Cloud & Shared Platforms Architect

We’re 1st Central, a market-leading insurance company utilising smart data and technology at pace. Rapid growth has been based on giving our 1.4 million customers exactly what they want: great value insurance with an excellent service. And that’s the same for our colleagues too; we won Insurance Employer of the Year at the British Insurance Awards 2024 and our Glassdoor score is pretty mega too!

We are on the hunt for a Cloud & Shared Platforms Architect who will be responsible for the architectural definition, management and governance of core platforms that underpin 1st Central's technology estate. This includes cloud services, networking, storage infrastructure and 3rd party cloud services. You will work with the Head of Solution & Platform Architecture to ensure the Cloud & Shared Platform architecture aligns with the organisation's strategic objectives and the overarching Enterprise Architecture.

You will collaborate across enterprise change teams to deliver an underlying platform that maximises organisational value and efficiency, while governing the platform's health and compliance.

Core skills we are looking for to succeed in the role:

• Excellent interpersonal skills in areas such as teamwork, facilitation and negotiation
• Excellent analytical and technical skills
• Understanding of cloud security best practices and compliance requirements
• Identification and management of risk
• Problem solving skills, with the ability to adopt a logical approach
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Strong leadership skills with the ability to motivate teams and support in developing the organisation’s objectives

What’s involved:

• You will lead the architectural definition of the underlying Cloud & Shared Platform, ensuring it meets business and technical objectives.
• You will provide technical direction for the cloud & shared platform in order to unify engineering teams, including software and cloud infrastructure, ensuring scalability, performance, and resilience.
• Horizon scan the enterprise change environment whilst monitoring the current-state Cloud & Shared Platform Architecture to identify and anticipate deficiencies/opportunities through the technologies and architecture used or misalignment with business and technology strategies.
• Work with the Product Owner to drive platform change required to enable business and technology strategies.
• You will define, document and maintain the reference cloud platform architecture and develop a strategy for the evolution of the platform architecture from current to future state.
• Definition of Cloud Platform & Infrastructure Architecture standards, practices and policies.
• You will work closely with 3rd Parties, Architects, Engineers, Business Analysts, Product Owners, and other stakeholders to develop a platform architecture that delivers business value.
• You will provide oversight and guidance for cloud & shared platform architecture changes, ensuring systems and services are designed with appropriate resilience, performance, and scalability, aligned to the prescribed Enterprise Architecture.
• You will identify critical architecture decisions that require changes to the cloud & shared platform architecture, making recommendations to the Architecture Review Board.
• You will define and manage the Cloud & Shared Platforms Security Architecture, working closely with the Information Security Department, Architects and 3rd party service providers to ensure the Cloud & Shared Platforms are adequately protected from cyber-security threats.
• You will contribute principles, guidelines, standards and solution patterns to the Enterprise Reference Architecture, based on feedback and lessons learned during platform development.
• You will identify opportunities to deploy new technologies and innovations that would support, enhance, improve or replace platform features in line with the business, product and technology strategies.
• You will regularly engage with the Exec Team and Senior Stakeholders across change disciplines and within the wider business, providing consultative and advisory services.
• You will assist in the identification of root causes and fixes for major incidents where required.
• You will comply with the requirements, and act in accordance with the Group Code of Conduct and Fitness and Propriety policies at all times.
• You will ensure compliance with Company Policies, Values and guidelines and other relevant standards/regulations at all times.
• Responsibility for maintaining department risk registers (as applicable), providing evidence and commentary for controls, updates for Mitigation Actions and maintaining control matrices and Attestations.

Experience & Knowledge:

• Experience of Cloud platform architecture, with excellent working knowledge of Azure.
• Exposure to multiple, diverse technical configurations, technologies and processing environments.
• Experience of Kubernetes or similar container architectures.
• Significant experience in the delivery of enterprise-class platforms with a strong appetite for innovation.
• Significant experience in at least two technology development disciplines, including technical or infrastructure architecture, network management, application development, middleware, database management or cloud development.
• Experience in developing and managing a Platform vision and strategy.
• Exposure to multiple, diverse technologies, platforms, and processing environments.
• Good understanding of strategic and emerging technology trends, and the practical application of existing and emerging technologies to new and evolving business and operating models.
• Experience of creation and maintenance of reference architecture documentation and roadmaps, ideally leveraging architectural tooling.
• Experience of delivering architecture and governance services within an Agile delivery framework.
• Experience delivering presentations to senior-level executives and technical audiences.
• Ability to communicate complex and abstract concepts in an easy to understand and follow manner.
• Ideally an Insurance or financial Services background, although other backgrounds will be considered.
• Knowledge of FCA requirements (including Consumer Duty).
• Good understanding of SOLID principles and common design patterns.

Skills:

• Excellent interpersonal skills in areas such as teamwork, facilitation and negotiation.
• Excellent analytical and technical skills.
• Understanding of cloud security best practices and compliance requirements.
• Identification and management of risk.
• Problem solving skills, with the ability to adopt a logical approach.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Strong leadership skills with the ability to motivate teams and support in developing the organisation’s objectives.

Qualifications:

• Formal architectural certification is preferred.
• Formal cloud certification is preferred.

Behaviours:

• Understands, advocates and augments the business and technology strategies — and, more specifically, EA development and service delivery.
• Is prepared to “sell” the EA process (overall, not just for enterprise technology architecture), its outcome and ongoing results, and to lead the communication or marketing activities needed to ensure enterprise success and use.
• Commercially focused and results driven taking a pragmatic approach to delivering value.
• Self-motivated and enthusiastic.
• An organised and pro-active approach.
• Ability to work on own initiative and as part of a team.
• A flexible approach and positive attitude.
• Emphasis on attention to detail and accuracy.
• Takes initiative to make decisions.
• Strives to drive business improvements to contribute to the success of the business.

So, if you’re up for the challenge and would like to join our vibrant and busy team, we want to hear from you today.

What can we do for you? People first. Always. We’re passionate about our colleagues and know the best people deserve an extraordinary working environment. We owe it to them so that’s what we offer. Our workplaces are energetic, inspirational, supportive.

To get a taste of the advantages you’ll enjoy, take a look at all our perks in full.

Intrigued? Our Talent team can tell you everything you need to know about what we want and what we’re offering, so feel free to get in touch.