We are seeking a Principal Guidewire Architect to lead and govern Guidewire architecture and offshore delivery across PolicyCenter, BillingCenter, and ClaimCenter. This role heads a group of Guidewire Architects, with one Architect responsible for each X-Center. The Principal Guidewire Architect provides enterprise architectural direction, ensures consistency across X-Centers, and drives delivery discipline through a pod-based model. The role carries organization-wide technical authority for Guidewire implementations.
- This role exists to unblock clients, accelerate delivery, and set the technical direction for all Guidewire programs.
- The Principal Guidewire Architect is the final decision authority across PolicyCenter, BillingCenter, and ClaimCenter, leading a set of X-Center Architects while remaining deeply embedded in client programs.
- This role directly shapes user stories, approves designs, resolves cross-system constraints, and ensures delivery moves forward without dependency or delay—while simultaneously building long-term offshore capability.
Key Responsibilities
Client-Critical Architecture & Delivery
- Act as the primary technical authority for client programs across all Guidewire X-Centers.
- Drive architecture decisions that directly unblock user stories and sprint commitments.
- Resolve cross-X-Center dependencies that stall delivery.
- Ensure solutions move from design to production with zero ambiguity.
- Step in personally when architectural or integration complexity becomes a delivery risk.
- If a client is blocked, this role is expected to remove the block—not escalate it.
X-Center Leadership with Execution Authority
- Lead a set of senior Guidewire Architects, each aligned to PolicyCenter, BillingCenter, or ClaimCenter.
- Set clear technical direction and hold Architects accountable for execution.
- Override or redirect designs when they impact delivery timelines or quality.
- Ensure architectural decisions are practical, implementable, and sprint-ready.
Delivery Through Influence, Not Delegation
- Operate at the point where architecture meets execution.
- Translate business intent into delivery-ready technical direction.
- Participate in story shaping, technical breakdowns, and release planning.
- Drive outcomes through decisive direction—not committees or documentation loops.
Build Teams While Delivering
- Strengthen offshore capability without slowing delivery.
- Coach Architects and Leads through real client problems, not classroom theory.
- Create repeatable patterns, templates, and standards from live project work.
- Raise team maturity by showing how complex problems are solved under pressure.
System Integrity & Long-Term Health
- Protect platform stability while enabling rapid delivery.
- Own decisions related to scalability, performance, data integrity, and upgrades.
- Ensure short-term delivery choices do not compromise long-term platform health.
- Authority & Decision Rights
Mandatory Requirements
- 15+ years of Guidewire implementation experience with deep hands-on expertise across PolicyCenter, BillingCenter, and ClaimCenter.
- Guidewire Ace Certification – Mandatory.
- Proven experience acting as the primary technical authority on large Guidewire programs.
- Strong command over GOSU, Java, integrations, REST/SOAP, messaging, and data architecture.
- Strong P&C insurance domain expertise.
- Demonstrated ability to unblock delivery and drive outcomes under pressure.
Leadership Responsibility
- Lead a group of Guidewire Architects, with full ownership of delivery, quality, and client satisfaction.
- Act as the primary point of accountability for output—ensuring timelines, technical standards, and best practices are consistently met.
- Mentor, coach, and train junior developers, building technical capabilities and instilling an ownership-first mindset within the team.
- Drive end-to-end BillingCenter solutions—from design, configuration, and integration to deployment and issue resolution—with minimal supervision.
- Collaborate with other pods and cross-functional teams to ensure seamless integration and alignment with overall program objectives.
- Proactively identify risks, bottlenecks, and improvement opportunities and implement solutions that maximize pod performance and client value.
