Sr Director Business Architecture and Process Excellence

About the role

Guidewell's Transformation Office (TO) converts the company's strategy into a disciplined, resourced, and governed program of work. The Senior Director, Business Architecture and Process Excellence leads two disciplines that translate enterprise strategy into a designed, sequenced program of change: business architecture (defining the target‑state capability and operating model) and process excellence (redesigning the workflows that get the enterprise to that target state). Reporting directly to the VP of Transformation and Performance, this role ensures the enterprise's target‑state capability model and its process redesign priorities are built from the same source of truth rather than disconnected plans. The role operates as a peer‑partner to other TO leaders and is accountable for reflecting business architecture and process excellence decisions accurately and on schedule in the enterprise transformation scorecard, including AI‑adoption metrics.

Responsibilities

• Set the vision and standards for the business architecture practice, including enterprise capability maps, target‑state operating models, and process/data ownership maps used by TO functions and the business.
• Lead the process excellence function, prioritizing and overseeing process redesign and continuous‑improvement initiatives using structured methodologies, and hold the team accountable for measurable efficiency, quality, and cost outcomes.
• Integrate business architecture and process redesign priorities with the AI product roadmap so capability gaps and process pain points translate directly into prioritized AI product investment.
• Partner with the Director, Transformation Governance and Performance to ensure KPIs, delivery status, risks, and AI‑adoption metrics feed accurately and on schedule into the enterprise transformation scorecard.
• Build and develop leadership bench strength across the business architecture and process excellence disciplines and manage a multi‑team organization spanning all three.
• Represent the two disciplines in steering committee and governance forums, defending priorities, resourcing trade‑offs, and target‑state decisions to senior and executive leadership.

Requirements

• 10+ years of related work experience in business architecture, process excellence/continuous improvement, and product management, including direct experience managing a team responsible for AI‑enabled or data‑driven products.
• 5+ years of direct supervisory/management experience.
• Related Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience in business, finance, engineering, or a related field.
• Experience translating enterprise strategy into capability models, process redesigns, and an AI product roadmap within a large, complex, matrixed organization.
• Demonstrated experience leading a multi‑disciplinary organization, including managing managers across more than one of these functions.
• Ability to operate credibly across two distinct professional disciplines with different methodologies and vocabularies, and to translate between them for senior stakeholders.
• Working knowledge of AI/ML product concepts (use‑case scoping, model risk, responsible‑use considerations, adoption metrics) sufficient to lead a team of business architects and process practitioners without requiring a technical/engineering background.
• Comfort making resourcing and prioritization trade‑offs across functions with competing demands and defending those trade‑offs to executive leadership.
• Strong organizational and planning skills; proven ability to manage and monitor multiple work‑streams in parallel.

Preferred qualifications

• Master’s degree.
• Experience managing managers or a multi‑function organization of 15‑20+ FTEs spanning at least two of: business architecture, process excellence, product management.
• Experience in health insurance, healthcare, or another regulated industry.
• Certification in one or more relevant disciplines (e.g., Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, TOGAF or Business Architecture certification, Certified Scrum Product Owner).
• Prior experience standing up or scaling an AI product function.

Physical demands

Predominantly sedentary work; occasional exertion of up to 10 pounds to move objects. Must be able to travel to multiple locations for meetings, events, or conferences (occasional travel).

Benefits

• Medical, dental, vision, life and global travel health insurance.
• Income protection benefits: life insurance, short‑ and long‑term disability programs.
• Leave programs to support personal circumstances.
• Retirement Savings Plan with employer match.
• Paid time off, volunteer time off, 10 holidays and 2 well‑being days.
• Additional voluntary benefits and a comprehensive wellness program.

Pay

Annualized Salary Range: $180,000 – $292,500. Typical Annualized Hiring Range: $180,000 – $225,000. Final pay will be determined based on market competitiveness, internal equity, and the candidate’s knowledge, skills, training, and experience.