Senior Architect- Digital & Automation

About iptiQ

iptiQ is a risk tech start-up within Swiss Re Group. Swiss Re is one of the world’s leading providers of reinsurance, insurance and other forms of insurance-based risk transfer. We anticipate and manage a wide variety of risks, from natural catastrophes and climate change to cybercrime.

iptiQ provides digital, bespoke and transparent L&H and P&C protection products in a B2B2C manner. Founded in 2014, we’re transforming the way consumers buy insurance with a unique digital insurance engine which incorporates the latest technology with world-class underwriting capabilities. We build strong partnerships to sell insurance via trusted brands.

iptiQ offers a flexible working environment where curious and adaptable people thrive. Are you interested in joining us?

This role is a key position within a newly built team responsible for the delivery of technology innovation and digitisation initiatives across iptiQ. It will play an important role in helping to foster a culture of technology excellence, automation, digitisation and better exploitation of data to further enable and accelerate ipitQ’s growth ambitions.We are looking for a hands-on architect with strong tech experience that can gude our engineering teams and see through the implementation of e2e platforms.

Role Accountabilities:

• To support OE’s in identifying and realizing the benefits of specific Digital and automation initiatives, as well as of agile, DevOps and CI/CD practices in general.
• To support define and implement technology best practice across iptiQ

Key Responsibilities:

• To assist in the delivery of iptiQ Technology strategy
• To own and define architecture artefacts, guardrails and technical implementation guidelines in a clear and concise manner
• To define the detailed platform architecture for full stack digital insurance solutions and get the buy-in from the CTOs
• To review and provide recommendations on platform architure and microservices down to the code level and guide the engineers
• To synthesise requirements underlying feature requests, recommend alternative technical and business approaches, and facilitate engineering efforts to meet aggressive timelines
• To define and support the delivery of integration technologies, APIs etc. including back to front office, legacy to digital and internal and external/ partner integration.
• To identify a process & set of KPI’s that monitor/drive the automation and digitisation efforts
• To be the champion of Agile ways of working, and platform thinking driving ideas and solutions
• To work with variety of internal and external partners, to run RFI’s, RFP’s and POC’s at pace to support business requirements.
• To take a keen interest in emerging and new technology and its potential application in the iptiQ context - mainly Insurtech and Fintech.
• To be aware of and able to innovatively respond to the differing compliance, risk and regulatory controls
• To build networks and positive relationships across different cultures and working environments.

• University degree (Master’s equivalent) in Computer Science, Engineering, or Mathematics.

Professional Experience:

• 10+ years of relevant, broad engineering experience and executive level presence
• 5+ years of experience as the lead technologist/architect for a major product or service
• Hands-on technology experience that include: java, javascript, .NET, data streaming, MQ, SQL, NoSQL, TypeScript, Docker, React, Kafka, Test automation tooling, CI/CD pipeline tools, AWS, Azure and GCP
• Experience mentoring/training the engineering community on complex technical issues
• Team player and able to work in an environment of high levels of change and diversity of activities
• Highly proactive requiring little day to day direction and enjoy working at pace
• Internal or external consultancy experience with multiple partners and priorities
• Experience of leading teams and senior stakeholder engagement
• Experience of integration of internal/ external and front to back office technologies incl. on premise and cloud environments.
• Insurance or Financial services experience as a senior architect

Leadership Qualities:

• Ability to negotiate, persuade, coach and bring the team together in implementing new ideas
• Communicates with impact, negotiates skillfully in demanding situations and effectively influences across all levels including senior and non-technical leaders
• Thinks strategically in defining solutions balancing business needs with technical, focusing on commercial outcomes
• Establishes, maintains and develop strong relationship within the OEs including at senior levels
• Leading and managing a topic unaided end to end
• Take multiple and divergent data points to reach a conclusion that is presented in an understandable format to stakeholders

Soft Skills:

• Effectively navigate in ambiguity, shaping up new initiatives working with the relevant stakeholders with business impact
• Applying the nuances of influencing based on the situation, knowing when to push and when to ease
• Strong negotiation and advocacy skills
• Presents well and with conviction
• Good listener but can speak up if and when required
• Actively network and build bridges across teams with different cultures and working environments
• Results-oriented and ambitious with a positive attitude
• Ability to lead a team in a rapidly-changing primary insurance environment
• Pragmatic and "can do" attitude and strong customer orientation
• Remain resilient and positive in the face of challenges, retaining a positive customer focus with the OEs
• Willingness to work "virtually" and travel to other sites