Working hours:35 hours per week, Monday to Friday

Duration:Permanent

Location:Gloucester

Job Ref: 203555

About the role

Benefact Group are looking for aSolution Architectto join our Gloucester office.

We are seeking a highly skilled Solution Architect with experience of working within a regulated financial services environment (insurance industry ideally) to join our dynamic team. The Solution Architect will be responsible for designing and overseeing the implementation of comprehensive technical solutions that align with our business goals and technology strategy. 

The ideal candidate will possess a deep understanding of insurance processes and systems, along with strong technical expertise to drive innovation and efficiency within Benefact Group.

Key responsibilities

Architectural Design:

• Design and develop end-to-end architectural solutions that meet business requirements and integrate seamlessly with existing systems.
• Ensure solutions align with enterprise architecture principles and industry best practices.
• Assess the business impact various technical choices have and ensure trade-offs are well documented
• Ensure all cross-functional aspects for solution design including compliance, security, governance, adopted as well as Group wide best practices are considered
• Create and maintain architectural documentation, including diagrams, models, and guidelines

Stakeholder Engagement:

• Collaborate with business leaders, product managers, and other stakeholders to gather and analyse requirements
• Translate business needs into technical solutions and communicate architectural visions to both technical and non-technical stakeholders

Technical Leadership:

• Provide technical leadership and guidance to development teams throughout the project lifecycle
• Ensure adherence to architectural standards and governance processes
• Conduct code reviews and mentor team members to promote best practices

Innovation and Strategy:

• Identify emerging technologies and trends in the insurance industry and evaluate their potential impact on the organisation
• Develop and advocate for innovative solutions that drive business value and operational efficiency
• Contribute to the development of IT strategies and roadmaps

Risk Management:

• Assess and mitigate technical risks associated with architectural decisions and solution implementations
• Ensure solutions are scalable, secure, and compliant with relevant regulations and standards

Knowledge, skills and experience

Experience:

• Proven experience in solution architecture
• Experience of working within a regulated environment/financial services (ideally insurance industry)
• Proven track record of designing and implementing complex technical solutions in insurance, including policy administration, claims processing, underwriting, and customer management systems

Technical Skills:

• Ideally knowledge of insurance industry standards, regulations, and best practices
• Proficiency in architecture frameworks and methodologies (e.g., TOGAF, Zachman)
• Experience with cloud platforms (e.g., Azure (preferred), AWS, Google Cloud), microservices and event-driven architecture
• Familiarity with enterprise integration patterns and technologies (e.g., APIs, ESB, messaging systems)
• Understanding of data architecture, including data modelling, ETL processes, and data governance

Soft Skills:

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to articulate complex technical concepts to diverse audiences
• Strong problem-solving and analytical skills
• Leadership and team collaboration skills
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment

What we offer

• A competitive salary - let's discuss it
• Hybrid working 
• Group Personal Pension - up to 12% employer contribution
  
• Generous annual bonus scheme up to 30%
  
• 28 days annual leave plus bank holidays, and a holiday buy and sell scheme
  
• A range of health and wellbeing benefits, including private healthcare, income protection and life assurance
  
• Up to £400 annual personal grant to a charity of your choice
  
• Encouraged to take at least one volunteering day per year
  
• Employee Assistance Programme
  
• Full study support to gain professional qualifications
• Access to virtual GP
• Enhanced maternity and paternity pay

About us

Benefact Groupis a unique international financial services Group made up of over 30 businesses. We are owned by a charity and are currently the UK’s 3rd largest corporate donor, having given away £200 million since 2016. We have ambitious plans to become the UK’s number one corporate donor, with strategic objectives in place to double the Group’s size.

We believe it’s essential to attract, empower, grow and reward talented people, offering fantastic opportunities for career and personal development. Our giving ethos, 135-year history and the diversity of what we do, has enabled us to build a culture of kindness, great ambition, and of passionate people driven to do better and be better.  

At Benefact Group, we are committed to creating aninclusive culture and building an environment where each and every one of usfeels valued and respected. We are a community made up of people with arange of different backgrounds, abilities, perspectives, beliefs and interestsand we value the strength this brings to us as a Group. We welcome applicationsfrom everyone.

If you need any additional support during therecruitment process, then please let us know.