Application Architect -- Remote

When it comes to making a meaningful difference in the lives of our customers and employees, USAble Life is always ready.  We are a diverse group of individuals working together to go the extra mile. Through our DEI initiatives, employees feel empowered to bring their talents and voice to our culture. 

Our passion for delivering the best products is matched only by our passion for our people. We are committed to making a meaningful difference in the lives of others which extends beyond our office walls. USAble Life has a long tradition of supporting our communities, and we’re proud of the fact that our employees share that commitment.  

We have been recognized as a “Best Places to Work” in Arkansas, Florida, and Hawaii. You’ll be rewarded with opportunities for personal and professional development and opportunities for advancement.  This, coupled with our engaging culture and a comprehensive benefits package, ensures we are committed to our employees.   

Check out how we make a meaningful difference in the lives of others! 

https://player.vimeo.com/video/518665804  

What We Offer You: 

• A culture that values employees and celebrates, empowers, and inspires a diverse workforce
• Outstanding and affordable benefits package
• PTO provided at date of hire
• 11 paid holidays
• 401(k) with up to 6% match; fully vested from day 1
• Remote opportunities with company-provided equipment
• Team-oriented, collaborative group of peers
• Career advancement opportunities
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Employee Assistance Program
• Inclusion Council and Employee Resource Groups
• Recharge Days and Volunteer Time Off
• This is a remote position.  

Life Takes You Places!  Are you ready to join us? 

The base salary range for the Application Architect is 106,000 to 191,000. Actual salaries will vary by geographic location and are based on factors such as candidate’s qualifications, experience, skills, competencies, and company tenure & equity. In addition to base compensation, this role is eligible for an annual incentive plan based on company performance and individual performance.

Application Architect Overview 

The Application Architect plays a pivotal role in the software development lifecycle.  This position is responsible for guiding the design, development, and implementation of enterprise applications, ensuring alignment with business goals, IT standards, and regulatory requirements.  This role works to increase developer productivity through mentoring, creating guidelines and standards for development, and creating libraries that are reused throughout various applications. 

Essential Duties: 

• Designs and oversees the architecture of enterprise applications, ensuring alignment with coding standards and architectural principles 
• Actively contributes to development efforts and utilizes hands-on coding 
• Mentors Developers and promotes best practices in software engineering, testing, and deployment 
• Assists in the architecture, maintenance, and testing of software and tools 
• Coordinates the evaluation of development languages, tools, and other software by determining their strategic applicability to systems and projects, and make recommendations 
• Collaborates with cross-functional teams to define technical requirements and translate business needs into robust software solutions 
• Provides timely feedback to management regarding issues, changes in business direction, and key decisions 
• Performs code reviews to ensure adherence to standards, conventions, and consistency across applications 
• Works with management to identify opportunities for improvement in both technology and business decision-making 
• Engages with business stakeholders to understand their needs and evaluate how different solution options impact various departments within the business 
• Communicates effectively with both business departments and IT staff 
• Creates and maintains reusable libraries and frameworks to improve developer productivity and consistency 
• Establishes and enforces development guidelines and architectural standards, ensuring alignment with enterprise IT strategy 
• Provides technical leadership across multiple projects, helping teams resolve complex design and implementation challenges 
• Evaluates emerging technologies and tools, assessing their strategic fit for the Company’s systems and recommends adoption where appropriate 
• Collaborates with data architects and infrastructure teams to ensure seamless integration between integration points 
• Ensures compliance with regulatory and security standards, including HIPAA, SOX, and internal audit requirements 
• Performs other related duties and responsibilities as assigned  

Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: 

• Deep knowledge of advanced software development principles, including object-oriented programming, web development, microservices, cloud computing, source control, continuous integration and delivery (CI/CD), and secure coding practices 
• Strong understanding of insurance industry practices and enterprise technical systems, with the ability to identify how technology solutions can drive business value 
• Excellent verbal, written, and presentation skills, with the ability to effectively communicate with developers, designers, project managers, and business analysts 
• Familiarity with complex automated systems and the full software development lifecycle (SDLC), including Agile and project management tools 
• Ability to quickly understand business processes and the applications they integrate with, including upstream and downstream dependencies 
• Proven ability to prioritize tasks, manage multiple initiatives simultaneously, and deliver within time constraints 
• Strong leadership, collaboration, and interpersonal communication skills, with a track record of influencing technical direction and mentoring others 
• Experience evaluating and recommending emerging technologies, tools, and frameworks for strategic alignment 
• Comfort working in hybrid or remote environments, with the ability to lead distributed teams and maintain productivity 
• Understanding of regulatory and compliance standards, such as HIPAA, SOX, and internal audit protocols, as they relate to application development and architecture 

Required Education and Experience: 

• Bachelor's Degree in computer science, or related field; or equivalent experience 
• 8+ years of IT experience 
• 2 years of IT supervisory experience or experience as a Team Lead on an Application Development Team 
• Or, equivalent military experience 

Preferred Education and Experience: 

• 10+ years of IT experience 
• Experience with a BlueCross BlueShield Plan or other health and/or life insurance-related company 
• Experience with all aspects of a software development lifecycle in a technical operations environment 
• Experience leading project teams including meeting deliverable dates, leading a work team(s) and direct customer contact 
• Experience managing customer requirements or demands 

Working Conditions (Physical Demands):  

• Normal, no adverse or hazardous conditions