Solution Architect, Life & Annuity Insurance

EXL; New York (NY); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

EXL is seeking a senior presales architect for L&A and TPA platform services in New York. You will lead RFP responses, craft win strategies, and coordinate with Sales, Delivery, Product, and SME teams to reflect EXL's capabilities and differentiation.

The ideal candidate has deep L&A and TPA operations fluency, with a track record in presales solutioning, estimation discipline, and executive storytelling for multi-million-dollar engagements.

Qualifications

• Deep presales experience in L&A insurance and TPA operations.
• Ability to translate complex requirements into defensible solution designs.
• Strong executive storytelling for C-suite buyers.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end response strategy for complex L&A/TPA RFPs.
• Lead intake and decompose RFI/RFPs to extract requirements.
• Develop win themes and executive summaries for proposals.
• Represent solution during oral presentations and BAFOs.
• Architect TOM designs for L&A implementations and managed services.
• Define scope, integration architecture, and data migration approaches.

Skills

RFP presales

Solution architecture

Executive storytelling

Client facing

Education

Bachelor's degree in relevant field

Tools

LifePRO

LDS

Portal

Job description

Unlike a support or documentation role, this position drives the development of winning strategies for complex RFI/RFP responses, architects operationally grounded TPA and L&A solutions, and leads estimation governance for multi-million-dollar engagements. The incumbent acts as the primary client-facing solution authority during orals, discovery sessions, and executive briefings, and collaborates tightly with Sales, Delivery, Product, and SME teams to ensure every proposal reflects EXL's delivery capability and competitive differentiation.

The ideal candidate brings deep operational fluency in L&A insurance and TPA administration — not just platform knowledge — combined with a proven track record in presales solutioning, estimation discipline, and executive-level storytelling.

Key Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end response strategy for complex L&A and TPA RFI/RFPs, acting as the primary solution author and quality gatekeeper.
• Lead intake and structured decomposition of RFI/RFP documents — extracting functional, technical, operational, conversion, integration, compliance, and regulatory requirements.
• Facilitate internal solutioning sessions with SMEs, delivery leads, product managers, and technology architects to develop cohesive, defensible response strategies.
• Craft win themes, differentiators, and executive summaries that articulate EXL's unique value proposition in L&A platform services and TPA operations.
• Develop and maintain a curated proposal content library (reusable narratives, capability matrices, past-performance references, compliance exhibits) to accelerate future pursuits.
• Lead proposal review cycles and drive iterative revisions through final submission.
• Represent the solution during oral presentations, client Q&A sessions, and Best-and-Final-Offer (BAFO) negotiations.
• Architect end-to-end target operating model (TOM) designs for L&A policy administration implementations, platform conversions, and managed TPA services.
• Define solution scope boundaries, phasing strategies, integration architecture, data migration approach, hosting models ( SaaS, hybrid), and governance frameworks.
• Model current-state and future-state operating models, identifying process re-engineering opportunities that strengthen the EXL value narrative.
• Lead technical due-diligence workshops with prospective clients — mapping client requirements to EXL platform capabilities (LifePRO, LDS, Portal).
• Develop architecture decision records (ADRs) and solution blueprints that serve as the contractual foundation for delivery teams.
• Ensure solution designs comply with NAIC model regulations, state insurance codes, SOX, and relevant data-privacy frameworks (CCPA, HIPAA).

3. TPA & L&A Operations Domain Expertise

• Apply hands-on operational knowledge of TPA administration services including:
• Policy lifecycle management — New Business, Underwriting, Issuance, In-Force Servicing, Lapse/Reinstatement
• Claims adjudication workflows — Life, AD&D, Disability, Pre-Need and MedSupp,Annuity surrender/death benefit
• Billing, premium accounting, and agent/broker commission processing
• Reinsurance administration and treaty management
• Regulatory filing support and state compliance monitoring
• Structure TPA service models (full TPA, co-sourcing, partial BPO) in proposals with clear RACI, SLA frameworks, and performance metric definitions.
• Translate operational complexity into solution constructs that resonate with both insurance operations leaders and C-suite buyers.
• Advise on workforce optimization, automation opportunity identification (RPA, AI/ML-assisted adjudication), and operational transformation roadmaps as part of TPA solution value propositions.
• Stay current on industry trends — InsurTech disruption, embedded insurance, direct-to-consumer L&A distribution, and regulatory changes — incorporating relevant insights into solution narratives.
• Own estimation governance for all L&A and TPA platform pursuits — establishing estimation standards, templates, and calibration benchmarks aligned to EXL's delivery methodology.
• Lead multi-disciplinary estimation workshops with Delivery, Technology, Conversion, Testing, and Operations SMEs to build bottoms-up effort models.
• Develop and continuously refine ROM (Rough Order of Magnitude), Detailed Estimate, and Fixed-Price models for implementations, conversions, and managed service engagements.
• Maintain an estimation intelligence database — cataloging actuals vs. estimates from closed deals to drive continuous calibration and reduce estimation variance.
• Define pricing strategy options (T&M, Fixed-Price, Outcome-Based, Gain-Share) in partnership with Finance and Sales leadership, with supporting rationale and risk overlays.
• Model commercial scenarios and sensitivity analyses (scope change, risk reserves, volume assumptions) to inform pricing decisions and contract structures.
• Ensure all estimates are accompanied by a documented assumptions register and risk log, enabling transparent scope defense during negotiations.
• Coach and mentor junior architects and analysts in estimation discipline and structured assumption documentation.
• Partner with Sales and Account leadership to qualify opportunities, develop pursuit strategies, and prioritize resource allocation across the active pipeline.
• Conduct discovery workshops and requirements elicitation sessions directly with client stakeholders (IT, Operations, Finance, Compliance, and C-suite).
• Develop client-facing solution decks, implementation roadmaps, and executive briefing materials that translate technical depth into business impact narratives.
• Lead and participate in RFP orals, solution demonstrations, and proof-of-concept presentations.
• Manage the transition of won deals to Delivery — authoring solution handover documents and participating in project kick-off to ensure continuity between presales commitments and delivery execution.
• Support market intelligence activities — tracking competitor positioning, win/loss analysis, and emerging client needs.

Basic Qualifications:

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Business Administration, Actuarial Science, or related field. MBA or Master's degree preferred.

Experience

• 10 – 15 years of experience in Life & Annuity insurance, with a substantial portion in operational or TPA administration roles — not solely technology or consulting.
• Minimum 5 years in a presales, solution consulting, or solution architecture capacity supporting complex RFI/RFP responses and client-facing solution design.
• Proven track record leading estimation for multi-million-dollar L&A platform implementations, conversions, or TPA managed-service engagements.
• Deep domain expertise across the full L&A product spectrum: Term Life, Universal Life, Whole Life, Variable Life, Fixed/Variable Annuities, Indexed Annuities, Group Life, Disability, and Long-Term Care.
• Hands‑on experience with at least one major L&A policy administration platform: LifePRO, FAST, ALIP, DXC VANTAGE, Oracle Insurance, or equivalent.
• Strong command of TPA operating models, SLA design, operational governance, and performance management frameworks.
• Experience authoring and winning competitive RFI/RFP responses in the insurance BPO/BPaaS or platform services market.

Technical & Analytical Skills

• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel (complex estimation models, scenario analysis, sensitivity tables), PowerPoint (executive storytelling), process and architecture diagrams, and Word.
• Familiarity with integration architecture concepts: REST/SOAP APIs, ETL pipelines, data migration strategies, middleware, and microservices in an insurance context.
• Understanding of cloud hosting and SaaS delivery models relevant to insurance platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP).
• Exposure to automation and AI/ML applications in insurance operations (RPA, intelligent document processing, predictive underwriting, claims triage).
• Data literacy: ability to interpret actuarial summaries, operational KPI reports, and financial models to inform solution and pricing decisions.

Regulatory & Compliance Knowledge

• Working knowledge of NAIC model regulations, state-level insurance code variations, and insurance regulatory filing processes.
• Familiarity with SOX controls relevant to insurance financial reporting, CCPA, and HIPAA data-privacy obligations in an insurance context.

Preferred Qualifications

• LOMA FLMI, FLHC, or ACS designation (or equivalent industry certification).
• Prior experience with EXL's platform solutions portfolio or BPO service lines.
• Experience in Agile and hybrid delivery environments supporting large-scale policy administration implementations.
• Background in reinsurance administration, group benefits, or worksite voluntary benefits adds meaningful breadth.
• Prior P&L accountability or commercial ownership in a presales or practice leadership role.

The posted base salary range is the hiring base salary range for this role. Final offers are based on several factors, including: the candidate's skills and experience, internal pay equity, work location, market conditions for the role, and the specific scope and responsibilities of the position.