Head of IT Architecture Asia

Description and Requirements
Position: Head of IT Architecture Asia
Position: Head of IT Architecture Asia
Department: Global Technology and Operation, IT Architecture Asia
The Role:
• Subject matter expert in information technology architecture.
• Influences Asia and regional leaders to ensure success of enterprise-level programs in the context of technology & solutions.
• Drives to maximize efficiency in both application development, security, and infrastructure.
• Assures that architecture solution is to deliver business values, aligned to MetLife IT strategic roadmap and standards in order to maximize synergies and enterprise leverage
Key Responsibilities:
• Assist MetLife Asia departmental executives to develop, monitor and continually update long term information technology architecture, roadmaps and annual plans.
• Identify gaps or deficiencies in the existing portfolio of IT solutions, management information systems and reporting, technology landscape and processes.
• Provide leadership over MetLife Asia IT architects in 9 countries (Japan, China, Korea, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Nepal, India, Australia and Vietnam) in addition to matrix management of departmental architects and technical leaders as required.
• Facilitate an effective MetLife Asia key initiatives, including the coordination of an appropriately balanced pursuit of business objectives, IT strategic alignment, technical and solution per architecture viewpoints;
• Simplify the IT landscape by reducing complexity, diversity of solution and establishing consistency of approach within IT, covering IT applications, security, and Infrastructure architecture.
• Manage the identification and analysis of business drivers to business capabilities, information, technical and solution architecture requirements; including analysing industry trends, technology to determine their potential impacts on the MetLife Asia architecture landscape.
• Illustrate a deep understanding of how both current and future technology can be used to drive business transformation.
• Identify organizational requirements for the resources, structures and cultural changes necessary to support the Enterprise Architecture.
• Advise and collaborate locally and regionally with all levels of financial, non-financial, technical and executive audiences to develop strategies and ensure integrity of the architecture program.
• Drive the development of enterprise standards and strategic target states and ensure alignment across MetLife technology departments and business functions.
• Cultivate an environment of innovation, thought leadership, and partnership.
• Facilitate recurring MetLife Asia internal architecture, roadmap and standards meetings and assure action plans are fully developed and assigned to the appropriate departmental executives.
• Liaise with external vendors and technology partners such as Microsoft, Oracle, IBM etc.
Key Relationships:
• Reports to: Chief Architect
• Key Stakeholders: CIO, IT Team, Regional Architects, Country Architects, Global Architects, Enterprise Architects.
Candidate Qualifications:
Essential Business Experience and Technical Skills:
• Must have minimum 15 years working experience in IT architecture solution design. Experience in the life insurance or financial services industries is a plus.
• Must demonstrate experience and knowledge in information technology architecture practice, standards and plans in the financial industry. Life insurance experience will be a plus.
• Possess wide technical knowledges and architecture design experience on Microservices architecture, Data solution, Azure cloud architecture design and so on. Having experience such as Kubernetes, Openshift, or AWS will be a plus.
• Be strong team player and good stakeholder management
• Possess Data architecture experience.
• Must have a good understanding of the financial services business and be able to discuss the business implications of technology decisions, as well as the technology implications of business decisions, particularly in terms of costs and implementation roadmaps.
• Must have minimum 3 years' experience in IT Architecture Governance and demonstrate strong capability in communication and negotiation
• Must demonstrate expertise and implementation experience in Enterprise Architecture frameworks such as TOGAF, Zachman and other associated frameworks.
• Ability to communicate effectively with all levels of financial, non-financial, technical and executive audiences.
• Must have the ability to develop strategic relationships with their client groups and vendor partners
• Strong leadership skills required to restructure and continually refine organizational goals and direction
• Ability to direct multiple teams' activities; ability to direct, motivate and develop project staff in an evolving environment.
• Strong interpersonal, conflict resolution and negotiation skills.
• Ability to communicate effectively with all levels of executive and non-executive audiences.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English. Other languages will be plus
Leadership Competencies:
• Thinks Strategically - Sets direction aligned to the company's strategy, applying external and global perspective to meet local and global needs.
• Motivates People - Gains people commitment to achieve business objectives through clear communication of the company's vision and flexing leadership styles to inspire high performance.
• Creates Partnerships - Authentically builds trusted relationships and collaborates across global, diverse and multi-functional teams to successfully drive business objectives.
• Seizes Opportunity - Seeks new opportunities and ways to create balanced business growth while improving operational capabilities.
• Grows Talent - Inclusively and pro-actively develops talent, empowers individuals and manages diverse teams to drive engagement and performance.
• Models our Values - Creates a culture that promotes the company's values and standards through role modeling, accountability and ownership of decisions.
• Focuses on Customers - Promotes customer centricity and ensures focus on creating great customer experiences to achieve competitive advantage.
• Drives Results - Sets aggressive goals and is accountable for continuously driving improved performance, leading change and ensuring high standards.
About MetLife
Recognized on Fortune magazine's list of the 2024 "World's Most Admired Companies" and Fortune World's 25 Best Workplaces™ for 2024, MetLife , through its subsidiaries and affiliates, is one of the world's leading financial services companies; providing insurance, annuities, employee benefits and asset management to individual and institutional customers. With operations in more than 40 markets, we hold leading positions in the United States, Latin America, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.
Our purpose is simple - to help our colleagues, customers, communities, and the world at large create a more confident future. United by purpose and guided by empathy, we're inspired to transform the next century in financial services.
At MetLife, it's #AllTogetherPossible . Join us!
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