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- Tasks: Lead software development for Project Riva, modernising legacy insurance systems.
- Company: Join RiverStone International, a leader in global non-life run-off insurance.
- Benefits: Enjoy private medical cover, wellness support, and generous holiday entitlement.
- Why this job: Make a real impact by transforming insurance technology and leading innovative teams.
- Qualifications: 12-15 years in software management, ideally in financial services or insurance.
- Other info: Collaborative culture with excellent career growth and training opportunities.
The predicted salary is between 54000 - 84000 £ per year.
RiverStone International is an established global non-life run-off insurance business specialist with more than 25 years of experience. Operating in the UK company and Lloyd's of London markets, Bermuda, U.S., and Europe, RiverStone International has transacted a wide variety of deals – from insurance and reinsurance portfolio transfers to company purchases, acquiring over $17.7 billion of gross liabilities since 2010 and with around $6.4 billion of liabilities currently under management.
The role holder will lead the software engineering and build workstream for Project Riva — a strategic redevelopment initiative to modernise RiverStone's legacy insurance systems. The role is accountable for the delivery of high-quality, secure and scalable applications aligned to the target architecture and business objectives. This position will oversee multiple cross-functional delivery teams, ensuring that design, build and integration activities support the overall transformation roadmap for the Riva platform. Develop and implement a structured handover plan to transition the Riva platform and associated development products into BAU support functions.
Responsibilities- Delivery & Execution
- Lead end-to-end software development across multiple Agile workstreams within Project Riva.
- Manage the engineering delivery roadmap, ensuring milestones are met in line with programme timelines and business priorities.
- Oversee system integration between Riva components and legacy or external systems.
- Drive quality assurance through CI/CD, automated testing and secure coding standards.
- People & Vendor Management
- Manage internal developers and external delivery partners, fostering high performance and accountability.
- Provide active coaching and mentoring to development teams, helping individuals navigate delivery pressures, prioritise effectively, and maintain quality during tight timelines.
- Create an environment that encourages psychological safety, open communication and continuous learning, ensuring teams feel supported during periods of high intensity.
- Guide teams in breaking down complex workloads, managing effort realistically, and maintaining sustainable delivery practices even when demands are high.
- Define and implement engineering best practices and development methodologies.
- Coordinate with vendor engineering to ensure consistent standards and on-time delivery.
- Support skills development and knowledge transfer to permanent staff.
- Architecture & Governance
- Collaborate closely with the Enterprise Architect function to ensure adherence to architectural principles, design patterns and security standards.
- Maintain control of codebase quality, integration consistency and non-functional requirements (e.g. performance, scalability, resilience).
- Participate in the Technical & Business design authorities as the delivery representative.
- Stakeholder Engagement
- Partner with Business Product Owners, Functional Leads and Programme Management to ensure development outcomes align with business needs.
- Provide clear, timely communication of progress, risks, dependencies and decisions to the Riva Programme Manager.
- Work collaboratively across IT Operations, Data and Security teams to ensure operational readiness.
- Change & Transition
- Support system & QA testing, release planning and deployment into production environments.
- Align development activity with the overall cutover and data migration strategy.
- Work with support teams to define operational responsibilities, service levels and support processes.
- Ensure knowledge transfer, documentation and training are completed for BAU teams before programme closure.
- Establish post-transition monitoring and performance baselines to validate platform stability and operational readiness.
- Support the embedding of continuous improvement and change governance into BAU practices to sustain delivery momentum after the transformation phase.
- Act as a key liaison between the transformation programme and BAU teams to resolve transitional issues and ensure continuity of service.
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering or related discipline.
- 12-15 years of experience in software development management within large, regulated organisations (ideally financial services or insurance).
- Proven track record delivering complex system redevelopment or modernisation programmes.
- Strong understanding of enterprise software engineering practices, including:
- Cloud-native and API-driven architecture
- CI/CD pipelines and DevOps tooling
- Agile delivery
- Demonstrated ability to manage multiple teams across geographies.
- Excellent communication, leadership and stakeholder management skills.
- Experience modernising or replacing legacy platforms.
- Familiarity with core insurance systems, including London Market experience.
- Exposure to legacy migration projects.
- Working knowledge of data migration, API management and cloud integration patterns.
- Awareness of regulatory and security frameworks (e.g., ISO27001, GDPR, PCI, SOX).
- The operation of reinsurance, claims, finance and actuarial departments
- IT development and support methodologies
- Project management and risk management techniques
- Software development tools used by the company
- Industry products, innovations and best practices
- Strategic and delivery-focused mindset.
- Strong leadership presence with the ability to inspire and motivate cross-functional teams.
- Pragmatic problem-solver with high attention to detail.
- Collaborative and adaptable in a complex, fast-paced environment.
- Committed to excellence, transparency and continuous improvement.
- Private Medical and Dental cover – Comprehensive Private Medical and Dental Insurance schemes with Bupa.
- Health and Wellness – including access to our Employee Assistance Programme, Headspace subscription, Mental Health First Aiders at each site, up to five funded counselling sessions per year, annual health check-up and eye test voucher.
- Wellbeing Allowance – Can be used towards either physical or mental health wellbeing activities.
- 25 days' holiday per year – plus bank holidays and office closure on Christmas Eve. Holiday entitlement increases with length of service.
- Bonus scheme – dependent on achieving individual, department and company goals.
- Pension – a non-contributory defined contribution pension scheme.
- Life Assurance – provides a lump sum 10 × your salary.
- Permanent Health Insurance Scheme – scheme pays benefits during a prolonged period of illness or disability lasting more than 26 weeks.
- Parental Leave – Enhanced Maternity, Paternity and Shared Parental Leave policy.
- Training and development – Company funding for professional qualifications that would be beneficial for your role.
- Cycle To Work Scheme – a tax efficient way to purchase a bicycle.
- Interest Free Travel Loan – to assist with commuting costs.
- Travel Insurance – business and personal travel.
- Sports and Social – active sports and social committee that organizes subsidised events.
- Our standard working hours are from 09:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Full-time employees are to be in the office for 3 days per week, with 2 days working from home.
Senior Manager – IT Development – Riva in London employer: RiverStone Management Limited
Contact Detail:
RiverStone Management Limited Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Manager – IT Development – Riva in London
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the industry, especially those who might have insights into RiverStone International. A friendly chat can sometimes lead to opportunities that aren’t even advertised.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by diving deep into Project Riva and RiverStone's legacy systems. Show us you understand the challenges they face and how your experience aligns with their goals. Tailor your examples to highlight your leadership in software development.
✨Tip Number 3
Don’t underestimate the power of follow-ups! After an interview, drop a quick thank-you note. It shows your enthusiasm and keeps you fresh in their minds. Plus, it’s a great chance to reiterate why you’re the perfect fit for the role.
✨Tip Number 4
Check out our website for any upcoming events or webinars related to RiverStone. Engaging with the company through these platforms can give you a leg up and show your genuine interest in their work and culture.
We think you need these skills to ace Senior Manager – IT Development – Riva in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV is tailored to the Senior Manager – IT Development role. Highlight your experience in software development management and any relevant projects you've led, especially those involving legacy systems.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Your cover letter should tell us why you're the perfect fit for RiverStone International. Share specific examples of how you've successfully managed cross-functional teams and delivered complex projects in the past.
Showcase Your Leadership Skills: We want to see your leadership style! Mention how you've coached and mentored teams, and how you create an environment that encourages open communication and continuous learning.
Apply Through Our Website: Don't forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you’re considered for this exciting opportunity with RiverStone International.
How to prepare for a job interview at RiverStone Management Limited
✨Know Your Stuff
Make sure you brush up on your knowledge of enterprise software engineering practices, especially around cloud-native and API-driven architecture. RiverStone is looking for someone who can lead complex system redevelopment, so be ready to discuss your past experiences and how they relate to the role.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
As a Senior Manager, you'll need to demonstrate strong leadership presence. Prepare examples of how you've inspired and motivated cross-functional teams in the past. Think about times when you’ve managed multiple teams across geographies and how you ensured high performance and accountability.
✨Communicate Clearly
Effective communication is key in this role. Be prepared to articulate your thoughts clearly and concisely, especially when discussing project timelines, risks, and stakeholder engagement. Practise explaining complex technical concepts in simple terms, as you’ll need to partner with various business leads.
✨Emphasise Continuous Improvement
RiverStone values a commitment to excellence and continuous improvement. Be ready to discuss how you've embedded change governance into previous projects and how you plan to sustain delivery momentum post-transformation. Highlight any experience you have with QA testing and operational readiness.
