Role Overview for VP, Enterprise Architecture with a Global Insurer – Philadelphia, PA
JRG Partners is proud to partner exclusively with a premier global insurance provider in their search for a transformative Vice President of Enterprise Architecture. Based in the vibrant hub of Philadelphia, PA, this executive leadership role is a career-defining opportunity to steer the technological direction of a multi-billion dollar organization. The successful candidate will be a visionary leader, a strategic thinker, and a master of modern architectural principles, responsible for architecting the future of the company’s technology landscape. You will be the central figure in driving digital transformation, ensuring that the IT strategy is not just aligned with, but actively enables and accelerates, the company’s ambitious business goals. This role requires a dynamic individual who can operate at the intersection of business strategy and technology execution, influencing C-suite executives and leading a world-class team of architects. You will be instrumental in modernizing legacy systems, championing cloud-native solutions, and embedding a culture of innovation and architectural excellence across the enterprise. If you are passionate about leveraging technology to create a competitive advantage and are ready to make a significant impact on a global scale, this is your opportunity.
Key Responsibilities of VP, Enterprise Architecture with a Global Insurer – Philadelphia, PA
As the Vice President of Enterprise Architecture, you will own the end-to-end architectural vision and its execution. Your responsibilities will be broad and impactful, including:
Strategic Vision and Roadmap Development
Define, develop, and maintain the enterprise architecture strategy, roadmap, and standards, ensuring they are in lockstep with the company’s long-term business objectives. Articulate a clear future-state vision that addresses business needs, technological advancements, and market dynamics.
Architectural Governance
Establish and chair the Architecture Review Board (ARB) to evaluate, approve, and govern all significant technology projects and initiatives. Ensure all solutions adhere to established architectural principles, standards, and security protocols.
Business and Technology Alignment
Act as the primary bridge between business leadership and technology teams. Translate complex business requirements into robust, scalable, and secure architectural designs. Proactively identify opportunities where technology can drive business value and innovation.
Technology Leadership and Innovation
Serve as the organization’s leading authority on technology architecture. Champion the evaluation and adoption of emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), IoT, and advanced data analytics to solve complex business problems. Drive the modernization of legacy applications and the migration to cloud-based platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP).
Team Leadership and Mentorship
Build, lead, and mentor a high-performing, geographically distributed team of enterprise, solution, data, and security architects. Foster a culture of collaboration, continuous learning, and professional growth within the architecture practice.
Stakeholder Management and Communication
Effectively communicate the architectural vision, strategy, and its business value to a wide range of stakeholders, from the Board of Directors and C-level executives to engineering teams and business unit leaders.
Financial Oversight
Collaborate with the CIO and finance department on technology investment planning, budget management, and total cost of ownership (TCO) analysis for architectural solutions, ensuring optimal allocation of resources.
Security and Risk Management
Partner closely with the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) to integrate security principles into all architectural designs from the outset (Security by Design). Identify and mitigate architectural risks related to performance, scalability, data integrity, and security.
Requirements for the VP, Enterprise Architecture with a Global Insurer – Philadelphia, PA
We are seeking a seasoned executive with a proven track record of architectural leadership in a complex, large-scale enterprise environment. The ideal candidate will possess the following qualifications:
Experience
A minimum of 15 years of progressive experience in Information Technology, with at least 8-10 years in a senior enterprise architecture leadership role. Significant experience within the insurance or financial services industry is strongly required.
Education
A Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or a related field is required. A Master’s degree (MBA or MS) is highly preferred.
Architectural Framework Expertise
Deep, hands-on knowledge of enterprise architecture frameworks and methodologies, such as TOGAF, Zachman, or DoDAF. Professional certification (e.g., TOGAF 9 Certified) is a significant plus.
Technical Acumen
Broad and deep technical expertise across multiple domains, including public/private/hybrid cloud architectures (AWS, Azure), microservices, API management, data architecture (data lakes, warehousing, analytics), DevOps, and modern security principles.
Leadership Skills
Demonstrated ability to lead, inspire, and develop a large team of senior technical professionals. Exceptional influencing, negotiation, and communication skills with a proven ability to build consensus across diverse teams and senior leadership.
Business Acumen
A strong understanding of the insurance value chain, including underwriting, policy administration, claims processing, and reinsurance. Ability to connect technology initiatives directly to business outcomes and KPIs.
Transformational Mindset
Proven experience leading large-scale digital transformation and application modernization initiatives, including moving from monolithic architectures to service-oriented and microservices-based models.
Strategic Thinking
Ability to balance long-term strategic planning with short-term tactical execution. Must be capable of seeing the big picture while also understanding the details of implementation.
Benefits & Perks Offered
Our client provides an executive-level compensation and benefits package designed to attract and retain top-tier talent. This includes:
- Highly competitive base salary and executive bonus program.
- Long-term incentive plan (LTI) with equity components.
- Comprehensive health, dental, vision, and life insurance for you and your family.
- A robust 401(k) retirement plan with a generous company match.
- Executive-level paid time off (PTO), sick leave, and paid holidays.
- Full relocation assistance package for qualified candidates.
- Funding for professional development, certifications, and industry conferences.
- Access to corporate wellness programs and employee assistance resources.
- An inclusive and collaborative work environment committed to diversity and growth.
How to Apply
JRG Partners is the exclusive recruitment partner for this confidential search. To be considered for this pivotal leadership role, please submit your resume and a cover letter detailing your relevant experience and strategic vision for enterprise architecture. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence. We are committed to a transparent and respectful recruitment process. Qualified candidates will be contacted by a JRG Partners representative for an initial discussion. To learn more about our recruitment specializations, please explore our expertise in the Technology Officer Practice area. We look forward to receiving your application and exploring this exciting opportunity with you.
