Senior Architect

Job Description

Appealing Points:

• Lead enterprise-level architecture initiatives in a global insurance organization, driving digital transformation using cloud, AI, and modern technologies.
• Work with cutting-edge tools like Azure, AWS, Kubernetes, and generative AI to design scalable and innovative solutions.
• Collaborate with global stakeholders and leadership teams to shape IT strategy, influence business outcomes, and drive impactful change.

Annual Salary: 15 million yen and above

Job Description:

• Subject matter expert in information technology architecture with focus on insurance industry
• Influences both business and IT leaders to ensure success of enterprise-level programs in the context of technology & solutions.
•  Drives to maximize efficiency in both application development, security, and infrastructure.
• Assures that architecture solution is to deliver business values, aligned to MetLife IT strategic roadmap and standards in order to maximize synergies and enterprise leverage. 

Job Resposibilities: 

•  Identify gaps or deficiencies in the existing portfolio of IT solutions, management information systems and reporting, technology landscape and processes.
• Facilitate Japan key initiatives, including the coordination of an appropriately balanced pursuit of business objectives, IT strategic alignment, technical and solution per architecture viewpoints.
• Simplify the IT landscape by reducing complexity, diversity of solution and establishing consistency of approach within IT, covering IT applications, security, and Infrastructure architecture.
• Manage the identification and analysis of business drivers to business capabilities, information, technical and solution architecture requirements, including analyzing industry trends, technology to determine their potential impacts on the MetLife Japan architecture landscape.
• Illustrate a deep understanding of how both current and future technology can be used to drive business transformation.
• Drive the development of enterprise standards and strategic target roadmaps and ensure alignment across MetLife technology departments and business functions.
• Conduct technology evaluations and proof-of-concept (PoC) to validate new tools and frameworks.
• Define non-functional requirements (scalability, security, performance, observability, etc.)
• Cultivate an environment of innovation, thought leadership, and partnership.
• Facilitate recurring MetLife Japan internal architecture, roadmap and standards meetings and assure action plans are fully developed and assigned to the appropriate departmental executives.
• Liaise with external vendors and technology partners such as Microsoft, Oracle, IBM etc. in the context of architecture and solutions

Job Qualification:

• Must have minimum 5 years’ working experience in IT and 3 years in architecture solution design. Experience in the life insurance or financial services industries is a plus.
• Possess wide technical knowledge and architecture design experience on Cloud (Azure, AWS, etc.), API, microservices, orchestration (Kubernetes), event-driven architecture and so on.
• Demonstrate experience and knowledge in information technology architecture practice, standards and plans in the financial industry. Life insurance experience will be a plus.
• Strong knowledge of using AI platform or services such as Azure OpenAI, Azure Machine Learning, etc., experience integrating generative AI or LLM-based services into enterprise solutions will be a plus.
• Ability to direct multiple teams' activities; ability to direct, motivate and develop project staff in an evolving environment.
• Strong interpersonal, conflict resolution and negotiation skills.
• Ability to communicate effectively with all levels of IT leaders and business audiences.
• Japanese is a must and good written and oral communication skills in English. 
• Ability to communicate effectively with all levels of financial, non-financial, technical, and executive audiences.
• Good understanding of the financial services business and being able to discuss the business implications of technology decisions, as well as the technology implications of business decisions, particularly in terms of costs and implementation roadmaps, are strongly preferred.
• 3 years’ experience in IT Architecture Governance and demonstrate strong capability in communication and negotiation is a plus.
• Data architecture experience is a plus.
• Implementation experience in Enterprise Architecture frameworks such as TOGAF, Zachman and other associated frameworks is strongly preferred.
• Ability to develop strategic relationships with their client groups and vendor partners is a plus.

Leadership Competencies:

• Thinks Strategically – Sets direction aligned to the company’s strategy, applying external and global perspective to meet local and global needs.
• Motivates People – Gains people commitment to achieve business objectives through clear communication of the company’s vision and flexing leadership styles to inspire high performance.
• Creates Partnerships – Authentically builds trusted relationships and collaborates across global, diverse and multi-functional teams to successfully drive business objectives.
• Models our Values – Creates a culture that promotes the company’s values and standards through role modeling, accountability and ownership of decisions.
• Focuses on Customers – Promotes customer centricity and ensures focus on creating great customer experiences to achieve competitive advantage.
• Drives Results – Sets aggressive goals and is accountable for continuously driving improved performance, leading change and ensuring high standards.

Language Profeciency: Business level Japanese and business level English

Company Description:

Our Client has operations in more than 40 countries and holds leading market positions in the United States, Japan, Latin America, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. We are ranked #43 on the Fortune 500 list for 2018. With over 150 years of experience, the companies offer life, accident and health insurance, retirement, and savings products through agents, third-party distributors such as banks and brokers, and direct marketing channels. Our name is recognized and trusted by approximately 100 million customers worldwide, and we serve more than 90 of the top 100 FORTUNE 500 companies in the United States.