Director, Solutions Architect - Excess & Surplus
Job Description
This role is the Director, Solutions Architect for the Excess, Surplus & Specialty (ES&S) Business Solution Area within P&C Technology. You will own end-to-end technology strategy and the evolution of the ES&S application suite — Policy Admin, Claims, Workflow/Document Management, Data, and Integrations — directing a ~$40M annual build portfolio and a distributed team across Columbus, Scottsdale, and Des Moines.
What You'll Own
End-to-end accountability for the ES&S application suite, balancing technology currency, risk, and delivery capacity.
Strategic vision, multi-year roadmaps, and the annual planning cycle — with board-ready updates to Business Presidents, PMO, and technology leadership.
IT investment planning across the build-and-run portfolio, driving build-vs-buy-vs-retire decisions through ROI and business case analysis.
A team of Product Architects and Application Suite Tech Leads, plus strategic vendor and MSP relationships from POC through production.
Secure-by-design, BC/DR, and regulatory reporting integrity (NAIC, claims data, loss-run) across the portfolio.
What We're Looking For
Strong IT architecture skills, with a track record leading architecture teams across large, complex portfolios.
Experience delivering third-party package software and integrating vendor platforms into a coherent suite.
P&C insurance experience — technology and business acumen. Excess & Surplus or Specialty experience is a strong plus.
Ability to develop and communicate strategic roadmaps to business and technology executives, with investment-planning fluency across a multi-tens-of-millions portfolio.
Passion for people leadership, and strong command and communication skills in a broad, complex, ambiguous space.
What Makes This Role Unique
ES&S is one of Nationwide's fastest-evolving business units, giving you architectural reach across a diverse specialty portfolio.
The suite is coming off major inflection points — 100% policy-admin modernization, a new consumer-facing platform with APIs across 29 states, and a Salesforce Financial Services Cloud implementation enabling an Insurance Agent 360 view.
Agentic AI and spec-driven engineering are already in motion, with clear runway to shape where AI is applied next across underwriting, claims, and operations.
Work Arrangement: This role follows a hybrid schedule and requires in-office presence in Columbus OH, Des Moines IA or Scottsdale AZ two days per week.
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Job Description Summary
If you’re passionate about delivering technology solutions to support a company providing extraordinary care to its customers, then Nationwide Technology is the place for you. Nationwide's industry-leading technology workforce embraces an agile work environment and a collaborative culture to deliver outstanding solutions and results. If that sounds like something you aspire to, we want to hear from you!As a Solution Architect Leader you will be responsible for the technical quality, integrity and evolution of the application portfolio supporting a product domain, a business solution area or the technology portfolio supporting a line of business or infrastructure domain.
Job Description
Key Responsibilities:
Responsible for the management of associates including but not limited to performance management, salary planning, training, development, workforce planning, hiring, and disciplinary actions; and attracts, hires, engages and develops the team through impactful recruitment, coaching and feedback.
Leads the development and maintenance of technology strategies, blueprints and application roadmaps for a product domain, a business solution area or business/technology roadmaps for a given infrastructure domain.
Identifies technical risk, currency and depth of product/applications supporting a business solution area or leads the technologies supporting a given infrastructure domain.
Oversees the delivery of programs and projects driven by the solution area, product domain or infrastructure domain.
Implements reusable technology solutions that uses shared assets.
Harvests intellectual capital that contributes to increased delivery capabilities.
Leads technical quality through architecture and design reviews.
Top specialist in the generation of new solutions and designs in support of the needs of the product domain, business area or infrastructure domain.
Assists business solution area leadership team with estimating costs and technical resource planning for new solutions, technology upgrades and maintenance of product/application platforms.
Establishes building codes and guardrails for the business solution area and carries out compliance with technology and architecture standards.
Active profession participant through communities of practice, industry involvement and/or standards organizations.
May perform other responsibilities as assigned.
Reporting Relationships: Reports to Technology AVP or above; responsible for 4-8 directs and in-directs.
Typical Skills and Experiences:
Education: Undergraduate studies in computer science, management information systems, or a related field is preferred.
License/Certification/Designation: Technology certifications or designation are not required but encouraged.
Experience: More than ten years of experience in a Technology. Shown strength in multiple architectural domains and various technologies. Awareness of and experience with Web and Cloud technologies. Five years leading planning and roadmap development and four years of management experience is preferred.
Knowledge, Abilities and Skills: Superb communication and facilitation skills. Ability to make decisions and recommendations on technology strategies while considering various options and business needs. Aptitude to influence, build relationships, negotiate and set priorities needed. Strong executive presence. Insurance/financial services industry knowledge a plus.
Other criteria, including leadership or technical skills, competencies and experiences may take precedence.
Staffing exceptions to the above must be approved by the hiring manager’s leader and HR Business Partner.
Values: Regularly and consistently demonstrates the Nationwide Values.
Job Conditions:
Overtime Eligibility: Exempt (Not Eligible)
Working Conditions: Normal office environment. Some travel maybe required.
ADA: The above statements cover what are generally believed to be principal and essential functions of this job. Specific circumstances may allow or require some people assigned to the job to perform a somewhat different combination of duties.
Benefits
We have an array of benefits to fit your needs, including: medical/dental/vision, life insurance, short and long term disability coverage, paid time off with newly hired associates receiving a minimum of 18 days paid time off each full calendar year pro-rated quarterly based on hire date, nine paid holidays, 8 hours of Lifetime paid time off, 8 hours of Unity Day paid time off, 401(k) with company match, company-paid pension plan, business casual attire, and more. To learn more about the benefits we offer, click here.
Nationwide is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive culture where everyone feels challenged, appreciated, respected and engaged. Nationwide prohibits discrimination and harassment and affords equal employment opportunities to employees and applicants without regard to any characteristic (or classification) protected by applicable law.
Smoke-Free Iowa Statement: Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, its affiliates and subsidiaries comply with the Iowa Smokefree Air Act. Smoking is prohibited in all enclosed areas on or around company premises as well as company issued vehicles. The company offers designated smoking areas in which smoking is permitted at each individual location. The Act prohibits retaliation for reporting complaints or violations. For more information on the Iowa Smokefree Air Act, individuals may contact the Smokefree Air Act Helpline at 888-944-2247.NOTE TO EMPLOYMENT AGENCIES:
We value the partnerships we have built with our preferred vendors. Nationwide does not accept unsolicited resumes from employment agencies. All resumes submitted by employment agencies directly to any Nationwide employee or hiring manager in any form without a signed Nationwide Client Services Agreement on file and search engagement for that position will be deemed unsolicited in nature. No fee will be paid in the event the candidate is subsequently hired as a result of the referral or through other means.
Nationwide pays on a geographic-specific salary structure and placement within the actual starting salary range for this position will be determined by a number of factors including the skills, education, training, credentials and experience of the candidate; the scope, complexity and location of the role as well as the cost of labor in the market; and other conditions of employment. If a Sales job, Sales Incentives, based on performance goals are possible in addition to this range. Note on Compensation for Part-Time Roles: Please be aware that the salary ranges listed below reflect full-time compensation. Actual compensation may be prorated based on the number of hours worked relative to a full-time schedule.The national salary range for Director, Solutions Architect : $149,000.00-$262,000.00The expected starting salary range for Director, Solutions Architect : $149,000.00 - $223,000.00