovation & Continuous ImprovementEmerging Technologies: Monitor trends in API management (API economy), event-driven architectures, serverless computing, and AI-based integration, recommending strategic adoptions where relevant.
Agile & DevOps: Champion agile methodologies and DevOps practices to streamline deployment cycles, automate testing, and support rapid feature releases.
Security & Compliance: Integrate data protection laws (GDPR or local equivalents) and secure coding standards within all API and middleware designs, working with the IT Security team to enforce policies.Reporting & KPI Monitoring
Architecture Documentation: Maintain updated diagrams, technical guidelines, and decision logs for middleware, microservices, and API implementations.
Key Metrics: Track integration performance (latency, throughput), API adoption, error rates, and cost efficiency, reporting insights to the IT Business Partner Director and other stakeholders.
Risk Management: Identify potential bottlenecks, vendor lock-in issues, or security vulnerabilities, proposing timely mitigations to maintain robust, future-proof digital infrastructure.Qualification, Skills, Knowledge & Competencies:
Education & CertificationsEducation: Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or a related field (Master's/MBA is a plus).
Certifications: Relevant credentials in API management (e.g., MuleSoft, Apigee), cloud platforms (AWS, Azure), or architecture frameworks (TOGAF) are advantageous. Familiarity with TM Forum or GSMA is highly beneficial.Professional BackgroundIntegration & Middleware: 7+ years in designing or implementing middleware solutions, API gateways, and microservices in telecom or large-scale enterprise environments.
Cross-Functional Program Management: Experience collaborating across multiple domains (BSS/OSS, consumer apps, enterprise systems) and leading integration projects with multiple stakeholders.
Vendor & Partnership Experience: Track record of selecting and overseeing API/middleware vendors, negotiating SLAs, and ensuring service-level compliance.Technical & Domain KnowledgeAPI Management: Expertise in RESTful API design, microservices architecture, event-driven frameworks (Kafka, RabbitMQ), container orchestration (Kubernetes, Docker).
Telecom Ecosystem: Understanding of BSS/OSS processes, VAS, and digital product rollouts, with an ability to align integration strategies to telecom business needs.
Security & Compliance: Knowledge of OAuth, JWT, token-based authentication, and data encryption to maintain secure and compliant integration layers.Leadership & Soft SkillsStrategic Vision: Able to align middleware and API strategies with Axian Telecom's broader digital transformation goals, identifying long-term growth opportunities.
Collaboration & Influence: Skilled at building consensus among diverse teams (technical, commercial, external partners) and articulating clear business cases for integration investments.
Communication: Proficient in explaining complex technical architectures to a variety of audiences, ensuring senior management buy-in and developer clarity.Language Skills
Fluency in English: Required for documentation, stakeholder engagement, and coordination across multi-country teams.
Proficiency in French: Highly desirable for Axian Telecom's pan-African presence and local partner engagements.Key Success Factors
Robust API Ecosystem: Delivering secure, scalable, and standardized APIs that reduce integration complexity and speed up service rollouts.
Microservices Maturity: Ensuring Axian Telecom embraces agile, loosely coupled architectures that foster rapid innovation and responsiveness to market changes.
Cross-Domain Alignment: Collaborating effectively with architects, product owners, and specialized partners to maintain consistent design principles and achieve seamless data flows.
Future-Ready Infrastructure: Continuously evolving the digital infrastructure-adopting new patterns like serverless computing, AI-driven integration, or edge computing-to keep Axian Telecom competitive.
Operational Efficiency: Balancing cost, performance, and maintenance overhead by leveraging best-in-class tools, DevOps practices, and proactive governance.