Masimba Chingwende
Principal Architect / Engineer
Johannesburg
Summary
Experienced engineering professional with over 19 years of experience in software development, architecture, and engineering leadership in the telecommunications, banking, and insurance industries. Proven track record of delivering high-quality, scalable solutions for complex projects in banking and fintech, with expertise in Java, Spring Boot, microservices, and system integration. Strong leadership skills, adept at mentoring and guiding engineering teams, driving continuous improvement, and ensuring alignment with business goals.
Overview
16
16
years of professional experience
5
5
Certifications
Work History
Director of Engineering
First City Monument Bank, Rova
04.2022 - Current
- Lead engineering teams in the design and development of innovative digital banking and fintech solutions.
- Provide strategic oversight and direction for architecture and implementation, ensuring scalability, performance, and reliability.
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams to align technology initiatives with business objectives.
- Mentor and guide engineering teams, fostering continuous improvement and adoption of best practices.
- Manage project timelines, resources, and budgets, ensuring on-time delivery of key projects.
Lead Solution Architect
ABSA Bank South Africa
08.2018 - Current
- Led architecture and design efforts for Salesforce integration projects, optimizing system performance and connectivity.
- Collaborated with product managers and stakeholders to define and implement architectural strategies.
- Provided technical guidance and oversight to development teams, ensuring alignment with business goals.
- Played a key role in project planning, risk management, and quality assurance.
Systems Architect
Discovery Holdings South Africa
08.2017 - 07.2018
- Designed and implemented integration solutions for the insurance policy administration system.
- Collaborated with stakeholders to ensure seamless and efficient system integration.
- Conducted performance analysis and optimization for integrated systems.
- Provided technical leadership and mentorship to development teams.
- Performed code reviews to reduce technical debt and security vulnerabilities.
- Provided technical leadership to a team of 20 members during system design and development.
Senior Software Architect
FNB South Africa
01.2012 - 07.2017
- Designed and implemented scalable software architectures for CRM and sales management systems.
- Collaborated with product and engineering teams to align architectural decisions with business goals.
- Conducted code reviews and provided mentorship to development teams.
- Ensured software architectures met industry standards and security requirements.
- Developed a migration strategy for modernization of a legacy monolithic CRM solution to a microservices based solution to enhance productivity of the organization's sales force.
- Mentored a team of 10 developers, sharing skills and expertise and encouraged each member to bring forward ideas and suggestions for improvement.
Senior Software Engineer
Entelect Software South Africa
01.2011 - 12.2011
- Created procedures for system monitoring, recovery, backup and optimization to ensure business continuity.
- Worked closely with systems analysts, development teams and infrastructure specialists to deliver highly available and resilient solutions for mission-critical applications.
Software Developer
Vox Telecoms South Africa
01.2008 - 12.2010
- Developed code in Java, Python and other programming languages to meet business requirements.
- Translated verbal customer requirements into written use cases and testable development stories.
- Documented technical workflows and knowledge in a private wiki for onboarding of newly hired employees.
Education
Bachelor of Science - Electrical Engineering
University of Zimbabwe
Harare, Zimbabwe2002
Postgraduate Diploma in General Management
University of Pretoria
2019
Skills
Java/Springboot
Python/NodeJS/Golang
SQL/NoSQL
AWS/GCP/Kurbenetes/Docker
DevOps (CI/CD)/Agile
Software Architecture Design
API Development/REST /GraphQL/gRPC
Mobile Application Development
Salesforce Development & Integration
Certification
Sun Certified Java Programmer (SCJP)
Timeline
Director of Engineering
First City Monument Bank, Rova
04.2022 - Current
Lead Solution Architect
ABSA Bank South Africa
08.2018 - Current
Systems Architect
Discovery Holdings South Africa
08.2017 - 07.2018
Senior Software Architect
FNB South Africa
01.2012 - 07.2017
Senior Software Engineer
Entelect Software South Africa
01.2011 - 12.2011
Software Developer
Vox Telecoms South Africa
01.2008 - 12.2010
Bachelor of Science - Electrical Engineering
University of Zimbabwe
Postgraduate Diploma in General Management
University of Pretoria