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Focus Platform Architect, Haywards Heath
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Client:
First Central Services UK Ltd
Location:
Haywards Heath, United Kingdom
Job Category:
Other
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EU work permit required:
Yes
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Job Reference:
a954f131b567
Job Views:
3
Posted:
29.06.2025
Expiry Date:
13.08.2025
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Job Description:
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 mega too!
Were seeking a Platform Architect who'll beresponsible 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 prescribed Enterprise Architecture. You’llcollaborate across enterprise change teams to deliver a platform that maximisesorganisational value and efficiency, while governing the platform's health and compliance.
We value flexible working arrangements, so you can choose to work remotely or maybe you live within a commutable distance from one of our offices in Salford Quays, Manchester, Haywards Heath, West Sussex, or Guernsey, and want to work in the office occasionally.
Core skills were looking for to succeed in the role:
Significant experience in at least two technology solution development disciplines, including technical or infrastructure architecture, network management, application development, middleware, database management or cloud development
Excellent interpersonal skills in areas such as teamwork, facilitation and negotiation
Formal architectural certification is preferred
Formal cloud certification is preferred
Good understanding of SOLID principles and common design patterns
Excellent analytical and technical skills
Understanding of cloud security best practices and compliance requirements
Identification and management of risk
Problem solving skills, with the ability to adopt a logical approach
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
What’s involved:
You’ll lead the architectural definition of the Focus Platform, ensuring it meets business and technical objectives
You’ll provide technical direction for the platform in order to unify engineering teams, including software and cloud infrastructure, ensuring scalability, performance, and resilience.
Horizon scans the enterprise change environment whilst monitoring the current-state Focus Platform Architecture to identify and anticipate deficiencies/opportunities through the technologies and architecture used or misalignment with business and technology strategies. Works with the Product Owner to drive platform change required to enable business and technology strategies
You’ll define, document and maintain the reference platform architecture and develops a strategy for the evolution of the platform architecture from current to future state
You’ll support Focus Platform Architecture standards, practices and policies
You'll work closely with Architects, Principal Engineers, Business Analysts, Product Owners, to provide oversight and guidance for platform architecture changes, ensuring systems and services are designed with appropriate resilience, performance, and scalability, aligned to the prescribed Enterprise Architecture
You’ll identifycritical architecture decisions that require changes to the platform architecture, making recommendations to the Architecture Review Board
You’ll contribute principles, guidelines, standards and solution patterns to the Enterprise Reference Architecture, based on feedback and lessons learned during platform development.
You’ll identify opportunities to deploy new technologies and innovations that would support, enhance, improve or replace platform features in line with the business, product and technology strategies
You’ll regularly engage with the Exec Team and Senior Stakeholders across change disciplines and within the wider business, providing consultative and advisory services
You’ll comply with the requirements, and act in accordance with, the Group Code of Conduct and Fitness and Propriety policies at all times
You’ll ensure compliance with Company Policies, Values and guidelines and other relevant standards/ regulations at all times,
You’ll be responsible for maintaining department risk registers (as applicable), providing evidence and commentary for controls, updates for Mitigation Actions and maintaining control matrices and Attestations.
Experience & knowledge
Experience of leadership of Architects and Senior Engineers
Experience of Cloud platform architecture, particularly in Azure
Expert in C# .Net full-stack application architecture, from SPA to SQL databases
Experience of designing applications on cloud platforms (AWS, Azure) with an understanding of containerisation (Docker, Kubernetes) and serverless technologies
Significant experience in the delivery of enterprise-class platforms with a strong appetite for innovation
Experience in developing and managing a Platform vision and strategy
Exposure to multiple, diverse technologies, platforms, and processing environments
Good understanding of strategic and emerging technology trends, and the practical application of existing and emerging technologies to new and evolving business and operating models
Experience of creation and maintenance of reference architecture documentation and roadmaps, ideally leveraging architectural tooling
Experience of delivering architecture and governance services within an Agile delivery framework
Strong leadership skills with the ability to motivate teams and support in developing the organisation’s objective
Experience delivering presentations to senior-level executives and technical audience
Ability to communicate complex and abstract concepts in an easy to understand and follow manner
Ideally an insurance or financial Services background, although other backgrounds will be considered
Knowledge of FCA requirements (including Consumer Duty)
Skills & Qualifications
Significant experience in at least two technology solution development disciplines, including technical or infrastructure architecture, network management, application development, middleware, database management or cloud development
Excellent interpersonal skills in areas such as teamwork, facilitation and negotiation
Formal architectural certification is preferred
Formal cloud certification is preferred
Good understanding of SOLID principles and common design patterns
Excellent analytical and technical skills
Understanding of cloud security best practices and compliance requirements
Identification and management of risk
Problem solving skills, with the ability to adopt a logical approach
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
Behaviours
Understands, advocates and augments the business and technology strategies — and, more specifically, EA development and service delivery. Is prepared to “sell” the EA process (overall, not just for enterprise technology architecture), its outcome and ongoing results, and to lead the communication or marketing activities needed to ensure enterprise success and use.
Commercially focussed and results driven taking a pragmatic approach to delivering value
Self-motivated and enthusiastic
An organised and pro-active approach
Ability to work on own initiative and as part of a team
A flexible approach and positive attitude
Emphasis on attention to detail and accuracy
Takes initiative to make decisions
Strives to drive business improvements to contribute to the success of the business
So, if you’re up for the challenge and would like to join our vibrant and busy team, we want to hear from you today.
What can we do for you?
People first. Always. We’re passionate about our colleagues and know the best people deserve an extraordinary working environment. We owe it to them so that’s what we offer. Our workplaces are energetic, inspirational, supportive. To get a taste of the advantages you’ll enjoy, take a look at all our perks in full .
Intrigued? Our Talent team can tell you everything you need to know about what we want and what we’re offering, so feel free to get in touch.
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