Senior Solutions Architect (Commercial Insurance)

Definity includes some of Canada’s most long-standing and innovative insurance brands, including Economical Insurance, Sonnet Insurance, Family Insurance Solutions, and Petline Insurance. With strong roots that date back to 1871, we’ve grown to become a digital leader in the insurance industry. We’re proud to help our clients and communities adapt and thrive in a world of constant change.

Our promise to you: It’s better here. Why? Because we CARE, and we provide an employee experience that’s collaborative, ambitious, rewarding, and empowering.

Our ambition is to be one of Canada’s leading and most innovative P&C insurers. Come be a part of our journey, and love what you do.

Definity offers a flexible, hybrid work experience where employees work from the office and virtually depending on the type of work they are doing and who they are working with. Leaders partner with their teams to find the right balance of on-site and remote work that best meets the needs of their teams, colleagues, brokers and customers, while ensuring collaboration, teamwork and accountability for goals.

We are looking for a talented and passionate team-player to join Architecture and Platforms team as a Senior Architect. You’ll be playing a big part in building the next evolution of our Commercial Insurance platform at Definity Financial, as well as evaluate and integrate new technologies in our digital transformation efforts.

As a Senior Architect, Commercial Insurance, you will be responsible for:

• Understanding the technology landscape of Commercial Insurance at Definity
• Working with our Business partners to understand their opportunities and challenges.  This includes guiding them in Non-Functional and Functional Requirements.
• Developing a Target State architecture and proposing iterative releases to achieve that target.
• Ensuring that the solution architecture meets the needs of today but will be flexible enough to also meet the needs of tomorrow.
• Ensuring solutions meet the financial needs of our business
• Ensuring the solution aligns with Definity’s enterprise technology standards
• Being a trusted technology partner to the business

Economical is entering an exciting time in its 150 year history and Architecture will play a central role in ensuring that our foundational technology is enabled to support business growth and scale while validating that the right investments are being made for Definity going forward.

What can you expect in this role?

• Work alongside technology partners and provide guidance on project planning, inform on statuses, provide necessary communications and escalate as necessary on issues, from an architecture perspective.
• Participate as a technical advisor to business and technology partners on projects of varied complexity and risk.
• Apply a breadth of knowledge and thinking to ensure that the right decisions are made for Definity while possessing deep technical understanding in a few areas of expertise.
• Elicit and understand business requirements to ensure alignment with architecture solutions.
• Collaborate across projects and build consensus to ensure that IT strategy aligns with the architecture framework.
• Build strong working relationships within the Technology Solutions organization to ensure optimal performance and ensure what we deliver meets the expectations of key stakeholders.
• Ensure projects comply with technology domain architecture while designing and operating processes to help review ongoing activity against architecture standards.
• Actively participate and provide input in the development of technology standards.
• Guide investment decisions on technology solutions, inline with stated business goals and enterprise strategy and direction.
• Develop target architectures that deliver business capabilities while sequencing in technology efforts that guide the series of necessary investments.
• Collaborate with business partners to imagine the art of the possible and purposefully innovate to deliver market-leading solutions.
• Keeps abreast of advancements in the industry and incites conversations within Definity on emerging technologies and their application to our business.

 

What do you bring to the role?

• A positive “can do” attitude
• Degree or Diploma in computer science, business, or a related discipline is preferred
• 8+ years relevant experience
• Agile project delivery experiences an asset
• Expert knowledge of architecture related to technologies, tools, processes and broader business issues.
• Extensive experience in Solution Architecture – Creation of Architecture Blueprints
• Extensive experience working in large mixed technology environments – Legacy, distributed, cloud
• Strong experience with integrations
• Solid experience with Infrastructure including networking
• Experience in the area of performance and resiliency testing and analysis
• Prior software development experience an asset
• Demonstrated expertise in conducting architecture analysis and design activities on larger, high-risk and highly complex projects.
• Experience with implementing Guidewire platform is strongly preferred
• Interest and proven ability to work autonomously on complex, highly visible architecture projects and initiatives.
• Ability to self-start and work with minimal oversight or supervision.
• Advanced knowledge of infrastructure, architecture and technology standards from a design or solution perspective.
• Readiness to act as a lead expert resource in architectural information exchange for project teams, the business and outside vendors.
• Experience in Commercial Insurance or a related industry an asset
• A good understanding of cloud-based services on AWS (or Azure/GCP) and a strong desire to learn more

This role can be in Toronto or Kitchener

We also take potential into consideration. If you don’t have this exact experience, but you know you have what it takes, be sure to give us more insight through your application and cover letter.

We also take potential into consideration. If you don’t have this exact experience, but you know you have what it takes, be sure to give us more insight through your application and cover letter.

Go ahead and expect a lot — you deserve it, and we’ve got it: 

• Hybrid work schedule for most roles
• Company share ownership program
• Pension and savings programs, with company-matched RRSP contributions
• Paid volunteer days and company matching on charitable donations
• Educational resources, tuition assistance, and paid time off to study for exams
• Focus on inclusion with employee groups, support for gender affirmation surgery, access to BIPOC counsellors, access to programs for working parents
• Wellness and recognition programs
• Discounts on products and services

Our inclusive work environment welcomes diversity and supports accessibility. If you require accommodation at any time during the recruitment process, please let us know by contacting: [email protected]

Background checks
This role requires successful clearance of a background check (including criminal checks and leadership references).

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