Lead Solution Architect

Role Purpose

The Lead Solution Architect will drive the end-to-end solution architecture for the enterprise insurance modernisation programme, spanning policy administration, claims, digital engagement, integration, data, and operational platforms.

The role will translate target enterprise architecture principles into executable, scalable, and resilient solution designs that enable a client-first, API-first, and event-driven ecosystem.

This role partners closely with the Enterprise Architect and wider architecture team, domain leaders, engineering teams, and vendors to ensure architectural integrity, delivery coherence, and long-term sustainability of the modernised insurance platform landscape.

There is already a clear, sensible strategic direction in place, with meaningful progress made. The expectation for the Lead (and the broader team) is to build on that foundation, not to discard or restart it. Their role is to strengthen, accelerate, and operationalise what’s already been defined — ensuring continuity, stability, and incremental evolution. Any improvements should be evidence-based and respectful of the current architecture and organisational context.

Technology Environment

The modernisation programme operates within a predominantly:

• Java-based application ecosystem
• AWS cloud environment
• API-first and event-driven integration model
• BPM and decision management platforms
• Containerised deployment (e.g., Kubernetes)

Candidates should demonstrate experience designing solutions in comparable enterprise technology environments.

Duties & Responsibilities

Key Accountabilities

End-to-End Solution Architecture Leadership

• Define solution blueprints aligned to the enterprise target architecture.
• Ensure domain-aligned service boundaries (policy, claims, billing, party, product).
• Drive separation of orchestration, decisioning, domain services, and experience layers.
• Prevent platform sprawl and architectural drift.

Ecosystem & Platform Architecture

• Design API-first integration patterns across legacy and modern systems.
• Establish event-driven architecture patterns.

BPM & Case Management Strategy

• Define orchestration standards across claims and operational processes.
• Ensure business rules are externalised via decision engines.
• Avoid hard-coded process logic in workflow tools.
• Enable straight-through processing and intelligent human intervention.

Cloud & Engineering Enablement

• Define scalable, resilient, and secure deployment patterns.
• Partner with platform engineering on CI/CD, observability, and DevOps maturity.
• Embed non-functional requirements from inception.
• Ensure performance, availability, and security standards are met.

Data & Analytics Alignment

• Ensure operational and event data is captured for analytics.
• Support real-time streaming to enterprise data platforms.
• Enable SLA monitoring, fraud detection, leakage analytics.
• Design for regulatory auditability and traceability.

Vendor & Delivery Governance

• Provide architectural leadership across multiple vendors.
• Conduct solution design reviews and enforce architecture standards.
• Challenge vendor-led designs that compromise long-term maintainability.
• Reduce vendor lock-in risk.

Transformation Enablement

• Support operating model shift toward product-centric delivery.
• Guide cross-functional squads in solution design.
• Ensure architecture runway supports iterative delivery.
• Act as escalation point for complex design trade-offs.

Scope of Responsibility

• Claims platforms (BPM & case management)
• Digital channels (broker, client, internal)
• Integration layer & API strategy
• Decisioning & rules management
• Data streaming & analytics enablement
• Core system decoupling
• Cloud-native platform design
• Operational tooling & observability

Requirements

• 12 years in enterprise solution architecture.
• Experience in large-scale insurance or financial services transformation.
• Proven track record in modernising legacy ecosystems.
• Deep experience with:
  • API-led and event-driven architectures
  • BPM / workflow platforms
  • Decision engines / rules management
  • Cloud-native and microservices architecture
  • Enterprise integration patterns
• Experience working in board-visible transformation programmes.

Experience modernising legacy platforms in brownfield enterprise environments is highly desirable, including use of incremental migration strategies and architectural decomposition approaches including:

• Modular decomposition in brownfield environments.
• Strangler patterns.
• Anti-corruption layers.
• Transitional architectures.
• Incremental migration strategies

Competencies

Critical Capabilities

• Strong domain modelling and systems thinking.
• Ability to operate across multiple workstreams simultaneously.
• High engineering credibility.
• Executive-level communication skills.
• Ability to balance pragmatism with architectural discipline.
• Strong governance and quality mindset.

Architectural & Technology Competencies

• Demonstrated experience applying Domain-Driven Design (DDD) in complex enterprise environments, including identification of bounded contexts and service boundaries.
• Strong understanding of API-first and event-driven architecture patterns, including contract-driven design and asynchronous integration models.
• Experience designing modular, loosely coupled systems using microservices and/or modular monolith approaches, with clear understanding of trade-offs.
• Proven ability to separate orchestration, domain logic, and decisioning components in enterprise platforms.
• Experience with BPM/workflow and case management platforms in large-scale environments.
• Understanding of decision modelling (e.g., DMN / rules engines).
• Strong knowledge of cloud-native architecture principles, resilience patterns, scalability design, and observability.
• Experience applying strangler patterns, anti-corruption layers, and transitional architectures in legacy modernisation programmes.
• Deep understanding of non-functional design in distributed systems (performance, security, availability, auditability).

Success Metrics (18–24 Months)

• Clear, approved solution blueprints for modernised ecosystem.
• Increased straight-through processing.
• Improved time-to-market for new product changes.
• Reduced integration complexity.
• Improved operational visibility (SLA, performance, client status transparency).

What This Role Is NOT

• Not a governance-only architect.
• Not a documentation function.
• Not a vendor dependency manager.
• Not a tactical project solution designer.

This role is accountable for solution coherence across the transformation landscape.