Enterprise Architect

Job Description
Enterprise Architect
Eames Consulting are currently representing a leading international Insurance group, known for its innovative approach to insurance and reinsurance. The group has been undergoing significant IT transformations to stay competitive, improve operational efficiency, and enhance customer experiences and are now looking to hire their Enterprise Architect to support their group wide initiatives.
Role Definition
The IT Enterprise Architecture (EA) function is responsible for aligning the Group’s technology strategy with the overall business strategy via its three service pillars:
reviewing and governing the solution architecture for all change deliveries, ensuring integrity of the solution architecture and key design decisions in line with technical suitability, Group standards, policies and principles,
defining solutions (where required) and providing architecture guidance and architecture management services for change planning & delivery with the objective of ensuring alignment to Group’s strategic objectives, compliance to Group policies and conformance to Group standards.
reviewing, introducing, and maintaining principles and standards for design governance in line with evolving business needs and Group policies
The company is embarking on a number of strategic systems and technology transformation initiatives for its business units and regions across the globe. The Enterprise Architect with the Group IT EAA function will have ownership for managing and maturing the Enterprise Architecture capability.
Key Responsibilities / Accountabilities
The Enterprise Architect will take ownership for:
Development, maintenance, and communication of key Enterprise Architecture artefacts to relevant stakeholders including EA policies, standards, process/procedures and templates.
Management of key Group Enterprise Architecture assets in the Group EA management tool/repository e.g. application and technology catalogues and roadmap and capability models (business, systems and technology capability models)
Chairing and running the Group Architecture governance forums on behalf of the Head of Architecture and Group IT leadership. This will entail developing and agreeing decision making frameworks consisting of relevant business and IT policies, standards etc and ensuring regular and smooth running of Architecture governance meetings (including any extraordinary sessions as required), sending out governance meeting agenda, meeting minutes/outcomes and reporting on governance metrics and outcomes.
Due diligence of vendor systems/solutions to ensure alignment to Group IT policies and standards and support.
Attending key change programme/project or business stakeholder meetings as and when required to provide Group IT Enterprise Architecture guidance and direction, advise on architecture resourcing and Architecture governance/compliance requirements.
Own the continuous maturity improvement plan for Group IT Enterprise Architecture
As a senior member of the Group Architecture team, the EA may be required to perform wider duties and tasks within the capabilities and responsibilities of the role.
Skills and abilities needed to perform role:
Strong Architecture and IT governance experience, specifically experience and skills establishing and running group-wide/global Architecture Review Boards, Design Authority for major change programmes etc.
Strong business and systems analysis and design skills
Enterprise and Solution Architecture skills using industry standard architecture frameworks and methodologies e.g. TOGAF, British Computer Society (BCS) Enterprise and Solution Architecture approach.
Strong technical skills in defining systems and technology solution architecture using Microsoft Azure and Microsoft enterprise technologies.
Strong technical skills in defining and systems and technology solution architecture using Salesforce technologies (e.g. Salesforce Lightning PaaS for application development)
Strong technical skills in Enterprise-grade integration architecture including modern RESTful API approaches and traditional file transfer, messaging, web services and ESB approaches.
Good technical skills and awareness of enterprise-grade solution architecture definition integrating channel solutions with core business systems, CRM, HR and Finance systems, Data warehousing and Business Intelligence (BI) solutions.
Good technical, infrastructure and security architecture skills including good understanding and awareness of IT service management (e.g. ITIL) and IT governance (e.g. CoBIT) frameworks.
Strong understand of Secure Design and Secure Development practices and frameworks, preferably ISC2 CSSLP or CISSP certified.
Good technical skills and awareness of web / digital technologies and the business advantages of varying technology and operational approaches to managing web-based sales and communications channels.
Strong documentation, communication (written and verbal) and presentation skills, especially the ability to tailor messages to senior stakeholder and technical delivery teams.
Knowledge and Experience:
Must have – Strong Enterprise Architecture skills and experience. Specifically running pragmatic., guidance oriented and outcomes focused Group-level, global Architecture Review Board and developing and managing EA artefacts and assets
Must have – Skills and experience developing capability models (preferably within Insurance domain), application and technology catalogues and roadmaps.
Desirable – Engineering solutions with Microsoft Azure technologies and/or skills/knowledge of engineering solutions with Salesforce (including Force.com) technologies.
Desirable - Good knowledge and awareness of enterprise-grade CRM, HR and Finance systems.
Desirable - Knowledge of working in a regulated environment e.g. FCA, PRA and wider regulatory, compliance environment for global insurance businesses (e.g. GDPR)
Desirable - Knowledge of Business Intelligence / Data Warehousing technologies.
Desirable - Good knowledge of technology governance standards
Desirable - Good knowledge of technology best practice including SDLC.
Desirable - Working knowledge of Enterprise and Solution Architecture frameworks (e.g. TOGAF)
Good to have – Insurance domain (preferably broking and/or London Market) experience.
Good to have - Good knowledge, understanding of insurance systems. Preferably insurance broking platforms knowledge and good knowledge or of the London Insurance Market concepts and ways of transacting speciality business
Professional Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science or a related Science & Technology of Engineering discipline
British Computer Society (BCS) certification in Enterprise & Solution Architecture, TOGAF or Archimate certification