Lead Guidewire Architect in London

Location: London

Type: Permanent, full time (Hybrid role, flexible working)

The Opportunity

QBE Europe is recruiting for a Lead Guidewire Architect to join its Architecture team in the London Office. As Lead Guidewire Architect you will own and lead the end‑to‑end programme architecture and design activity, shape the target architecture, guide delivery teams and ensure the transformation delivers coherent, scalable and well‑governed outcomes across the enterprise. QBE is embarking on a major transformation of its core insurance platforms (Pricing, Policy Administration and Underwriting). The programme runs for approximately five years with an investment of over $300m spanning multiple lines of business, geographies and distribution models. Having the right to work in the UK is a requirement. QBE may consider sponsorship at its discretion.

Responsibilities

• Implement technology strategy, roadmaps, and patterns aligned with global architecture to deliver business strategy.
• Maximise alignment and leverage reuse of technology to achieve cost efficiencies.
• Monitor and review technical progress against roadmaps to ensure IT strategy objectives are met.
• Lead the establishment of strategy, reference architecture, and roadmaps for assigned domains.
• Conduct technology assurance and governance in line with architecture policy and practices.
• Facilitate the use of standardised tools and approaches for documenting enterprise architecture.
• Actively promote and embed architectural ways of working and due governance.
• Provide direction during technology decision‑making activities supporting executive level stakeholders, translating complex architectural topics into clear business and investment decisions.
• Establish and maintain effective relationships within IT and with internal business units and external service suppliers.
• Balance operational delivery and risk commitments by identifying emerging, underlying, and accumulating risks across processes and controls, communicating the risk landscape to leaders and prioritising resources in response in conjunction with the first line risk team.
• Run day‑to‑day architecture and design activity, including leading an architecture team, chairing design forums, and resolving complex cross‑domain issues.

Qualifications

• Proven experience leading architecture across multiple large‑scale, multi‑year transformation programmes including legacy modernisation, complex migration, coexistence, transitional states and risk management.
• Strong insurance and domain expertise, working with and governing major systems integrators and strategic delivery partners.
• Hands‑on experience with the Guidewire platform (PolicyCentre, BillingCentre, ClaimCentre, Product Model) and a strong understanding of Guidewire Cloud and upgrade strategies.
• Experience with modern insurance platforms such as Guidewire, Hx, Salesforce and associated ecosystem technologies.
• Strong business and domain expertise across the end‑to‑end insurance value chain, applying deep understanding of underwriting, pricing, distribution, policy administration, claims, finance and regulatory obligations to architectural decisions.
• Alignment to architecture governance, ensuring adherence to agreed principles, standards, and controls while enabling delivery pace and pragmatic outcomes.

Benefits

• 30 days holiday a year with the option to buy up to two additional days.
• Flexible working: part‑time, job share, compressed hours available.
• Pension: automatic enrollment in QBE pension plan with 10% employer contributions of base salary.

Equal Employment Opportunity

QBE is an equal‑opportunity employer and is required to comply with equal employment opportunity legislation in each jurisdiction it operates.