Solutions Architect

The Canada Life Assurance Company • Toronto, ON

9d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Solutions Architect will collaborate with Portfolio & Technology teams, as well as business leaders, sponsors, and stakeholders, to develop solution designs and technology roadmaps. They will define and maintain architecture artifacts to support project delivery, application support, and lead technical vision and direction. The Solutions Architect will help drive organizational change by introducing new patterns and technologies that improve business value and align with modern ways of working.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or equivalent experience.
• Minimum 6 years of experience in complex IT environments, particularly in architecture, application development and integration.
• 4+ years of hands-on experience in cloud solution architecture and design, with a strong understanding of Enterprise Design Patterns.
• Experience designing and implementing Microservices/Micro App architectures.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and influence technical decisions across multiple teams and priorities.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Expertise in producing clear architecture artifacts (e.g., diagrams, decision records).
• A preference for simplicity and an ability to challenge technical constraints through iterative/Agile approaches.
• Strong analytical skills to balance big-picture thinking with attention to detail across a range of contexts.
• Proven ability to build and maintain stakeholder relationships across geographies, business functions, and vendors
• Self-starter with the ability to comfortably operate in ambiguity

Nice To Haves

• Experience in the financial/insurance services or a similarly complex, regulated industry.
• Experience aligning architecture with business goals and IT strategy in collaboration with delivery and infrastructure teams.
• Leadership experience guiding cross-functional technology teams (BA, Dev, QA) using best practices and standards.
• Familiarity with major public cloud providers (Azure, AWS, or GCP); certifications are a plus.
• Experience with technologies such as SQL, Oracle, .NET, and AWS.
• Proficiency with CI/CD tools such as GitLab, Git, Bitbucket etc.
• Familiarity with architecture modeling languages and frameworks (UML etc.)
• Understanding of architecture disciplines across Business, Information (Data), Application, Technology, and Security.
• Experience with Agile delivery methodologies (Scrum, Kanban) and understanding of Agile principles.
• Knowledge of continuous architecture and value stream approaches to business solutions.

Responsibilities

• Design, define, and facilitate solution architecture that leverages enterprise capabilities, optimizing processes, technology, data, and people.
• Define and maintain technical architecture in collaboration with Enterprise Architecture, supporting architectural decisions, technical vision, and technology roadmaps.
• Apply organizational standards and architectural principles to define infrastructure non-functional requirements and ensure adherence to guidelines.
• Act as a focal point for resolving complex infrastructure and development issues through high-quality design.
• Proactively identify opportunities to enhance organizational efficiency through innovative solutions.
• Stay current with emerging technologies and industry trends.
• Foster a high-performance culture within the architecture and engineering teams.
• Collaborate closely with peers to design scalable solutions that accommodate future architectural changes.

Benefits

• Career Development: Opportunities for career advancement, access to industry-leading learning programs and up to $2,000 annually towards education reimbursement.
• Health & Wellness: Flexible health and dental benefits, plus a $5,000 mental health benefit to support your well-being.
• Time Off: In addition to regular vacation and personal days, we support community involvement with a volunteer day.
• Financial Security: Company-matching pension plan, share ownership program and additional investment options.
• Rewards and Recognition: Employee recognition programs, service milestone celebrations, employee discounts and more!
• Emphasis on Community: We provide a workplace where employees feel connected and supported through Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), mentorship programs, social clubs and events.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior