At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the design and delivery of innovative Appian automation solutions.
- Company: Join a trusted company dedicated to improving Canadians' well-being.
- Benefits: Enjoy competitive salary, health benefits, and career development opportunities.
- Other info: Flexible work options and a strong focus on community involvement.
- Why this job: Make a real impact while working with cutting-edge technology in a collaborative environment.
- Qualifications: 8+ years in enterprise software and 5+ years with Appian solutions.
The predicted salary is between 53820 - 65780 £ per year.
Permanent Full Time
As a Senior Technical Lead - Appian, you will be accountable for delivering, supporting, and continuously evolving enterprise automation solutions that improve operational efficiency, quality, risk management, and client experience.
You will provide technical leadership across the full software development lifecycle while partnering closely with business leaders, product owners, architects, analysts, infrastructure teams, and vendors to design, build, deploy, and support scalable automation solutions.
This role combines deep Appian expertise, people leadership, solution architecture oversight, operational excellence, and strategic technology direction.
What You Will Do
- Technical Leadership & Solution Delivery
- Lead the design, development, implementation, and support of Appian Workflow, IDP, and RPA solutions across the enterprise.
- Partner with business analysts, product owners, architects, and stakeholders to translate business requirements into scalable, secure, and maintainable technical solutions.
- Provide technical direction and solution governance throughout the project lifecycle, ensuring alignment to enterprise architecture, integration patterns, security standards, and non-functional requirements.
- Develop and maintain Appian applications, process models, records, interfaces, integrations, data structures, and reusable components.
- Drive development excellence through technical reviews, coding standards, design reviews, testing, and performance optimization.
- Ensure end-to-end traceability and assess impacts across APIs, middleware, ETL processes, batch jobs, and vendor systems.
- Review and approve architecture changes, integration modifications, and production-impacting deployments.
- Ensure solutions are scalable, secure, resilient, and aligned with long-term platform strategy.
- Operational Excellence & Platform Ownership
- Own the administration and governance of the Appian platform across all environments, ensuring availability, stability, security, and compliance with enterprise standards.
- Manage platform configuration, user provisioning, role-based access controls, authentication, authorization, and environment security in partnership with Infrastructure and Cyber Security teams.
- Plan, coordinate, and execute Appian platform upgrades, hotfixes, patches, and feature enablement activities while minimizing business disruption.
- Monitor platform health, capacity, performance metrics, and usage trends; proactively identify risks and implement optimization strategies.
- Establish and maintain platform operational standards, administration procedures, support models, environment management practices, and governance controls.
- Collaborate with Appian support, vendors, and internal infrastructure teams to resolve platform-related issues and drive service improvements.
- Manage platform licensing, entitlement utilization, and capacity planning to ensure cost-effective and scalable operations.
- Lead production support, application monitoring, performance tuning, and incident management activities for Appian-based solutions.
- Provide Level 1 and Level 2 support, including break/fix resolution, upgrades, patches, and continuous improvement initiatives.
- Lead root cause analysis (RCA) activities for critical incidents and implement permanent corrective actions.
- Review release readiness and ensure rollback, recovery, and business continuity plans are in place before deployments.
- Manage platform configuration, user provisioning, role-based access controls, authentication, authorization, and environment security in partnership with Infrastructure and Cyber Security teams.
- Monitor platform health, capacity, performance metrics, and usage trends; proactively identify risks and implement optimization strategies.
- Plan, coordinate, and execute Appian platform upgrades, hotfixes, patches, and feature enablement activities while minimizing business disruption.
- Establish deployment guardrails, validation controls, and post-deployment verification processes to reduce operational risk.
- Ensure applications are continuously enhanced, secured, upgraded, and aligned with platform roadmaps.
- People Leadership
- Lead, mentor, coach, and develop a high-performing team of Appian developers and automation specialists.
- Provide guidance on architecture, design patterns, development standards, and engineering best practices.
- Support resource planning, work allocation, performance management, and career development activities.
- Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, innovation, continuous learning, and operational excellence.
- Build strong relationships across technology teams, business units, and external partners to drive alignment and successful outcomes.
- Strategic & Continuous Improvement
- Identify opportunities to improve people, processes, technologies, and development practices.
- Evaluate emerging technologies and industry trends, including AI-powered automation capabilities, and provide recommendations for adoption.
- Contribute to platform roadmaps, architecture standards, governance models, and modernization initiatives.
- Champion Agile and Dev Ops practices to accelerate delivery while maintaining quality and stability.
- What You Will Bring
Education
- Bachelor's degree or post-secondary diploma in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Technology, Business, or equivalent practical experience.
Experience
- 8+ years of experience delivering enterprise software solutions and supporting business-critical technology platforms.
- 5+ years of experience designing and delivering Appian solutions across the full software development lifecycle.
- Demonstrated experience leading technical teams and large-scale enterprise initiatives.
- Experience with Workflow, Business Process Automation, Intelligent Document Processing (IDP), and/or Robotic Process Automation (RPA) platforms.
- Experience operating in financial services or highly regulated environments is preferred.
- Technical Skills
- Expert knowledge of Appian application development, process modelling, integrations, records, interfaces, and deployment automation.
- Strong understanding of system integration patterns, APIs, middleware technologies, and enterprise architecture principles.
- Experience with logical data modelling and application performance optimization.
- Working knowledge of Agile, Dev Ops, CI/CD, Git Lab, JIRA, Confluence, and Service Now.
- Experience with cloud and modern automation technologies, including AI-enabled capabilities, is considered an asset.
- Leadership Competencies
- Proven ability to lead, inspire, and mentor technical teams.
- Exceptional stakeholder management and relationship-building skills.
- Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making capabilities.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to explain complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences.
- Adaptability and effectiveness in managing ambiguity within a fast-paced, evolving environment.
- Nice to Have
- Appian Senior Developer, Lead Developer, or Architect certification.
- Experience with Gen AI-enabled process automation solutions.
- Experience with enterprise document processing and OCR platforms.
- Experience managing distributed onshore/offshore delivery teams.
- Exposure to AWS, Azure, or cloud-native integration services.
- The base salary for this position is between
This represents base salary only and does not represent other variable compensation components of our total compensation ( i. e. annual bonus, commission etc).
If you are selected to move forward in our recruitment process, your recruiter will be able to discuss additional details of our total rewards program with you.
Career opportunities will be open a minimum of 5 business days from the date of posting, closing dates will vary depending on the search activity.
All applications received will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
Grow with Canada Life
We’re united by a shared purpose: to improve the financial, physical and mental well-being of Canadians.
Our company is trusted by 1 in 3 Canadians and contributes to the strength of communities across the country.
We’re looking for people who live our values everyday: we step up, we do the right thing, and we deliver – for our customers, communities and each other.
Are you someone who always strives to do the right thing, who steps up for themselves and others, and who delivers with impact?
Then we want to hear from you!
What we offer
We’re committed to supporting our employees through every stage of their career. Here’s what you can expect as a full-time or part-time permanent team member:
Career Development : Opportunities for career advancement, access to industry-leading learning programs and up to $2,000 annually towards education reimbursement.
Health & Wellness
Flexible health and dental benefits, plus a $5,000 mental health benefit to support your well-being.
Time Off
In addition to regular vacation and personal days, we support community involvement with a volunteer day.
Financial Security
Company-matching pension plan, share ownership program and additional investment options.
Rewards and Recognition
Employee recognition programs, service milestone celebrations, employee discounts and more!
Emphasis on Community : We provide a workplace where employees feel connected and supported through Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), mentorship programs, social clubs and events.
Learn more about
Canada Life .
We’re committed to removing barriers and ensuring equal access to employment. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation during the application process may contact talentacquisitioncanada@canadalife. com
. All information provided will be handled in accordance with applicable laws and Canada Life policies.
Canada Life would like to thank all applicants, however only those who qualify for an interview will be contacted
#LI-Hybrid
Senior Engineering Specialist Lead - Appian in London employer: Canada Life
Canada Life is an exceptional employer that prioritises the well-being and professional growth of its employees. With a strong commitment to career development, flexible health benefits, and a supportive work culture, employees are encouraged to thrive in their roles while contributing to the community. The bilingual Customer Service Representative role offers a structured environment where you can make a meaningful impact by assisting clients with empathy and professionalism.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Engineering Specialist Lead - Appian in London
✨Join Local Tech Meetups
Get out there and mingle with fellow developers by joining local tech meetups. It’s a fantastic way to meet people who might be working at Canada Life or know someone who does. Plus, you can pick up some trendy tech skills and trends while you're at it!
✨Contribute to Open Source Projects
Show off your coding chops by jumping into open-source projects. Not only does this give you practical experience, but it also gets you noticed in the dev community. You'll create a killer portfolio that speaks volumes about your skills to Canada Life.
✨Tap into Online Developer Communities
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✨Explore Job Boards Specifically for Tech Roles
Keep your eyes peeled on job boards that focus on tech roles. Sites like TechCareers or Stack Overflow Jobs can often have listings for companies like Canada Life that might not show up on broader job sites. Make it a habit to check these regularly, and don’t hesitate to apply directly through our website!
We think you need these skills to ace Senior Engineering Specialist Lead - Appian in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show off your coding skills:When applying for a software engineering role, it's super important to showcase your coding skills. Make sure your CV includes your tech stack, any relevant programming languages you’re comfortable with, and examples of projects you've worked on. If you have a GitHub profile, link it up! We love to see code in action.
Tailor your portfolio:For a full-time role, we’d expect to see some solid examples of your work in your portfolio. Make sure to include at least two or three projects that highlight your problem-solving skills and your ability to work with different technologies. Focus on the projects that are most relevant to the position at Canada Life.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at Canada Life and how your skills align with the role. Show us your passion for software development. We dig enthusiastic candidates who understand the value of collaboration and continuous learning!
Be clear and concise:When it comes to writing your CV and cover letter, clarity is key. Avoid jargon that could confuse us and stick to simple, direct language. Highlight your achievements with quantifiable results where possible, and keep everything easy to read. A well-organised application goes a long way!
How to prepare for a job interview at Canada Life
✨Brush Up on Your Coding Skills
For a full-time software engineering role, it's crucial that we stay sharp with our coding abilities. Expect technical questions that might involve solving problems on the spot or discussing algorithms. Practise on platforms like LeetCode or HackerRank to get comfortable with the types of questions that often come up.
✨Know Your Tools and Frameworks
Make sure we’re well-acquainted with the tools and technologies listed in the job description. Familiarise ourselves with any specific frameworks or programming languages mentioned. If Canada Life uses React or Node.js, for instance, be ready to discuss how we’ve used them in previous projects or coursework.
✨Showcase Your Projects
Bring along a portfolio that highlights our best work. This could be code samples, GitHub repositories, or any side projects we’ve built. Make sure we can talk through our thought process for each project, especially the challenges we faced and how we solved them—this shows our problem-solving skills in action.
✨Prepare for Behavioural Questions
While technical skills are key, full-time positions also require cultural fit. Be ready to discuss our previous experiences and how we handle teamwork, conflict, and deadlines. Brush up on the STAR method—Situation, Task, Action, Result—to clearly articulate our past experiences when discussing how we've contributed to a team.
