Director of Architecture - Global Specialty

The Hartford • Columbus, OH

6d • $163,200 - $244,800 • Hybrid

About The Position

The Director, Architecture is a senior architecture leader who advances strategic architecture initiatives across The Hartford’s Global Specialty business. The role partners with product, value stream, and technology leaders to develop business-aligned architecture solutions, contribute to architecture strategy, and ensure Global Specialty architecture standards align with enterprise principles and target-state roadmaps.

The Director provides architecture leadership for key transformation initiatives, establishes business and technology architectures that support strategic objectives, and participates in governance processes that promote consistency, simplification, and long-term sustainability of the technology portfolio. This is an individual-contributor and strategic-advisor role, using architecture expertise and insurance industry knowledge to influence technology direction and business outcomes.

The position is described as hybrid, with an expectation of working in an office three days a week, Tuesday through Thursday. Listed locations include Columbus, Ohio; Chicago, Illinois; Hartford, Connecticut; and Charlotte, North Carolina. The posting also notes that candidates near Hartford, Charlotte, Chicago, Columbus, or Overland Park may be expected to work in the office multiple days per week; a hybrid or remote arrangement may be available.

Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States without company sponsorship. The company will not support the STEM OPT I-983 Training Plan endorsement for this position. The annualized base pay range is $163,200–$244,800. Actual pay may vary based on factors including performance, proficiency, and demonstration of role competencies. Other rewards may include short-term or annual bonuses, long-term incentives, and on-the-spot recognition.

Requirements

• 10 or more years of IT experience, including hands-on design and implementation of robust enterprise-level solutions.
• Broad understanding of traditional and modern software technology frameworks, platforms, vendor software solutions, development tools, and processes.
• Demonstrated management experience leading software architecture and engineering teams.
• Strong architecture background, combining business, contextual, conceptual, logical, and physical levels of thinking.
• Experience designing and implementing cloud and modern architectures, with strong knowledge of integration frameworks and patterns.
• Experience designing and implementing microservices or API-based integrations, with a clear understanding of JSON and REST.
• Clear understanding of cloud and container deployment architectures, including cloud-native applications and container orchestration systems.
• Understanding of AI and machine learning, including real-time integration of data science models into operational systems.
• Experience working with agile development teams, methodologies, and toolsets aligned with architecture practices.
• Experience with DevOps practices, including continuous integration and continuous deployment concepts and tools; familiarity with automated testing and code analysis tools.
• Experience developing reusable assets such as prototypes, solution designs, documentation, and other materials that improve organizational effectiveness and efficiency.
• Innovation and continuous-improvement mindset, with a desire to stay current on business and IT trends.
• Strong leadership and influencing skills at the senior management level.
• Strong conflict-resolution and negotiation skills, along with behavioral change management experience.
• Authorization to work in the United States without company sponsorship; the company will not support STEM OPT I-983 Training Plan endorsement.

Nice To Haves

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, Business, or a related discipline.
• Property and Casualty insurance experience, preferably in Specialty, Commercial, E&S, or Reinsurance businesses.
• Experience supporting underwriting, policy administration, claims, billing, distribution, and data and analytics domains.
• Experience integrating modern and legacy systems.
• Experience supporting enterprise modernization and digital transformation programs.
• Knowledge of enterprise architecture frameworks and methodologies.
• Knowledge of business architecture and capability-based planning.
• Knowledge of architecture governance and review processes.
• Knowledge of information and integration architecture.
• Knowledge of cloud transformation strategy and modernization planning.
• Knowledge of insurance business processes and technology ecosystems.
• Strategic and systems thinking.
• Ability to influence an organization without authority.
• Business and technology alignment skills.
• Collaboration and relationship-building skills.
• Analytical problem-solving skills.
• Decision-making and risk-assessment skills.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to the development and evolution of Global Specialty architecture strategies, roadmaps, and target-state architectures.
• Lead architecture efforts for strategic business and technology transformation initiatives.
• Partner with product and technology stakeholders to translate business objectives into architecture outcomes and technology roadmaps.
• Assess current-state capabilities and identify opportunities for modernization, simplification, and business enablement.
• Evaluate emerging technologies, industry trends, and architecture approaches in support of business strategy and innovation objectives.
• Develop and maintain business capability maps, value streams, and business architecture artifacts for strategic planning and investment decisions.
• Analyze business processes, organizational capabilities, and technology dependencies to identify improvement opportunities.
• Support capability-based planning and business transformation initiatives across the Global Specialty portfolio.
• Establish traceability between business objectives, capabilities, initiatives, and technology solutions.
• Develop future-state application, integration, and information architecture models supporting business objectives.
• Provide architecture leadership and guidance for strategic programs and initiatives.
• Define architecture principles, reference architectures, and solution patterns aligned with Global Specialty and enterprise standards.
• Conduct architecture assessments and recommend ways to improve business and technology alignment.
• Collaborate with solution architects, engineering teams, and delivery organizations to ensure architectural consistency across initiatives.
• Participate in architecture governance processes, review boards, and technology standards reviews.
• Evaluate proposed solutions for alignment with architecture principles, standards, and target-state roadmaps.
• Identify architecture risks, technology gaps, and strategic dependencies, and recommend mitigation approaches.
• Contribute to architecture standards, governance processes, and decision frameworks.
• Support portfolio planning by providing architecture insights and recommendations.
• Serve as a trusted architecture advisor to business and technology leaders.
• Facilitate architecture workshops, strategy sessions, and solution reviews with organizational stakeholders.
• Communicate architecture recommendations and tradeoffs to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Influence architecture and technology decisions through expertise, collaboration, and strategic thinking.
• Build partnerships across business, product, data, and technology organizations.
• Coach and mentor architecture resources and help shape team and individual behaviors.

Benefits

• Short-term or annual bonuses may be offered.
• Long-term incentives may be offered.
• On-the-spot recognition may be offered.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director
• Education Level: No Education Listed