Focus Platform Architect

First Central Services; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 73,000 - 93,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading insurance company is seeking a Platform Architect to define and manage the architectural direction of their Focus Platform. This role demands significant experience in technology solution development and strong leadership abilities, offering a salary range of £73,652 - £92,065 based on experience. The company promotes a flexible working culture and encourages remote or office-based roles in Manchester, among other locations.

Benefits

Health plans

Flexible holidays

Electric car schemes

Qualifications

• Leadership experience with architects and senior engineers.
• Experience with Azure cloud platform architecture.
• Expertise in C# .Net full-stack application architecture.

Responsibilities

• Lead the architectural definition of the Focus Platform.
• Provide technical direction to unify engineering teams.
• Monitor current architecture and identify opportunities.

Skills

Technical architecture

Interpersonal skills

Problem-solving

Analytical skills

Risk management

Knowledge of cloud security

Education

Architectural certification

Cloud certification

Job description

Location: Guernsey, Haywards Heath, Home Office (Remote) or Manchester

Salary: £73,652 - £92,065 - depending on experience

Department: Technology and Data

We’re 1st Central, a market-leading insurance company utilising smart data and technology at pace. Rapid growth has been based on giving our 1.4 million customers exactly what they want: great value insurance with an excellent service. And that’s the same for our colleagues too; we won Insurance Employer of the Year at the British Insurance Awards 2024 and our Glassdoor score is pretty high!

We are seeking a Platform Architect responsible for the overall architectural and technical direction of the Focus Platform. This role involves defining and managing the platform's vision, strategy, and roadmap, ensuring alignment with the organisation's objectives and the Enterprise Architecture. You’ll collaborate across enterprise change teams to deliver a platform that maximises organisational value and efficiency, while governing the platform's health and compliance.

We value flexible working arrangements, so you can choose to work remotely or from one of our offices in Salford Quays, Manchester, Haywards Heath, West Sussex, or Guernsey, with occasional office visits.

Core skills required:

• Significant experience in at least two technology solution development disciplines, such as technical or infrastructure architecture, network management, application development, middleware, database management, or cloud development.
• Excellent interpersonal skills including teamwork, facilitation, and negotiation.
• Formal architectural certification (preferred).
• Formal cloud certification (preferred).
• Good understanding of SOLID principles and design patterns.
• Excellent analytical and technical skills.
• Knowledge of cloud security best practices and compliance.
• Risk management abilities.
• Problem-solving skills with a logical approach.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.

Key responsibilities:

• Lead the architectural definition of the Focus Platform, ensuring it meets business and technical goals.
• Provide technical direction to unify engineering teams, ensuring scalability, performance, and resilience.
• Monitor the current architecture, identify deficiencies or opportunities, and work with the Product Owner to drive necessary platform changes.
• Define, document, and maintain reference architecture and develop a strategy for its evolution.
• Support platform standards, practices, and policies.
• Work closely with architects, engineers, business analysts, and product owners to oversee architecture changes, ensuring system resilience, performance, and scalability in line with Enterprise Architecture.
• Identify critical architecture decisions and recommend changes to the Architecture Review Board.
• Contribute to principles, standards, and solution patterns for the Enterprise Reference Architecture.
• Identify opportunities for deploying new technologies and innovations to enhance the platform.
• Engage with senior stakeholders and the executive team, providing advisory services.
• Ensure compliance with company policies, standards, and regulations.
• Maintain department risk registers and provide relevant documentation and updates.

Experience & knowledge:

• Leadership experience with architects and senior engineers.
• Experience with Azure cloud platform architecture.
• Expertise in C# .Net full-stack application architecture.
• Experience designing applications on cloud platforms, including containerization (Docker, Kubernetes) and serverless tech.
• Proven track record in delivering enterprise-class platforms and driving innovation.
• Experience managing platform vision and strategy.
• Familiarity with diverse technologies and processing environments.
• Understanding of emerging technology trends and practical applications.
• Experience creating and maintaining reference architecture documentation and roadmaps.
• Experience delivering architecture within Agile frameworks.
• Strong leadership skills and ability to motivate teams.
• Experience presenting to senior executives and technical audiences.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Insurance or financial services background preferred, but not essential.
• Knowledge of FCA requirements, including Consumer Duty.

Skills & qualifications:

• Experience in multiple technology solution disciplines.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Architectural and cloud certifications preferred.
• Understanding of SOLID principles and design patterns.
• Strong analytical and technical skills.
• Knowledge of cloud security and compliance.
• Risk management skills.
• Logical problem-solving abilities.
• Excellent communication skills.

Behaviours:

• Aligns with and promotes business and technology strategies, leading communication efforts.
• Results-driven and pragmatic.
• Self-motivated and organized.
• Proactive and detail-oriented.
• Decisive and initiative-taking.
• Focused on driving business improvements.

If you’re ready for the challenge and want to join our vibrant team, we’d love to hear from you.

What we offer:

• People-first culture with energetic, supportive workplaces.
• Perks include health plans, flexible holidays, electric car schemes, flexible working, and additional leave for personal needs.