Senior Business Architect, Professional Services

Summary

We are looking for a Senior Business Architect to join our Guidewire Professional Services team, which combines expertise in insurance with software implementation skills to lead strategic transformative projects for our customers.

Guidewire Business Architects assume a lead role in educating the customer team about the capabilities of our applications, identifying specific customer requirements, and identifying how those requirements can best be met using our applications. Our Business Architects have a strong background in the property and casualty insurance space, possess expert Guidewire product knowledge and understand the critical skills required to collect software requirements. In addition to working with the customer to gather requirements, they work with the configuration and integration team members to ensure that the requirements are well understood, and that the applications are tailored to satisfy the customer’s strategic needs.

The Business Architects’ key responsibility is in understanding what the true business need is in any requirement – and redefining / aligning them to Guidewire application capabilities. This is critical in ensuring customers get the true value out of the Guidewire applications – that is using as much of the OOTB systems as possible and reducing implementation expense of over-configuring the system.

The ideal candidate will be proficient in agile implementation methodologies and enterprise scale implementations as well as be able to apply Behavior-Driven Development (BDD) principles to bridge the gap between business needs and technical implementation, ensuring alignment through collaborative scenario definition and acceptance criteria. Deep knowledge and expertise in the relevant insurance area, as well as experience using technology to meet insurers' needs is required.

We’re committed to an inclusive workspace that embraces people with diverse backgrounds, experiences, skills, and talents.

If you are proactive, strategic, and ready to lead, this role offers a significant opportunity to make a lasting impact.

Job Description

Key Responsibilities: 

• Set project or team-based standards for requirements definition and design, then advise on their application and ensures compliance 

• Investigate and implement tools, techniques, and processes for managing configuration and requirements items and verify that related information is complete, current, and accurate  

• Runs elaboration sessions to capture requirements beyond Guidewire InsuranceSuite such as data, reporting, analytics, forms, integrations, etc. 

• Define complex requirements and validate specifications that leverage Guidewire Products and technology to meet customer business objectives

• Learn and master the functionality provided by Guidewire applications in order to become a customer facing professional services consultant

• Apply robust product knowledge to understand what can be configured as well as best practices that should be followed during the implementation life cycle

• Provide guidance to customers on how to best leverage Guidewire applications and technology to meet customer defined business goals and objectives

• As a subject matter expert in the insurance industry, consult with insurance carrier business and technical resources to produce business requirements and business process documents as a functional resource

• Support estimating the effort required to configure the software

• Work with Guidewire product management/development to share key product gaps and further develop our core product features

• Support planning of user acceptance testing of customer solutions

• Advise on key trade-offs between scope, schedule, and objectives

• Communicate effectively with customers, partners and relevant stakeholders at the program management level

• Cultivate relationships with customer and partner that ensures Guidewire has a view on cross-functional projects
   

Desired skills/experience:

• 5-10 years of relevant experience in implementing enterprise software solutions within complex project environments

• Ability to solve complex problems analytically, communicate effectively and research solutions, collaborating with domain specialists where necessary

• Ability to identify when business requirements are not in scope

• Consulting & Leadership Skills along with deep industry knowledge of the P&C insurance industry with a focus on policy and/or underwriting

• Experience with software implementation project(s) in requirements gathering, functional specifications, and user acceptance testing

• Experience in software package implementation through customization or configuration using agile methodologies along with a familiarity with object-oriented design principles and databases.

• Experience in applying change management concepts on a software implementation project

• Outstanding documentation skills, and the ability to facilitate discussions with both technical and business partners

• Subject matter expert (SME) for Guidewire's agile implementation methodology including product alignment and value delivery

• Ability to influence customer and partner decisions

• Proven track record of ensuring that the implementation aligns with agreed standards, methods, best practices, and desired business benefits 

• Mentor and advise project team members on utilization of Best Practices
  
   

The US base salary range for this full-time position is $143,000 - $251,000 + bonus + equity + benefits. Our salary ranges are determined by role, level, and location. The range displayed on each job posting reflects the minimum and maximum target for new hire salaries for the position across all US locations. Within the range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for your preferred location during the hiring process.

Disability Accommodations and Guidewire’s Appeals Process. Guidewire provides accommodations to the hiring process to create a fair opportunity for candidates with disabilities to contend for open positions. Accommodation requests should be directed to Accommodations@guidewire.com. If things do not go as hoped, we invite you to use our appeals process. Guidewire promises to independently review any denied accommodation and any decision not to offer you the position. The appeals process is the same in either case. Within five business days of receiving a notice of denial of an accommodation, or receiving a notice of your non-selection for a vacancy, e-mail Accommodations@guidewire.com to make an appeal. Guidewire will assign a new decision-maker to review the request and/or hiring decision, who will then notify you in writing of a decision within 10 business days.

About Guidewire

Guidewire is the platform P&C insurers trust to engage, innovate, and grow efficiently. We combine digital, core, analytics, and AI to deliver our platform as a cloud service. More than 540+ insurers in 40 countries, from new ventures to the largest and most complex in the world, run on Guidewire.

As a partner to our customers, we continually evolve to enable their success. We are proud of our unparalleled implementation track record with 1600+ successful projects, supported by the largest R&D team and partner ecosystem in the industry. Our Marketplace provides hundreds of applications that accelerate integration, localization, and innovation.

For more information, please visit www.guidewire.com and follow us on Twitter: @Guidewire_PandC.

Guidewire Software, Inc. is proud to be an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. We are committed to an inclusive workplace, and believe that a diversity of perspectives, abilities, and cultures is a key to our success. Qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, citizenship, marital status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, veteran status, or disability. All offers are contingent upon passing a criminal history and other background checks where it's applicable to the position.

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