Director, Portfolio Architecture – Cloud & DevOps

 

Job Description

We are Canada Life

 

Being a part of Canada Life means you have a voice. This is a place where your unique background, perspectives and talents are valued, and shape our future success.

 

You can be your best here. You’re part of a diverse and inclusive workplace where your career and well-being are championed. You’ll have the opportunity to excel in your way, finding new and better ways to deliver exceptional customer and advisor experiences.

 

Together, as part of a great team, you’ll deliver on our shared purpose to improve the well-being of Canadians. It’s our driving force. Become part of a strong and successful company that’s trusted by millions of Canadians to do the right thing. 

? 

Be your best at Canada Life.

 

Technology redefines the way we work and deliver to meet business needs and elevate the customer experience. You’ll be part of an organization that is embracing modern technology, innovation and agile ways of working.?
 
Our Canada Technology team is a strategic partner in our business – with an ambition to be a forward-thinking, agile technology organization delivering secure, resilient and leading solutions that support Canada Life and the well-being of millions of Canadians.

 

We are looking for a Director, Portfolio Architecture – Cloud & DevOps

 

Given the size and scope of our organization, we have the flexibility for this position to be located in the following head office locations: Toronto, London, Winnipeg. 

 

About Canada Life’s Enterprise Architecture Team

 

Canada Life’s Enterprise Architecture team works collaboratively with our business and IT partners developing technology strategies and roadmaps enabling the successful delivery of strategic business and IT goals. 

Our team of experts work collaboratively across Canada Life, maintaining the Canada technology strategy and roadmap, developing, and managing target state architectures, and ensuring solution designs align with architectural directions and guardrails. Come join an organization committed to delivering innovative solutions. 

 

Description

 

Reporting to the Enterprise Architect, this is the 2nd most senior architecture role in a major line of business. An expert in the architecture of a large product group or ecosystem, the Portfolio Architect proactively and holistically guides its evolution and implementation.  These solutions collectively enable the future-state business capabilities and drive the organization’s targeted business-outcomes.

  

Accountable for ensuring the future orientation of the ecosystem aligns with and informs the Line of Business Strategy and Enterprise Architecture, this role maintains the target state architecture and roadmap for the product group/ecosystem and guides the work of solution designers in its implementation.

 

The Portfolio Architects guide & approve designs developed by Solution Architects and bring forward architecturally significant decisions/solutions to the Architecture Review Council for approval.  They understand the business strategy, the unit’s enterprise architecture strategy and translate both into system changes required for achievement. 

 

This role collaborates with the Enterprise Architect and Line of Business leaders on the development of the Line of Business IT Strategy. Success in this role requires a strong partnership with the Enterprise Architect and senior business and IT leaders in the Line of Business, and for the incumbent to balance the need for strategic technology advancement with delivery pressures.

 

The successful candidates will provide technology leadership and innovation focused on the Cloud & DevOps portfolio. This portfolio develops and maintains the strategy and roadmap for delivering and evangelizing Cloud services that enable our digital business.This is an enterprise level role that will be responsible for the technology strategy, solutioning oversight, and governance to architectural standards.

 

What you will do 

• Accountable to ensure high quality delivery of leading-edge solutions that meet time and cost requirements that align with business unit (BU) and enterprise architecture principles and design standards
• Proactively identify areas and opportunities to use technology to enhance customer experience and/or organizational efficiency
• Research and recommend opportunities to leverage technology and keep up with the industry to support the strategy
• Directs application technology research and sponsors line of business (LOB) initiatives (early-stage development/prototype) in support of BU strategy
• Support development of business strategies, including technology roadmaps and proposals to achieve business plans
• Provides leadership in managing IT risk (e.g.: security, disaster recovery, technology solution quality, etc.) and control requirements
• Drive a high-performance culture for practitioner Solution Architects and influence this culture within IT
• Ensure leaders, employees and vendors work together to drive performance and that high expectations are achieved within the values of the organization

What you will bring 

• Bachelor Computer Science / Software Engineering or equivalent degree
• 10+ years of demonstrated experience in IT environments with a preference for significant complexity, highly regulated, and/or financial services
• 5+ progressive leadership experience related to both projects and teams
• Experience with developing and maintaining Cloud adoption and governance framework
• Experience with latest techniques in Cloud computing e.g. Container Orchestration, Serverless, Infrastructure as Code
• Experience with driving DevSecOps automation and building Cloud native applications
• Experience with Agile delivery methodologies and maintaining Architecture runways
• Experience with migrating applications which are performant, resilient, scalable and safe to Cloud
• Enthusiasm for hands-on work to support innovative prototypes and guide development teams
• Knowledge of emerging technology trends and best practices for improving operational efficiency
• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain collaborative relationships across multiple geographies and business functions
• Demonstrate customer centric approach to problem solving, striving for service excellence and outward focus
• Operational risk expertise related to working in complex shared environments
• Led or supported business process changes related to technology
• Experience motivating highly skilled groups of individuals toward teamwork and a common purpose; integrating efforts across units; monitoring and assessing results
• Relationship-building across multiple geographies, business functions, and degrees of technical knowledge
• Deep understanding of financial services industry, preferably with insurance experience, a strong asset
• Strong communication skills with technology and business teams
• Ability to challenge; understanding how to impact and influence

Be your best at Canada Life- Apply today 

APPLY