Principal Architect
Prudential · Singapore
Prudential’s purpose is to be partners for every life and protectors for every future. Our purpose encourages everything we do by creating a culture in which diversity is celebrated and inclusion assured, for our people, customers, and partners. We provide a platform for our people to do their best work and make an impact to the business, and we support our people’s career ambitions. We pledge to make Prudential a place where you can Connect, Grow, and Succeed.
Job Summary:
The Principal Architect is the design authority for Technology Platforms & Core Services (TPCS) and leads the Architecture pillar covering solution and data architecture. This role owns the target-state blueprint for core systems, APIs and integration, cloud and platform services, and the data platform, translating business and technology strategy into architecture principles, patterns and standards that delivery teams build against.
Job Description:
1. Architecture Direction and Design Authority:
- Own the target-state architecture for TPCS across core systems, APIs and integration, cloud and platform services, and the data platform.
- Define and maintain
- architecture principles, reference architectures, design patterns and technology standards as the single source of truth for delivery teams.
- Act as design authority for major initiatives, reviewing and approving designs, integration contracts and technology choices through lightweight decision gates.
2. Solution and Data Architecture:
- Lead solution architecture for cross-pillar and enterprise-critical initiatives, ensuring designs are scalable, secure, resilient and cost-effective.
- Own the enterprise data model, data contracts and shared-responsibility boundaries between the data platform and consuming solution pillars.
- Ensure non-functional requirements, including performance, availability, disaster recovery and observability, are designed in from the outset.
- Lead proof-of-concepts and technical validation of emerging technologies before enterprise adoption.
3. Modernisation, Risk and Compliance:
- Shape and sequence the multi-year modernisation and simplification roadmap, identifying technical debt and architectural risk across the estate.
- Ensure architecture complies with internal standards and regulatory requirements, including SDLC and MAS TRM obligations, and align with IT Security on security architecture.
- Maintain architecture artefacts and decision records as evidence for audit, risk and governance forums, and advise on build-versus-buy and platform selection.
4. Leadership and Collaboration:
- Lead and develop the Singapore architecture team covering solution and data architecture.
- Partner with pillar heads, Data & AI, IT Security and business stakeholders to align architecture with business priorities and funding.
- Represent PACS in Group architecture forums and communicate architecture decisions, trade-offs and risks clearly to executive audiences.
Who we are looking for:
Competencies & Personal Traits
- Experience in insurance or financial services, including core policy administration and distribution platforms.
- Familiarity with Databricks, Cosmos DB, PostgreSQL, Microsoft Fabric / Power BI and semantic or metrics-layer design.
- Exposure to AI and GenAI reference architectures, AI governance and secure non-production data practices.
- Experience operating in a dual-shore or vendor-supported delivery model, setting guardrails rather than supervising delivery.
- TOGAF, cloud architect or equivalent professional certifications.
Working Experience & Education
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field; a Master's degree is an advantage.
- Minimum 15+ years in technology roles, with at least 7 years in solution, data or enterprise architecture at scale.
- Proven track record as design authority for large, complex, multi-platform environments with measurable modernisation outcomes.
- Deep expertise across cloud platforms (preferably Microsoft Azure), microservices, APIs, event-driven and integration patterns.
- Strong data architecture capability, including data platform design, enterprise data modelling and governed data products.
- Sound understanding of security architecture, resilience and disaster-recovery design, and regulatory compliance in financial services.
- Excellent stakeholder management, influencing and communication skills at executive level.
Prudential is an equal opportunity employer. We provide equality of opportunity of benefits for all who apply and who perform work for our organisation irrespective of sex, race, age, ethnic origin, educational, social and cultural background, marital status, pregnancy and maternity, religion or belief, disability or part-time / fixed-term work, or any other status protected by applicable law. We encourage the same standards from our recruitment and third-party suppliers taking into account the context of grade, job and location. We also allow for reasonable adjustments to support people with individual physical or mental health requirements.