IT - Head of Architecture, Platform & QA

Zurich Insurance Company Ltd.; Schaumburg (IL); Hybrid; USD 175,000 - 287,000; Full time

Job summary

Zurich Cover-More seeks an IT leader to shape our North American technology landscape. You will define architecture direction, establish standards, and drive modernization across platforms, data and AI initiatives, and quality engineering.

You will align technology with business priorities and mentor senior delivery teams. The role requires extensive experience in enterprise architecture, cloud strategies, and building high-performing tech teams within complex industries.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in enterprise and solution architecture within a complex technology environment.
• Strong knowledge of application, data, integration, and cloud architecture.
• Demonstrated experience developing technology strategies, architecture standards, and modernisation roadmaps.
• A strong understanding of modern engineering practices and software development methodologies.
• Knowledge of data and AI technologies and how they integrate into enterprise environments.
• Experience establishing quality engineering practices, automated testing, and delivery standards.
• The ability to engage, influence, and collaborate with senior business and technology leaders.
• Proven experience leading technology teams and developing technical talent.
• Desirable: Previous experience within insurance, financial services, or another complex, regulated industry.

Responsibilities

• Define technology direction, architecture standards, and roadmaps for North America.
• Provide architectural leadership across applications, data, integrations, and cloud platforms.
• Ensure solutions align with business priorities and architecture standards.
• Evaluate emerging technologies and recommend opportunities for adoption.
• Lead shared technology platforms modernization, simplification and reusability.
• Identify legacy risks and develop roadmaps to address them.
• Define engineering standards and promote automated testing and delivery quality.
• Guide engineering teams and develop technical talent.

Skills

Enterprise architecture

Solution architecture

Cloud architecture

Data & AI

Quality engineering

Engineering leadership

Stakeholder management

Insurance domain

Job description

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IT - Head of Architecture, Platform & QA

137870

At Zurich Cover-More, we're proud to be one of the world's leading travel insurance and assistance providers. Each year, we protect more than 20 million travellers worldwide, making sure we're there every step of their journey with proactive care, personalised cover and specialist support. Zurich Cover-More partners with many of the world's best-known brands - think major airlines, travel giants, top banks, credit card providers, and large retailers - to deliver more care, more cover, for all.

Launched in December 2024, Zurich Cover-More is the global travel brand of Zurich Insurance Group, one of the world's leading multi-line insurers. Our family of customer-facing brands includes trusted names like Travel Guard, Cover-More Travel Insurance, Travelex Insurance, Universal Assistance, World Travel Protection, Freely, and Blue Insurance. Together, we're redefining what it means to travel safely and with confidence. Whether it's a long-awaited holiday, a last-minute business trip, or an unexpected detour, we deliver in the moments that matter.

What you'll be doing:

In this role, you'll help shape the future of our technology landscape across North America. You'll define technology direction, establish engineering and architecture standards, and ensure our platforms and solutions support both current business needs and future growth across enterprise architecture, platform modernisation, data and AI, and quality engineering.

You'll define and maintain the North American IT technology strategy, architecture principles, and roadmaps.

You'll provide architectural leadership across applications, data, integrations, and cloud platforms.

You'll ensure technology solutions align with business priorities and enterprise architecture standards.

You'll evaluate emerging technologies and recommend opportunities for adoption.

You'll establish the strategic direction for shared technology platforms, focusing on modernisation, simplification, and reusability.

You'll identify legacy technology risks and develop roadmaps to address them.

You'll define engineering and development standards that promote consistency across technology teams.

You'll shape the architecture and technology direction for data and AI initiatives and ensure those capabilities integrate with the broader technology environment.

You'll establish consistent quality engineering, automated testing, and delivery standards throughout the software development lifecycle.

You'll partner with stakeholders to translate business requirements into initial technology solutions and assess complexity, dependencies, and high-level effort.

You'll provide architectural oversight for major technology initiatives and resolve complex technical challenges.

You'll provide strategic technical guidance to engineering and delivery teams while supporting the development of technical capabilities and talent.

What skills and experienceyou'll bring on this journey:

Extensive experience in enterprise and solution architecture, ideally within a complex technology environment.

Strong knowledge of application, data, integration, and cloud architecture.

Demonstrated experience developing technology strategies, architecture standards, and modernisation roadmaps.

A strong understanding of modern engineering practices and software development methodologies.

Knowledge of data and AI technologies and how they integrate into enterprise environments.

Experience establishing quality engineering practices, automated testing, and delivery standards.

The ability to engage, influence, and collaborate with senior business and technology leaders.

Proven experience leading technology teams and developing technical talent.

Desirable: Previous experience within insurance, financial services, or another complex, regulated industry.

Whyyou'll love working with us!

We value optimism, caring, togetherness, reliability, results-orientation, and forward-thinking.

We have more than 3000 employees worldwide. We are a global group of digital specialists, actuaries, marketers, doctors, nurses, case managers, claims specialists, finance experts, customer service and corporate services professionals. We share a global purpose to look after travellers, at every step of their journey.

Job flexibility.

We understand the importance of making sure that work fits into your life, not the other way around. Our hybrid approach ensures you can maintain work-life balance with the flexibility of 3 days in the office and 2 days working from home.

Career growth.

This is an extremely exciting time for us at Zurich Cover-More, as we rapidly expand our business across the globe. We're committed to helping our people thrive through a comprehensive onboarding experience, continuous professional development, and a supportive work environment that empowers growth at every stage of your career.

Take the time you need, for you and your community.

We encourage you to take the time you need when you need it. We offer regular annual and personal leave benefits along with volunteer leave and a comprehensive paid parental leave scheme.

Investing in your health and your future.

We offer a competitive high-deductible health plan, EAP programs and access to health and well-being activities along with a 401(k) program with employer matching to help you plan for your future.

Diversity and inclusion.

We respect who you are and thoroughly embrace diversity. Wherever life has taken you, we welcome you to bring your whole self to work. Just be you - because that's exactly who we're looking for.

The compensation indicated represents a nationwide market range and has not been adjusted for geographic differentials pertaining to the location where the position may be filled. The proposed salary range for this position is $175,200 - $287,000 with STIP of 25%.