Guidewire Delivery Director (UK)
Location: UK (Hybrid / Remote + Onsite as required)
Employment Type: Permanent
Industry: Insurance / Digital Transformation
Reports to: Programme Director / CIO
Overview
We are seeking an experienced Guidewire Delivery Director to lead and oversee end-to-end delivery of Guidewire solutions across PolicyCenter, ClaimCenter, BillingCenter, and associated digital, integration, and data workstreams. This is a senior leadership role responsible for shaping delivery strategy, driving execution, ensuring alignment with business needs, and successfully managing cross-functional teams, system integrators, and key stakeholders.
The ideal candidate is not required to be a deep technical expert, but must have a strong understanding of Guidewire platforms, insurance operations, and enterprise technology delivery. This person will bring a proven track record of overseeing large-scale transformation projects and managing multiple concurrent workstreams within complex insurance environments.
Key Responsibilities
Delivery Leadership
* Lead end-to-end delivery of Guidewire products (PolicyCenter, ClaimCenter, BillingCenter) across all phases of the delivery lifecycle.
* Own delivery strategy, planning, governance, and execution.
* Ensure solutions meet business objectives, regulatory requirements, and agreed SLAs.
* Drive programme performance, identifying risks, dependencies, and mitigation options early.
Stakeholder & Vendor Management
* Act as primary delivery contact for senior internal stakeholders (C-level, Heads of Business, Technology).
* Manage third-party SI partners, Guidewire specialists, offshore teams, and internal teams.
* Ensure alignment between business, IT, and delivery partners throughout the project.
Financial & Commercial Oversight
* Manage programme budgets, forecasts, business cases, and financial tracking.
* Ensure commercial value from vendors, contractors, and SI partners.
* Report on programme health, progress, resource utilisation, and key KPIs.
People & Team Leadership
* Lead cross-functional delivery teams including BAs, PMs, Tech Leads, Architects, and Test teams.
* Drive a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
* Support team development, coaching, and performance management.
Delivery Excellence
* Implement best-practice delivery frameworks (Agile, Waterfall, Hybrid).
* Ensure high-quality documentation, governance, compliance, and assurance.
* Oversee cutover planning, environment readiness, UAT, release management, and hypercare.
Guidewire Knowledge
* Maintain an up-to-date understanding of Guidewire applications, configurations, and integration patterns.
* Translate business requirements into delivery plans and feasible technical approaches.
* Understand the implications of configuration vs customisation, cloud vs on-prem, and integration with experience & Skills
Required Experience & Skills
Experience
* 10+ years’ experience in IT delivery or programme management, ideally within Insurance.
* Proven track record delivering large-scale transformation programmes (£5m–£25m+).
* Direct experience overseeing delivery of Guidewire products (PolicyCenter, BillingCenter, ClaimCenter).
* Experience managing SIs, external vendors, and multi-disciplinary delivery teams.
Skills
* Strong understanding of the Guidewire suite and insurance business processes.
* Excellent leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
* Solid financial management and budget oversight.
* Ability to make informed decisions under pressure and navigate complex environments.
* Strong problem-solving, prioritisation, and governance capability.
Desirable
* Experience with Guidewire Cloud implementations.
* Background working with General Insurance (GI), Specialty, or London Market.
* Familiarity with integration middleware, data platforms, and digital front-end technologies.
What’s on Offer
Competitive salary + benefits package.
* Opportunity to lead high-impact transformation across core insurance operations.
* A collaborative, forward-thinking technology and delivery environment.
* Long-term career progression within a rapidly evolving digital organisation.
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