Solution Architect - Actuarial Platform

We Are Waiting for You

Hi there!

I am Laura, the recruiter for this position. Nice to meet you!

First, a little bit about what I like the most about working at Zurich Technology Delivery Center: The environment here is incredibly collaborative and innovative. Our tech-driven mindset fosters continuous learning and growth, creating an atmosphere where everyone can thrive.  Now, I can't wait to share this exciting journey with you at Zurich!

First off all, THANK YOU for considering our company. We understand that finding the right opportunity can be tough, but I’ll try to make it easier.

Who Are We?

Let me introduce us. You’re reading about Zurich Insurance Group, a global leader in insurance, but this role specifically pertains to our Technology Delivery Center (TDC). Established in Barcelona in 2006, the TDC operates as an integral part of Zurich Insurance Group, providing cutting-edge technological solutions and support to Zurich's local and global business units.

In essence, Zurich TDC is where technology meets the vast reach of a multinational company. We specialize in areas such as software development, data analytics, cybersecurity, and IT infrastructure. Our primary mission is to support Zurich's strategic goals and enhance operational efficiency through innovative technology solutions.

If you're considering a role with us, know that you'll be joining a hub of technological excellence dedicated to driving Zurich's success on a global scale.

What Can You Expect?

The Solution Architect is the technical authority for feature evolution and platform design across ACE (Actuarial Calculation Engine). The role owns architectural decisions across the data, ETL, integration, and application layers — ensuring new capabilities are built with consistency, scalability, and full alignment to cloud migration objectives.

ACE is not a simple reporting application. It is a multi-layer calculation and data platform built on Databricks (Delta Lake, DBT, PySpark), Azure Data Factory, and a .Net GUI/orchestration layer. The calculation engine manages seven distinct data classes, applies a formula-driven calculation chain with complex interdependencies across a multi-dimensional calculation grain, and produces a result set consumed by reporting, data sharing, and downstream analytical systems including the ZAAi agentic reporting layer.

The platform is migrating from Azure to AWS with a target go-live of Q1 2027. The Solution Architect will own target-state architecture design and ensure all new features delivered before the migration are AWS-portable from day one..

And you might be thinking: This is great, what will my day-to-day be like, at TDC? I’m glad you asked. 

As a Solution Architect – Actuarial Platform (ACE) you will have the opportunity to:

Solution Architecture for Feature Delivery

• Own end-to-end technical design for new features and enhancements across the ACE platform and associated actuarial systems.
• Translate actuarial business requirements (BRDs) into detailed technical specifications — defining data flows, calculation chain impacts, formula applicability changes, API interactions, and integration patterns.
• Maintain and evolve the ACE solution architecture reference, ensuring it reflects both current state and target AWS architecture at all times.
• Assess and challenge technical approaches proposed by the delivery team; enforce architectural principles and prevent short-cuts that compromise auditability, idempotency, or data quality.
• Define non-functional requirements (NFRs) for each feature: performance, scalability, data retention, disaster recovery, and auditability.

Actuarial ETL & Data Architecture

The ACE data model has seven data classes, each with different volatility, lifecycle, and governance rules:

• Static (ISO codes, enumerations) — lowest volatility, versioned by default, ad hoc update lifecycle
• Master (Forex rates, BDP rates, Counterparty, Reporting Hierarchy, GroupRe Treaty) — time-series, sourced from SAP and Group systems
• Local Reference (UoA, SUoA, RS, RF, AY, RP, RT) — BU-specific, medium volatility
• Transaction (cashflows, actuals, opening balances, reconciliation actuals) — highest volatility, quarterly supply
• Group Reference Data (GRD) — group-wide scaling constants applied uniformly across BUs
• Report Configuration (formula files in Git repo) — PO-managed, IT-governed, pulled at runtime
• Result Set — generated by the calculation engine, written to Delta Lake Gold layer

• Design and govern ETL pipelines for all seven data classes with appropriate partitioning, versioning, and data quality controls per class.
• Own the Delta Lake partitioning strategy — calculation grain alignment across Company Code, Cycle, Reporting Period, Run ID, Valuation Date, Unit of Account, Sub-UoA, Accident Year, and LIC Type dimensions.
• Design and review the pivot/execute/unpivot ETL pattern used by the calculation engine — ensuring it is performant, correctly scoped, and free of cyclic formula dependencies.
• Define the multi-currency FX conversion chain — transactional, functional, and Group currency dimensions — and ensure correctness of FX-impacted inherited variables across all calculation grains.
• Design the formula applicability validation layer, ensuring all combinations of Valuation approach (BBA01/02/03), GOR (Gross/Reinsurance), Reinsurance type, and LIC Type (LRC/LIC) are correctly covered.
• Enforce data model standards for ACE result sets: 2NF structure, partition key consistency, and result set dimension completeness across all new reports.
• Define data lineage, auditability, and Reverse Traceability Matrix (RTM) standards — every calculation output must be traceable to its input data, formula version, and execution context.
• Design self-healing pipeline patterns: retry logic, reprocess queues, custom null/NaN exception handling, and fully qualified error logging at calculation grain level.
• Own the Unity Catalog data sharing architecture — views, access control, and query cluster isolation between the calculation engine and external consumers.

Config-as-Code & Deployment Architecture

• Design and own the Git-based formula deployment pipeline: repository structure, branch strategy, PO-managed formula files, IT release approval gates, and Databricks runtime pickup.
• Define the Databricks workflow and DBT deployment pipeline via Azure DevOps, including environment promotion policies (Dev → SIT → UAT → Prod) and full deployment auditability.
• Ensure all new features are designed AWS-portable from day one — no Azure-only dependencies introduced pre-migration.

AWS Migration – Target Architecture (Go-Live Q1 2027)

• Lead architectural planning for the ACE migration from Azure to AWS — mapping current components (ADF, Azure Databricks, Azure Storage, .Net orchestration layer) to AWS equivalents.
• Produce migration artefacts: as-is/to-be architecture diagrams, migration runbooks, risk registers, and decommission plans.
• Work with the Azure Principal Architect and platform engineers to resolve cross-dependency blockers and de-risk the migration timeline.
• Validate that the AWS target architecture preserves all ACE design principles: idempotency, ACID compliance, self-healing, auditability, and parallel processing capability.

Governance, Standards & Team Engagement

• Establish and maintain Architectural Decision Records (ADRs) for all significant platform technical choices.
• Ensure all feature designs comply with Zurich IT governance, Cloud Centre of Excellence (CCoE) standards, and information security requirements.
• Provide architectural review and technical oversight on deliveries from the Databricks engineering team — enforcing implementation standards: cyclomatic complexity, null handling, logging, and partition discipline.
• Act as the technical bridge between actuarial business users, Product Owners, and the Spain/India delivery team; communicate trade-offs and risks clearly to each audience.
• Support the BA team in translating BRD requirements into deliverable technical scope, identifying assumptions and open items early.
• Operate effectively in a geo-dispersed model: structured async documentation and reliable cross-timezone stakeholder management.

• Work alongside experts in various technological domains.
• Enhance your skills with real-world experience.
• Contribute to a team that values your input and creativity.

What Makes You a great Fit?

While we’re not seeking perfection or expecting you to save the world, we believe that if you meet some of these requirements, you’ll be a fantastic fit for our team. We are waiting for you!

As a Solution Architect – Actuarial Platform (ACE) your skills and qualifications will ideally include: 

Core requirements

• 10+ years in solution architecture or data architecture; at least 3 years on data-intensive platforms in financial services, insurance, or similarly regulated industries.
• Hands-on expertise across the Azure data platform: Databricks (Delta Lake, Unity Catalog, PySpark), Azure Data Factory, and associated Azure storage and compute services.
• Practical DBT experience — DAG-based dependency resolution, model materialisation strategies, and deployment in a Databricks environment.
• Deep Delta Lake knowledge: partitioning strategies, ACID transactions, snapshot isolation, incremental load patterns, and schema evolution.
• Experience designing complex ETL pipelines with multi-dimensional data, pivot/unpivot patterns, and formula-driven transformations at scale.
• Multi-currency ETL — FX conversion chains, currency dimension management, and currency-specific formula handling.
• Strong data modelling skills: 2NF/3NF trade-offs, partitioning for analytical workloads, schema governance, and result set dimension design.
• Self-healing and idempotent pipeline design: retry logic, reprocess queues, custom exception handling, and audit logging patterns.
• Git-based config-as-code: deploying configuration or formula files via CI/CD pipelines with branch policies, approval gates, and environment promotion.
• Track record delivering within regulated IT governance frameworks — architecture review boards, CCoE standards, formal change control, and audit trails.
• Cloud architecture certification: Azure Solutions Architect Expert or equivalent.

Nice to have

• AWS platform expertise and/or experience leading Azure-to-AWS migrations — directly relevant to the Q1 2027 ACE go-live. AWS Solutions Architect certification preferred.
• Familiarity with actuarial or IFRS reporting concepts: Unit of Account (UoA), Analysis of Change (AoC), valuation approaches (BBA), LRC/LIC, run types (ActClose/Preclose/FP), and BU-to-Group result aggregation.
• Experience with actuarial or financial calculation platforms where auditability, reproducibility, and traceability are hard non-functional requirements.
• Unity Catalog governance and data sharing architecture experience.
• Power BI Direct Query connectivity to Databricks, including semantic model design and volumetric testing.
• Exposure to agentic AI or LLM integration patterns — ACE is a primary data source for Zurich's ZAAi agentic reporting platform.

Education

• Degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Data Engineering, or a related technical discipline — or equivalent demonstrated senior experience.
• Cloud architecture certification: Azure Solutions Architect Expert required. AWS Solutions Architect preferred.

 And… What Makes Us Special?

 As well as a competitive salary and a yearly bonus, we offer: 

• To support your work-life balance, we have adopted a flexible working model.
•  Option to work abroad up to 25 days yearly.
• Over 300 euros to set up your home office and additional monthly home office allowance.
• Wide range of internal and external trainings, including English, German and Spanish classes depending on the needs.
• Ticket restaurant and Health Insurance with the flexibility to exchange it for other benefits.
• Life and accident insurance.
• Collective Life retirement Plan
• 2000 referral bonus if you bring other talented people like you to the company.
• Special banking and insurance conditions plus Exclusive Employees discounts 
• Functional diversity benefits 
• Stock options and mortgage benefits.

Where Are We Located?

 Barcelona, Poblenou.

Li-hybrid

We Are Waiting for You.

 Can you see yourself in this role? Don’t wait any longer! Apply by sending your CV in English.

 If not, no worries! We’ll meet again in the future. Feel free to share my contact details with anyone you think would be a great fit.

 At Zurich, we are an equal opportunity employer. We attract and retain the best-qualified individuals available, regardless of race/ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, or disability.

 Zurich Technology Delivery Center – Your Talent, Our Strength

Why Zurich

At Zurich, we like to think outside the box and challenge the status quo. We take an optimistic approach by focusing on the positives and constantly asking What can go right? 

We are an equal opportunity employer who knows that each employee is unique - that’s what makes our team so great! 
Join us as we constantly explore new ways to protect our customers and the planet.
 

• Location(s):  ES - Barcelona 
• Remote working: Hybrid
• Schedule: Full Time
• Recruiter name: Laura Santamaría Rodríguez