Director of Architecture - Global Specialty (Chicago)

Dir Architecture - IA06CEWe’re determined to make a difference and are proud to be an insurance company that goes well beyond coverages and policies. Working here means having every opportunity to achieve your goals – and to help others accomplish theirs, too. Join our team as we help shape the future. The Director, Architecture serves as a senior architecture leader responsible for advancing strategic architecture initiatives across The Hartford’s Global Specialty business. This role partners with product, value steam leaders, value stream teams and other technology leaders to develop business-aligned architecture solutions, contribute to architecture strategy development, and ensure Global Specialty Architecture standards align with enterprise architecture principles and target-state roadmaps.The Director will provide architecture leadership across key transformation initiatives, establish business and technology architectures that support strategic objectives, and participate in architecture governance processes that drive consistency, simplification, and long-term sustainability of the technology portfolio.This position operates as an individual contributor and strategic advisor, leveraging deep architecture expertise and insurance industry knowledge to influence technology direction and business outcomes across the organization.This role will have a Hybrid work schedule, with the expectation of working in an office (Columbus, OH, Chicago, IL, Hartford, CT or Charlotte, NC) 3 days a week (Tuesday through Thursday).Responsibilities:Architecture Strategy & TransformationContribute to the development and evolution of Global Specialty architecture strategies, roadmaps, and target-state architectures.Lead architecture efforts for strategic business and technology transformation initiatives.Partner with product and technology stakeholders to translate business objectives into architecture outcomes and technology roadmaps.Assess current-state capabilities and identify opportunities for modernization, simplification, and business enablement.Evaluate emerging technologies, industry trends, and architecture approaches to support business strategy and innovation objectives.Business ArchitectureDevelop and maintain business capability maps, value streams, and business architecture artifacts that support strategic planning and investment decisions.Analyze business processes, organizational capabilities, and technology dependencies to identify opportunities for improvement.Support capability-based planning and business transformation initiatives across the Global Specialty portfolio.Establish traceability between business objectives, capabilities, initiatives, and technology solutions.Enterprise & Solution ArchitectureDevelop future-state application, integration, and information architecture models supporting business objectives.Provide architecture leadership and guidance for strategic programs and initiatives.Define architecture principles, reference architectures, and solution patterns aligned with Global Specialty and Hartford’s enterprise standards.Conduct architecture assessments and provide recommendations to improve business and technology alignment.Collaborate with solution architects, engineering teams, and delivery organizations to ensure architectural consistency across initiatives.Architecture GovernanceParticipate in architecture governance processes, review boards, and technology standards reviews.Evaluate proposed solutions for alignment with architecture principles, standards, and target-state roadmaps.Identify architecture risks, technology gaps, and strategic dependencies and recommend mitigation approaches.Contribute to the development and maintenance of architecture standards, governance processes, and decision frameworks.Support portfolio planning activities by providing architecture insights and recommendations.Strategic Advisory & Stakeholder EngagementServe as a trusted architecture advisor to business and technology leaders.Facilitate architecture workshops, architecture strategy sessions, and solution reviews with stakeholders across the organization.Communicate architecture recommendations and tradeoffs to both technical and non-technical audiences.Influence architecture and technology decisions through expertise, collaboration, and strategic thinking.Build strong partnerships across business, product, data, and technology organizations.Qualifications:Required QualificationsBachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, Business, or related discipline.10+ years of IT experience, demonstrating hands-on experience in designing and implementing robust enterprise level solutions with a broad understanding of traditional and modern software technology frameworks, platforms, vendor software solutions, development tools, and processes.Demonstrated management experience in leading software architecture and engineering teams; ability to coach and mentor architecture resources and effectively manage and shape team and individual behaviors.Strong architecture experience and background; can combine business, contextual, conceptual, logical, and physical levels of thinking.Experience in designing and implementing cloud and modern architectures including a strong knowledge of Integration frameworks and patterns.Experience designing and implementing Microservices or API-based integrations with clear understanding of JSON, REST, etc.Clear understanding of cloud and container deployment architectures including building cloud-native applications and container orchestration systems.Understanding of AI, ML and integrating data science models real-time into operational systemsExperienced working with agile development teams, methodologies and toolsets with alignment to architecture practices.Experience with DevOps practices including but not limited to continuous integration (CI) and continuous deployment (CD) concepts and tools; familiarity with automated testing and code analysis tools.Experience with developing reusable assets such as prototypes, solution designs, documentation and other materials that contribute to department and organization effectiveness and efficiency.Has an Innovation and Continuous improvement mindset with a strong desire to stay on top of business and IT trends.Strong leadership and influencing skills at the senior management level.Strong conflict resolution and negotiation skills along with behavioral change management experience.Preferred QualificationsProperty & Casualty insurance experience, preferably within Specialty, Commercial, E&S, or Reinsurance businesses.Experience supporting underwriting, policy administration, claims, billing, distribution, and data & analytics domains.Experience integrating both modern and legacy systems is a plus.Experience supporting enterprise modernization and digital transformation programs.Technical & Domain ExpertiseEnterprise Architecture frameworks and methodologiesBusiness Architecture and capability-based planningArchitecture governance and review processesInformation and integration architectureCloud transformation strategy and modernization planningInsurance business processes and technology ecosystemsLeadership CompetenciesStrategic and systems thinkingOrganizational influence without authorityBusiness and technology alignmentCollaboration and relationship buildingAnalytical problem-solvingDecision-making and risk assessmentCandidate must be authorized to work in the US without company sponsorship. The company will not support the STEM OPT I-983 Training Plan endorsement for this position.CompensationThe listed annualized base pay range is primarily based on analysis of similar positions in the external market. Actual base pay could vary and may be above or below the listed range based on factors including but not limited to performance, proficiency and demonstration of competencies required for the role. The base pay is just one component of The Hartford’s total compensation package for employees. Other rewards may include short-term or annual bonuses, long-term incentives, and on-the-spot recognition. The annualized base pay range for this role is:$163,200 - $244,800Equal Opportunity Employer/Sex/Race/Color/Veterans/Disability/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity or Expression/Religion/AgeAbout Us | Our Culture | What It’s Like to Work Here | Perks & BenefitsSummaryLocation: Charlotte, NC; Columbus, OH; Hartford, CT; Chicago, ILType: Full time