Guidewire Policy Center Lead

Job Description

Position Name – Guidewire Policy Center Lead

Type of hiring – Fulltime/Subcon

Location – Markham, ON (Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday will be onsite)

Job Description:

The Guidewire Policy Center Lead plays a pivotal role in the successful design, implementation, and maintenance of Guidewire Policy Center solutions within the organization. This professional is responsible for leading a team of developers, analysts, and business stakeholders, ensuring that the Policy Center platform is leveraged effectively to support core insurance business processes. The ideal candidate brings 7-10 Years of hands-on experience working with Guidewire applications, a deep understanding of the insurance domain, and advanced leadership capabilities.

Key Responsibilities

• Guidewire Policy Center Solution Leadership: Lead end-to-end implementation and enhancement of Guidewire Policy Center solutions, ensuring alignment with business objectives and industry best practices.
• Team Management: Supervise a team of Guidewire developers, business analysts, and QA professionals. Foster an environment of collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement.
• Technical Oversight: Provide technical guidance on Policy Center configuration, integration, and customization. Review code, troubleshoot issues, and ensure compliance with architectural standards.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Collaborate with product owners, business users, and IT leadership to identify requirements, set priorities, and deliver value-driven solutions.
• Project Management: Develop project plans, resource estimates, and timelines. Track progress, report status to leadership, and proactively address risks and roadblocks.
• Quality Assurance: Oversee unit, system, and integration testing of Policy Center modules. Ensure quality standards are met and defects are resolved efficiently.
• Documentation: Prepare and maintain technical documentation, user manuals, and training materials for the Policy Center platform.
• Platform Optimization: Monitor application performance, analyze metrics, and implement enhancements to maximize efficiency and usability.
• Training & Mentoring: Provide mentoring to junior team members and training for users to ensure effective platform adoption.
• Regulatory Compliance: Ensure the Policy Center solution complies with local, state, and federal regulations, as well as company policy.
• Innovation & Best Practices: Research emerging Guidewire features and insurance technologies. Recommend improvements and lead initiatives to keep the organization at the forefront of insurance systems.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or related field. Master’s degree preferred.
• 7-10 Years of experience implementing and supporting Guidewire Policy Center.
• Strong expertise in Guidewire Policy Center configuration, integration, and customization.
• Proficient in Java, Gosu, XML, and related technologies within the Guidewire ecosystem.
• Solid understanding of insurance business processes, especially within Personal Lines and Commercial Lines.
• Experience with other Guidewire modules (BillingCenter, ClaimCenter) is a plus.
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional teams in a matrixed environment.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Experience with Agile/Scrum and Waterfall methodologies.
• Project management experience with proven track record of delivering on-time, within budget.
• Knowledge of system integration, middleware, and web services (REST/SOAP).
• Experience with cloud deployments (AWS, Azure) and DevOps practices is desirable.

Preferred Skills and Attributes

• Guidewire certification (Policy Center Specialist, Architect, or equivalent) highly desirable.
• Ability to translate complex business requirements into technology solutions.
• Proficiency in data migration and conversion strategies for Guidewire applications.
• Expertise in insurance regulatory compliance and security standards.
• Highly organized, detail-oriented, and adept at multitasking in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong leadership skills with the ability to motivate and develop teams.
• Excellent stakeholder management and negotiation skills.
• Commitment to continuous learning and professional growth.

Typical Duties

• Design and architect Guidewire Policy Center solutions for new business initiatives and product launches.
• Lead technical workshops and requirements-gathering sessions with business partners.
• Develop high-level and detailed design documents, ensuring all functional and non-functional requirements are captured.
• Oversee development activities, including configuration, integration, and custom code development.
• Review deliverables for accuracy, completeness, and adherence to standards.
• Conduct code reviews and performance tuning to ensure optimal application efficiency.
• Coordinate testing activities and support the QA team in creating comprehensive test cases.
• Act as the primary contact for issue resolution and escalation relating to the Policy Center platform.
• Establish and enforce best practices for Guidewire development and deployment.
• Support ongoing maintenance and enhancements, including upgrades and patch management.
• Work with enterprise architects on integration strategies with other corporate systems.
• Contribute to strategic planning and technology roadmaps for the insurance business unit.