Job Description
Canada Life Assurance Europe plc ('CLE'), a company within the Great West Lifeco Group, is a life assurance company with a branch in Germany. CLE sells unit-linked pension and protection products to customers in Germany through independent brokers. We have offices in Dublin, Cologne and Neu-Isenburg (near Frankfurt). Our brand values reflect the kind of company we are today and strive to continue to be in the future: Ambitious: We consistently pursue our goals and constantly look for new opportunities and we are ready to go the extra mile for our customers. Creative: Together with our partners we offer appropriate and flexible solutions that inspire. Unconventional: We break new ground in order to offer our customers the best protection for a good life. Better: We constantly work on our abilities and strive to offer our customers superior products and services. Strong: Based on our performance and with the support of our Canadian parent company we look to provide the highest security for the future for our customers, partners and employees alike. Collaborative: We move forward together, helping each other to become better and together we find good solutions both for the customer and for ourselves. Responsible: We act transparently and fairly, and are forward-thinking and risk-aware for the benefit of our customers, partners and employees. People - our customers and employees alike - are at the heart of everything we do at CLE. We share a deep commitment to our customers and to each other. If you are looking to work in an inclusive, supportive and dynamic workplace on a path of growth, we're glad you found us! Whether you are starting your career or looking to develop your expertise as a specialist, we'll support you every step of the way. What we offer Hybrid working model - excellent city centre location with attractive working from home options; Personal Protection - Company Pension, Death in Service Benefit, Health Insurance Allowance, Income Protection Scheme, optional Specified Illness Scheme; Health & Wellness - Top-Class Employee Assistance Programme, Bike to Work Scheme, Policies supporting Work/Life balance, Digital Doctor to name but a few. Role Overview Canada Life Europe (CLE) is seeking a Head of IT Strategy, Architecture, & Risk to join our Information Services (I.S.) Team at Abbey Street, Dublin. Canada Life Assurance Europe plc ('CLE') has been operating in Germany since 2000 and supports over 500,000 individual customers across over 600,000 policies which it serves through a network of 18,000 brokers, and 30,000 Corporate relationships. It is authorised by the Central Bank of Ireland and regulated by the German regulator, Bundesanstalt fur Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht (BaFin), for conduct of business rules. The Company has established a fast-growing presence in one of the world's largest and most established markets, offering a full suite of unit-linked pension, savings, and protection solutions, distributed through independent brokers. Its growth strategy sees an increasing focus on workplace pensions and improving the customer & adviser experience while driving efficiencies leveraging technology, digital and data. It employs over 800 people across its Irish and German offices. CLE has an ambitious growth plan, which is centred around its Purpose 'to be here for life with our customers and business partners, helping them to build stronger, more inclusive, and financially secure futures'. This purpose translates into its Mission 'to innovate and win in advice and workplace solutions to become Germany's fastest growing insurer' The Information Services function has over 130 people in the team, and this role is a Senior Leadership role reporting to the CLE Chief Information Officer (CIO). CLE has recently completed a migration of its core processing systems to the i-Suite platform provided by msg Life, and using this platform, along with Salesforce at the core of its digitalization initiatives is now focused on exploiting these capabilities to drive business growth and efficiency within CLE. What you will help us to achieve We are looking for a Head of IT Strategy, Architecture and Risk (SAR) that is not just a technology expert but also a strategic leader who aligns technology initiatives with business objectives for sustainable growth. At its core, this role revolves around working with stakeholders across the CLE business and the wider group in steering the organisations technological direction. Therefore, strategic thinking, stakeholder management and strong business acumen are essential, and we expect the successful candidate to be well-versed in current technological trends (particularly Cloud and AI), and have a mature understanding of business operations, preferably in the insurance industry. The role necessitates effectively communicating technical strategies, challenges, and achievements to Board, Executive Team members and other key stakeholders including the European Technology Team. It involves translating complex technical concepts into understandable language for non-technical audiences. This communication is crucial to align technology initiatives with overall business objectives and gain the support of key decision-makers. The Head of SAR promotes an environment where collaboration thrives, innovation is encouraged, and continuous improvement is embraced. The Architecture function designs solutions to address business needs or problems, consistent with the technical direction. The architects create plans for integrating various components such as software, hardware, networks, processes, and services into a cohesive and effective system. In support of the core objective of the role, the Head of SAR will manage this Architecture team and have overall responsibility for the implementation of the technical direction within the company, working closely with the Head of Engineering. Additionally, given the correlation between architecture and effective risk management, the IS Risk Manager and team will report into the Head of SAR. This team will continuously track key risk metrics, produce board-level and Exec-level reports, and flag any anomalies or potential issues before they escalate into major problems, with the Head of SAR providing support and direction to this team as required. The role further includes working closely with the CIO in aligning IT Strategy and Workforce Planning to ensure that not only is technology strategy aligned to business needs, but resources continue to be aligned to that technology strategy and can support the business strategy. This includes working with the delivery teams to consolidate headcount demand and supply, provide budget inputs, and support the retention and acquisition of staff and other sources of contingent capacity to meet the business needs. They will What you will need to be successful in the role Essential Skills and Experience: Significant experience and a proven track record of developing, leading and implementing Enterprise Architecture practices across software development, application and infrastructure technologies in large complex organisations, preferably across multiple geographies. Expert level of knowledge of IT Enterprise Architecture. Expert technologist with broad knowledge across modern software development practices, infrastructure, cloud, application and enterprise architecture. Deep knowledge and understanding of IT governance and risk and operational risk. Exposure to environment with Board and regulatory oversight. also oversee the update of the Capability Development Roadmap (CDR) to ensure our staff development plans are aligned with the Enterprise Architecture, and IT Strategy. Direct experience with financial management issues and activities, preparing budgets and forecasts based on operational requirements. Experienced Change Agent - with experience leading organisations through strategic change and innovation cycles. Deep service management skills. Experience with Supplier Relationship Management and Supplier Quality. Strong knowledge of product and service life cycles. Degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a technology-related field; MBA or other relevant master's degree is a plus. Desired Skills & Experience Knowledge of insurance industry applications and products. Working knowledge of German language. TOGAF or equivalent certification. Competencies Strategic Thinking, Planning and Decision Making Navigate problems that are novel or complex in nature to deliver successful outcomes and strategic value Ability to influence key senior stakeholders / peers in CLE and across the Group Leadership Skills Expert level leadership skills and competencies refined through experience operating at a senior level Ability to lead skilled and experienced practitioners with a diverse range of knowledge and capabilities Excellent communication (verbal and written) and presentation skills Key Competencies Outward Focus - Have an outward focus; understands the external environment and needs of customers? Drive Innovation - Challenge the status quo & inspire creativity & new ways of doing things? Develop Talent - Is a talent developer? Are they focused on building a strong team for the future? Build Collaborative Partnerships - Build strong collaborative partnerships across the business? Risk and Control Commercial Awareness The company reserves the right to draw up a shortlist as part of the selection process. Where Agency assistance is required the Canada Life Recruitment Team will engage directly with suppliers. Unsolicited CVs / profiles supplied to Canada Life by Recruitment Agencies will not be accepted for this role. Canada Life Group Services is proud to be an Equal Opportunities employer. We have created an environment of inclusion and growth to help people achieve their potential, to ensure they can bring their whole selves to work and to feel valued. We celebrate diversity of thought and perspective and want all of our employees to feel valued, respected and supported. We have built a culture that promotes equality and inclusion for all of our current and future employees and strive to ensure that our behaviours, processes and practices are aligned to this culture. If you require any accommodations during the recruitment process please contact and we will be delighted to ensure you are fully supported to be your best. CLGS supports Equal Opportunity and is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland To be considered for this role you will be redirected to and must complete the application process on our careers page. To start the process click the Apply button below to Login/Register.