Principal Architect Jobs

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The Principal Architect - Cloud Applications Architect will join the IT Architecture team whose vision is to define the technical strategy, platforms, and applications for delivering modern cloud-native solutions to our business partners and clients. This is a hands-on architect / lead designer with expertise in designing and building secure, scalable, and highly available cloud-native applications. This role requires a deep understanding of leading-edge technologies to design the foundations that underpin Sun Life's next generation of cloud-native solutions, requiring experience of microservices, APIs and event-driven architecture, as well as the cloud and data platforms upon which these are built. This is a dynamic role that will require technical ability across multiple cloud service providers (Amazon Web Services, Salesforce, or Microsoft Azure Cloud), with strong familiarity with PaaS, container platforms and serverless technologies. The successful candidate in this role will be able to execute our mission in line with Sun Life’s Digital Enterprise agenda in close collaboration with engineering teams and business leaders to ensure that technology investments are optimized. The role also drives innovation and adoption of modern cloud and container platforms enabling Sun Life IT Engineering teams to design and build resilient solutions, which is an essential piece to our cloud technology strategy. This individual will actively engage and partner with key stakeholders across the U.S. Information Technology organization and global Sun Life technology organization to deliver business solutions.

Job Responsibilities:

• Design secure cloud solutions preventing downtime or breaches. A good understanding of privacy and data protection regulations (e.g., HIPAA) are preferred but not a requirement.
• Keep abreast of developments in the technology industry and insurance market space.
• Develop platform strategy in conjunction with enterprise groups, vendors and other internal technology partners to remove technical debt and keep technology and application platforms current and secure while modernizing our footprint.
• Architect solutions for both container platforms and serverless environments with clear recommendations for both technical and non-technical teams.
• Drive cross-functional alignment to ensure execution of long-term strategic plans that will drive financial results.
• Recognized technical expert with an engineering background and thought leader to accelerate the adoption of modern application technologies and cloud platforms, acutely aware of industry innovations, trends and practices.
• Develop strategies to increase cloud design knowledge throughout the enterprise; develop and mentor more junior engineers. Help build modern cloud engineering practices within agile development teams.
• Listen and effectively communicate with clarity, precision, and transparency.
• Hands-on architect designing and prototyping scalable, cost-effective, distributed solutions on single or hybrid cloud environments.
• Good understanding of how API and Event-driven Architectures work (SQS, Event Bridge, Kafka).
• Trusted advisor to agile teams, identify and develop impactful relationships with engineering teams and vendor platform partners/technical specialists during initial preparation and ramp-up stages.
• Respectfully challenges customers/partners when going in the wrong direction and escalates appropriately.
• Ensure technical solution designs across portfolios and product teams are aligned to the Enterprise Technology strategy.
• Create, design, and build modern enterprise grade solutions, reusable across business units, while ensuring that solutions introduced adhere to the company’s enterprise patterns and standards.
• Bring outside-in industry expertise to Sun Life technology leadership, ensuring this is embedded through strategic and architectural decisions.
• Develop strong working relationships with the relevant Heads of Technology Solutions, supporting the translation of business needs/requirements into Technology strategy and roadmaps, ensuring technology investments build business value.
• Key stakeholder in discussions around architecture, design, resiliency, and technical optimization that result in production deployment and increased customer business value.

Position Requirements and Qualifications:

• AWS architecture certification or equivalent from another cloud solutions provider.
• Demonstrates courage by deciding and acting in the face of uncertainty. Works in a balanced fashion, adaptable and flexible to ensure needs of competing stakeholders are fairly and equitably met.
• Must be able to communicate effectively at senior levels to influence decisions with internal and external business partners; Communicates direction, vision, and strategy to engage team, peers, and senior management.
• Strong experience in API design, development and consumption patterns, experience in modular component design patterns and data persistence technologies.
• Able to coordinate disparate drivers, constraints and personalities while maintaining objectivity and a strong understanding that client success and transformational value should go hand in hand.
• Bachelor's degree in computer science, information systems, computer engineering, related field or equivalent work experience required with 10+ years industry experience (i.e., FinTech, InsurTech) preferred but not mandatory.
• Experience in agile delivery and DevOps environments and the use of automation to deliver business value. Strong experience in AWS Cloud PaaS, SaaS, and IaaS solutions.
• Experience helping teams and organizations across large scale transformations.
• Experience in architecture, design, and development in a highly regulated industry, preferably Financial Services but not a requirement.
• Experience working across all IT functional areas preferred, strong business and process knowledge, technology implementation, change management and large-scale program management expertise.

Our Affirmative Action Program affirms our commitment to make reasonable accommodation to the known physical or mental limitation of otherwise-qualified individuals with disabilities or special disabled veterans, unless the accommodation would impose an undue hardship on the operation of our business. Please email [email protected] to request an accommodation.

At Sun Life we strive to create a flexible work environment where our employees are empowered to do their best work. Several flexible work options are available and can be discussed throughout the selection process depending on the role requirements and individual needs.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.