At a Glance
- Tasks: Design and deliver innovative cloud solutions for reinsurance platforms.
- Company: Join Willis Re, a forward-thinking tech-driven reinsurance firm.
- Benefits: Competitive daily rate, flexible work environment, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Dynamic team culture focused on innovation and collaboration.
- Why this job: Shape the future of reinsurance with cutting-edge technology and impactful projects.
- Qualifications: Experience in software engineering and solution architecture, especially in data-intensive systems.
The predicted salary is between 70000 - 90000 £ per year.
Willis Re is building its global technology estate from the ground up, unencumbered by legacy and designed around data, analytics and modern cloud platforms. We are looking for a Solution Architect to shape and deliver the solutions that power our reinsurance broking, analytics and client-facing platforms.
Working closely with the Head of Architecture & Engineering, business stakeholders and strategic delivery partners, you will own end-to-end solution design across a portfolio of greenfield initiatives.
Key Responsibilities:- Cloud Architecture: Design secure, scalable, cloud-native solutions on Microsoft Azure, spanning infrastructure, PaaS services, networking, identity, security and observability.
- Data Engineering: Design solutions around our data lake platform, architecting performant pipelines, sound data models and strong governance for large volumes of reinsurance placement, exposure, claims and market data.
- Hands-on Prototyping: Take a hands-on role in building proofs of concept and prototypes to validate designs and support key technical decisions.
- Integration: Define and govern third-party integrations with market platforms, carrier and client systems, and vendor SaaS products, using API-first, event-driven and secure data-exchange patterns, with canonical data models and anti-corruption layers to insulate the core platform.
- Security & Compliance: Embed security and compliance into designs from the outset, covering zero-trust principles, authentication and authorisation (Entra ID, OAuth 2.0), data protection, data residency and auditability, working with security and risk teams.
- Engineering Leadership: Work closely with in-house and partner engineers, setting the engineering standards for a greenfield estate and guiding them through implementation, acting as lead engineer where needed to ensure solutions are built to the agreed designs.
- Governance: Produce high-quality solution designs, integration contracts and architecture artefacts, and play an active role in the Architecture Review Board (ARB), presenting your own designs and vetting solution designs from vendors and delivery partners.
- AI Adoption: Promote the adoption of AI-assisted engineering tools and practices across the delivery lifecycle.
About You
You are a highly technical, hands-on architect who is comfortable operating in a fast-moving, greenfield environment with a lean core team and strategic delivery partners. Ideally you will bring:
- Experience: Extensive experience, grounded in hands-on software engineering and progressing into solution architecture over the last 4+ years. You have designed data-intensive systems you also helped build, ideally in insurance, reinsurance or wider financial services.
- Technical Stack: Current, practical programming skills, ideally in C#/.NET or Python, with strong SQL, working knowledge of modern UI frameworks such as React or Angular with TypeScript, and hands-on experience with infrastructure-as-code (Terraform) and AzureDevops. You are comfortable writing production-quality code for proofs of concept and pairing with engineers.
- Azure Expertise: Deep expertise in Azure infrastructure and platform services, including networking, security, identity, compute and integration services, along with hands-on experience of CI/CD tooling such as Azure DevOps or GitHub Actions.
- Architectural Patterns: Depth across architectural patterns such as microservices, event-driven, API-led, lakehouse/medallion and domain-driven design, with good judgement on when to apply each.
- Data Platforms: A strong track record architecting data-intensive solutions handling large data volumes, with experience across cloud data platforms, data pipelines and SQL-based technologies.
- Integration: Strong integration experience across external systems, including REST APIs, messaging and event-driven architectures, and secure file and data exchange, with experience using canonical data models and anti-corruption layers.
- Security: Strong grounding in security architecture, including authentication and authorisation patterns (OAuth 2.0, OIDC, Microsoft Entra ID, RBAC), zero-trust principles, and designing for compliance in regulated financial services (data privacy, cross-border data residency and audit requirements).
- AI Foundations: Experience designing agentic or AI-enabled solutions, including patterns such as retrieval-augmented generation, tool and API integration, evaluation and human-in-the-loop design, would be a significant advantage, though it is not essential. Familiarity with AI-assisted engineering tools such as Claude Code or Claude Cowork is a plus.
- Communication: Excellent communication skills, with the ability to translate complex business requirements into pragmatic technical designs and to influence stakeholders at all levels.
About Willis Re
We combine specialist broking with analytics, modeling and research to help insurers optimize risk transfer, strengthen balance sheets and achieve sustainable growth. Our approach is relationship-driven, transparent and outcome-focused. At the heart of Willis Re is a focus on delivering the most cutting-edge analytical solutions to enable more informed, better decision-making for risk selection, portfolio optimization, and capital management. The launch of Willis Re brings a strategic advantage of being unhindered by legacy, an ability to leverage data, statistical models and advanced technologies with the best knowledge and expertise to deliver more efficient and effective reinsurance outcomes. This places Willis Re in a unique position to build a truly analytically driven business, focused on creating solutions for the reinsurance industry that are future led and forward thinking. Willis Re will also leverage recognized technical expertise from WTW’s Insurance Consulting & Technology business including their advanced modeling and analytical capabilities. Alongside this will be WTW’s Research Network, an award-winning business supporting and influencing science to improve the understanding and quantification of risk.
Willis Re is committed to embracing a diverse, inclusive, and flexible work environment. We provide equal opportunity to all qualified individuals regardless of race, colour, religion, age, gender, gender expression, national origin, veteran status, disability, orientation, or any other legally protected categories.
Solution Architect (Contract Role) in London employer: Willis Re Bermuda
Willis Re is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work environment in London that fosters innovation and collaboration. With a strong commitment to employee growth, we provide opportunities for professional development in cutting-edge cloud infrastructure technologies, while promoting a diverse and inclusive culture. Our focus on operational excellence and adherence to enterprise standards ensures that you will be part of a forward-thinking team dedicated to delivering impactful solutions in the reinsurance industry.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Solution Architect (Contract Role) in London
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We think you need these skills to ace Solution Architect (Contract Role) in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Tech Toolbox:Let’s be real: in IT consulting, your skills and tools can make or break the project. Make sure your CV includes a solid list of the technologies you’ve worked with and any specific programming languages you're fluent in. If you’ve got experience with project management tools, like JIRA or Trello, shout about that too! It shows you're not just a tech head, but you can manage the chaos too.
Your Portfolio is Your Best Mate:As a freelancer, your portfolio is your calling card. Make it shine! Include case studies of projects you’ve worked on that highlight your problem-solving skills and the impact of your work. Make sure to detail the challenges faced and how you overcame them—clients love to see tangible results. A well-structured portfolio is your best chance to impress!
Tailor Your Approach:Unlike full-time applications, freelance gigs need that personal touch. Write a cover letter that doesn't just highlight your skills but also your understanding of Willis Re Bermuda and what they’re looking for. Explain how your unique approach can solve their challenges. This kind of personalisation shows you care and sets you apart from the cookie-cutter applications.
Be Clear on Your Rates and Availability:When applying for freelance roles, clarity is key! Include your rates and availability upfront in your application to avoid any confusion later. This honesty will save both you and Willis Re Bermuda time, and it shows you’re serious about doing business. We believe it’s best to be transparent right from the get-go!
How to prepare for a job interview at Willis Re Bermuda
✨Showcase Your Problem-Solving Skills
In IT consulting, they’ll want to see how you tackle real-life client issues. Prepare to discuss specific case studies from your freelance experience where you've demonstrated your problem-solving prowess. Come armed with examples that highlight the strategies you used and the results achieved.
✨Pitch Your Portfolio Like a Pro
As a freelancer, your portfolio is your calling card. Make sure it’s not just a collection of past projects but a narrative of your journey. Be ready to discuss how each project reflects your capability and how you can bring value to Willis Re Bermuda. Tailor this pitch to highlight projects that align closely with what they seek.
✨Brush Up on the Latest Tech Trends
IT consulting is all about staying ahead of the game. Make sure you’re familiar with the latest tools and technologies that are shaping the industry. You might get asked about a specific platform or software, so having fresh knowledge will give you the edge over other candidates.
✨Be Prepared for Hypothetical Scenarios
Expect some hypothetical or situational questions that assess how you'd handle various client scenarios. Practice thinking on your feet and responding to questions about project challenges or client interactions. This shows your adaptability and readiness for the freelance lifestyle, which works differently from traditional employment.
