An Acquiring and ATM Architect in the banking or fintech sector is responsible for designing and maintaining the infrastructure that supports merchant acquiring, ATM networks, and transaction processing. This role demands a mix of deep domain knowledge, technical expertise, and strategic thinking.

Here are the key skills required:

Domain & Business Knowledge

Acquiring Systems Knowledge:

• Understanding of merchant onboarding, transaction routing, settlement, and reconciliation.

• Familiarity with acquiring platforms like Base24, Postilion, or in-house systems.

ATM Network Architecture:

• Experience with ATM driving, switch integration, and multi-vendor software (e.g., NCR, Diebold Nixdorf).

• Knowledge of ATM protocols (NDC, DDC) and ISO 8583 messaging.

Payment Schemes & Standards:

• Deep understanding of Visa, Mastercard, and local switch networks.

• EMV, contactless, and tokenization standards.

Technical Skills

Switching & Transaction Processing:

• Experience with transaction switches and real-time processing.

• Routing logic, fallback mechanisms, and high availability design.

API & Integration:

• REST/SOAP APIs for merchant services and ATM monitoring.

• Integration with fraud detection, core banking, and settlement systems.

Security & Compliance:

• PCI-DSS, ATM security (TLS, MACing), and encryption key management.

• Regulatory compliance for acquiring and ATM operations.

Infrastructure & Cloud:

• Designing scalable, resilient systems on-prem or in cloud (AWS, Azure).

• Experience with containerization (Docker, Kubernetes) and CI/CD.

Solution Architecture:

• Ability to design end-to-end acquiring and ATM ecosystems.

• Blueprinting, documentation, and architectural governance.

Driving modernization (e.g., cloud-native ATM solutions, API-first acquiring).

• Identifying cost-saving and performance-enhancing opportunities.