Head of Architecture

OverviewHead of Architecture - Insurance Core Suite – Barcelona Technology Delivery Center (TDC). Zurich Insurance Group is a globally recognized insurer with a presence in over 200 countries, focused on sustainability, customer-centricity and delivering results. We are looking for a passionate and skilled leader to join the Zurich Guidewire Team (ZGT) to develop and deliver digital capabilities, core platform solutions, and reusable components on Guidewire, both on-prem and cloud versions. This role is based in Barcelona TDC and supports Zurich's local and global business units. If you have experience with Guidewire technologies, a drive for continuous learning, and want to contribute to a global company that values diversity, growth and customer focus, we’d love to hear from you. What you will doLead enterprise-wide governance and architectural strategy for Guidewire platforms in collaboration with business units. Align technology architecture with organizational strategy, drive modernization, ensure consistency, reuse, compliance, and performance across the Guidewire ecosystem. Define enterprise-wide architecture for Guidewire technology stack; work in multi-site, matrixed teams and multi-country, multi-tenant implementations; drive innovation and operational excellence across regions. Establish governance by building consensus with architecture teams from business units; lead architecture teams; collaborate with service delivery teams & Guidewire to ensure architectural prudence. Define architectural standards, build playbooks, and deploy toolsets across Zurich’s marketplace and geographies. Build relationships with local architecture owners, application owners, and regional stakeholders; act as trusted advisor and strategic partner to align IT strategy with local execution needs for packaged product implementations, support and innovation. Scope of influence spans continents to shape how value is delivered to Zurich’s clients at scale. Responsibilities by AreaArchitectural Governance & Strategy Define and ensure adherence to enterprise architecture principles and standards for Guidewire platforms. Lead solution design oversight for scalable, secure, and maintainable implementations. Rationalize technology stacks and promote component and integration reuse across units. Own lifecycle management of Guidewire components, including roadmap planning and decommissioning. Drive instance upgrades and migrations to Guidewire Cloud. Cross-Functional Coordination Collaborate with architects and technical leads across units to ensure alignment and adoption of standards. Facilitate architecture review boards and governance forums. Compliance & Regulatory Oversight Ensure contractual compliance and alignment with regulatory requirements across all Guidewire implementations. Environment & Resource Management Govern environment provisioning, usage, and capacity planning to optimize resources and cost efficiency. Performance & Service Management Define and monitor SLAs for Guidewire services; oversee production performance monitoring and incident response frameworks. Security & Access Governance Establish identity and access control policies across environments; implement centralized audit trails and logging for compliance and transparency. QualificationsProven experience in enterprise architecture leadership. Deep expertise in Guidewire platforms & products; exposure to both retail & commercial implementations and cloud transformation. Strong understanding of architectural governance, compliance frameworks, and performance management. Exceptional communication and stakeholder management skills. Experience leading architectural teams and embedding teams into delivery frameworks. What we offerCompetitive total compensation package including salary and yearly bonus. Flexible working model to support work-life balance. Option to work abroad up to 25 days yearly. Home office setup allowance and monthly home office stipend. Wide range of trainings (English, German, Spanish) depending on needs. Ticket restaurant, health insurance, life and accident insurance, retirement plan. Referral bonus, exclusive employee discounts, stock options, mortgage benefits. Visa sponsorship if needed. LocationBarcelona, Poblenou How to applyApply by sending your CV in English. Equal Opportunity: Zurich is an equal opportunity employer. We value diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.#J-18808-Ljbffr