Solution Architect

Role Summary

Work with us to build modern Insurtech AI underpinned solutions we are a growing team of hands on architects striving to build high quality solutions for our internal and external customers. The Solution Architect is responsible for designing end-to-end technical solutions that address business requirements across the Xceedance ecosystem. This role translates business needs into scalable secure and cost-effective architectures while ensuring alignment with enterprise standards and technology strategy.

Key Responsibilities

Solution Design & Architecture - Designs comprehensive technical solutions meeting business requirements and objectives across application data integration and infrastructure layers. Conducts requirements gathering analysis and stakeholder workshops translating functional and non-functional requirements into technical designs. Evaluates and recommends technology stacks platforms and architectural patterns balancing innovation proven solutions and organizational capabilities. Creates solution blueprints documenting architecture decisions component diagrams data flows and deployment models. Develops proof-of-concepts validating architectural approaches assessing technical feasibility and de-risking implementation.

Cloud-Native Architecture - Architects cloud-native solutions leveraging Azure services including App Services for web applications Azure Functions for serverless computing Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) for container orchestration and Cosmos DB for globally distributed databases. Designs multi-cloud and hybrid architectures connecting Azure with AWS Google Cloud and on-premises systems where required. Implements Infrastructure as Code using Terraform for multi-cloud provisioning and Azure Bicep for Azure-native deployments. Designs for cloud efficiency implementing auto-scaling serverless patterns and consumption-based pricing models optimizing cost while maintaining performance.

Application Architecture - Designs application architectures using modern frameworks for enterprise applications Java Spring Boot for microservices for real-time applications and Python for data-intensive workloads. Architects microservices vs monolithic applications evaluating trade-offs including complexity team structure deployment independence and scalability requirements. Designs API-first architectures using RESTful APIs GraphQL for flexible querying and gRPC for high-performance service communication. Implements event-driven architectures using messaging and event streaming enabling asynchronous processing and loose coupling. Designs frontend architectures including single-page applications (SPAs) using React or Angular and micro-frontends for large-scale applications.

Data Architecture - Evaluates database technologies selecting appropriate solutions including Azure SQL Database for relational workloads Cosmos DB for NoSQL and global distribution PostgreSQL for open-source requirements and Redis for caching. Designs data architectures supporting transactional processing (OLTP) analytical workloads (OLAP) and hybrid transactional/analytical processing (HTAP). Implements CQRS (Command Query Responsibility Segregation) and event sourcing patterns where appropriate for audit requirements and temporal queries common in insurance applications. Designs data integration strategies handling batch and real-time data flows across systems.

Integration Architecture - Architects integration solutions implementing enterprise integration patterns for reliable scalable connectivity between systems. Designs API management strategies using Azure API Management for API gateway authentication rate limiting and versioning. Implements messaging patterns using Azure Service Bus for reliable asynchronous communication and Azure Event Hubs for high-throughput event streaming. Designs integration with insurance platforms including Duck Creek Guidewire and InsuranceSuite handling ACORD data standards and industry-specific workflows.

DevOps & Deployment - Designs CI/CD pipelines using Azure DevOps and GitHub Actions automating build test and deployment processes. Implements containerization strategies using Docker and Kubernetes enabling consistent deployments across environments. Designs deployment strategies including blue/green deployments canary releases and progressive delivery minimizing deployment risk. Architects monitoring and observability solutions using Azure Monitor Application Insights and Log Analytics providing comprehensive visibility into application health and performance.

Security & Compliance - Integrates security into solution designs implementing authentication using Azure Active Directory authorization using RBAC and secrets management using Azure Key Vault. Designs solutions complying with regulatory requirements including GDPR CCPA PCI-DSS and insurance-specific regulations. Implements security best practices including encryption at rest and in transit network segmentation and principle of least privilege. Conducts threat modeling identifying security risks and designing appropriate mitigations.

Migration & Modernization - Designs migration strategies for legacy systems including rehost (lift-and-shift) refactor rearchitect rebuild and replace approaches. Creates modernization roadmaps transforming monolithic applications into microservices migrating on-premises workloads to cloud and adopting cloud-native patterns. Develops transition plans minimizing business disruption during migrations with rollback strategies and data synchronization approaches.

Cost Optimization & TCO - Estimates solution costs considering infrastructure licensing operational overhead and development effort. Performs Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) analysis comparing build vs buy decisions and on-premises vs cloud options. Designs cost-effective architectures leveraging reserved instances serverless pricing and appropriate service tiers. Implements FinOps practices providing cost visibility and optimization recommendations.

Stakeholder Communication - Collaborates with business stakeholders product owners development teams and operations teams ensuring solutions meet diverse requirements. Presents technical solutions to varied audiences including executives business leaders and technical teams tailoring communication appropriately. Creates architecture documentation including diagrams decision records and design specifications. Facilitates architecture reviews gathering feedback and building consensus.

Required Skills

Solution Design - End-to-end solution architecture requirements analysis architecture decision frameworks proof-of-concept development architecture documentation and presentation skills.

Cloud & Infrastructure - Azure expertise (App Services Functions AKS Container Apps Cosmos DB SQL Database Storage Service Bus Event Hubs API Management) multi-cloud patterns hybrid connectivity Infrastructure as Code (Terraform Bicep ARM templates).

Application Architecture - Microservices architecture API-first design event-driven architecture CQRS and event sourcing serverless patterns and modern application frameworks (.NET Java Spring Boot Python React Angular).

Data & Integration - Database selection (SQL vs NoSQL) data modeling Azure data services API design (RESTful GraphQL gRPC) enterprise integration patterns messaging systems and data streaming.

DevOps & Automation - CI/CD pipelines (Azure DevOps GitHub Actions) containerization (Docker Kubernetes) monitoring and observability (Azure Monitor Application Insights Prometheus Grafana) and deployment strategies.

Security & Compliance - Authentication and authorization Azure Active Directory secrets management encryption network security compliance frameworks (GDPR PCI-DSS) and threat modeling.

Insurance Domain - Understanding insurance business processes policy administration claims management billing regulatory requirements and common insurance platforms.

Required Experience

Seven or more years in software development systems engineering or technical architecture roles with three years designing enterprise-scale solutions. Track record delivering complex multi-tier applications serving production workloads. Client-facing experience conducting requirements workshops presenting technical solutions to business stakeholders and translating business needs into technical designs. Proven Azure expertise architecting cloud-native solutions and hybrid architectures. Experience designing microservices architectures implementing DevOps practices and optimizing cloud costs. Evidence of creating architecture documentation conducting proof-of-concepts and mentoring development teams.

Required Certifications

Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert (AZ-305) Microsoft Certified: Azure Developer Associate (AZ-204). Valuable additions: AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Professional Google Professional Cloud Architect TOGAF Certified Certified Kubernetes Application Developer (CKAD).

Key Competencies

Technical Breadth - Understanding diverse technologies frameworks and platforms enabling informed architectural decisions balancing various technical approaches.

Business Alignment - Translating business requirements into technical solutions understanding business value articulating technical decisions in business terms and balancing technical excellence with pragmatic delivery.

Problem Solving - Analyzing complex problems evaluating alternative solutions considering trade-offs and designing appropriate architectures meeting functional and non-functional requirements.

Communication - Presenting to diverse audiences creating clear documentation facilitating discussions and building consensus across technical and business stakeholders.