Enterprise Architect Leader

Zurich Insurance is looking for a senior leader to drive business architecture, project shaping, and continuous improvement activities.

Job Description

The Senior Director will lead the business analysis team within the Business Change and Transformation department. You will be responsible for driving robust process and capability improvements, ensuring change initiatives are aligned with priorities, delivered efficiently, and within financial, resourcing, and time constraints.

You will champion innovation, collaboration, and operational excellence to deliver measurable value for customers and the business. You will partner closely with other senior leaders to ensure alignment from project shaping to delivery and act as a trusted advisor on transformation, operational efficiency, and change adoption.

This role may involve part-time or full-time work. Please discuss flexibility at interview.

1. Build, coach, and empower a high-performing Business Analysis team to deliver requirements gathering, process analysis, supporting solution design, and business case development for major change initiatives.
2. Define and maintain Zurich's business architecture, ensuring alignment with strategic direction, digital transformation, and the target operating model.
3. Provide design input on complex projects, collaborate with enterprise and solution architecture, and identify opportunities for simplification and capability development.
4. Drive a culture of continuous improvement, embedding Lean and process optimisation practices with the operational department to deliver measurable efficiency gains and enhanced customer experience.
5. Lead capability building and best practice sharing for OPEX specialists, fostering innovation and operational excellence across the organisation.
6. Lead early-stage project shaping, including feasibility, scoping, and strategic alignment, and ensure robust handover to project teams.
7. Provide leadership in business analysis and architecture across the change portfolio, collaborating with Business Change colleagues to ensure successful delivery, benefits realisation, and issue resolution.
8. Prioritise and align BA/OPEX activities with organisational objectives, supporting effective demand planning and resource allocation.
9. Act as a strategic partner to senior leadership, aligning BA/OPEX initiatives with long-term strategy and customer priorities.
10. Maintain strong relationships across the organisation and represent BA & OPEX in cross-functional and group-wide forums.
11. Ensure all BA/OPEX activities comply with organisational controls, risk management policies, and regulatory standards.
12. Identify and manage risks and issues, contributing to a robust control environment and supporting the organisation's reputation for reliability and integrity.
13. Bring external perspectives, new ideas, and methodologies into the function, driving continuous improvement in business analysis and operational excellence.
14. Foster a culture of diversity, inclusion, wellbeing, and professional growth within the team.
15. Delivery of BA, architecture, and OPEX activities to target outcomes, schedule, and quality standards.
16. Effective management of risks, controls, and compliance.
17. Development of a high-performing, empowered team and upskilling of business resources in analysis and process improvement.

• Bachelor's degree in Business, IT, or related field; professional qualifications (e.g., Lean Six Sigma, TOGAF, BCS) are advantageous.
• 8+ years' experience in business analysis, business architecture, operational excellence, or change roles, ideally within financial services/insurance.
• Proven experience leading teams and delivering complex, multi-stakeholder change programmes.
• Strong communication, influencing, and stakeholder management skills.
• Demonstrated ability in process improvement, business case development, and strategic thinking.

• Flexible working models and opportunities for training and development.
• Committed to equity for all employees and promoting diversity and inclusion.

• Primary work location is Dublin or Wexford, but occasional travel may be required to other locations.