Our vision for the future is based on the idea that transforming financial lives starts by giving our people the freedom to transform their own. We have a flexible work environment, and fluid career paths. We not only encourage but celebrate internal mobility. We also recognize the importance of purpose, well-being, and work-life balance. Within Empower and our communities, we work hard to create a welcoming and inclusive environment, and our associates dedicate thousands of hours to volunteering for causes that matter most to them.

Chart your own path and grow your career while helping more customers achieve financial freedom. Empower Yourself.

Job Summary:

The Appian Technical Lead will lead a team of engineers and analysts to build automation solutions, covering all aspects of the software development lifecycle. Success is measured by the team’s ability to generate positive results for Canada Life’s business and client objectives.  

The role involves building partnerships with onshore team to build, optimize, evolve and stabilize applications. The ideal candidate will have strong technical expertise in modern automation technologies, leadership and mentoring skills, strategic planning capabilities, and effective communication and stakeholder management.  

The Technical Lead will exhibit strong problem-solving skills, adaptability, and critical thinking. Keeping current on industry trends and regulatory compliance within the financial services sector is crucial. The role requires proficiency in process modeling, workflow design and automation solutions.    

Essential Functions:

Technical

• Create and maintain Appian IDP, Workflow and RPA applications and integrations.    

• Develop and implement process models, data types, and user interfaces. 

• Work with business analysts and stakeholders to understand requirements and translate them to deliver solution designs and automation solutions on Appian platform. 

• Perform testing and debugging of applications to ensure functionality. 

• Provide technical support and troubleshooting for Appian applications. 

• Implement, maintain, and enhance applications in a reusable and sustainable way, ensuring high-quality code and performance. 

• Consult with architects, technical directors, and product owners on the best strategy and options to meet client and business objectives, driving innovation and optimization. 

• Handle application support responsibilities, including break/fix, upgrades, patches, support optimization, continuous improvement, maintaining third-party operated application relationships, and providing second-level support. 

• Stay current on industry technology direction and best practices, integrating new trends and technologies into the development process such as Gen AI skills. 

People

• Build and maintain relationships across multiple groups in the organization to influence technology directions and promote effective collaboration. 

• Ensure leaders and team members work together to drive performance, delivering high expectations within the values of the organization. 

• Mentor and grow developers, fostering a high-performance culture and advocating for necessary cultural changes within the business unit. 

• Identify opportunities for processes, training, and systems to retain and transition knowledge, enhancing individual and team effectiveness. 

• Collaborate with stakeholders, including product managers and business leaders, to define project goals, scope, and priorities. 

• Develop project plans, allocate resources, and monitor progress to ensure on-time and on-budget delivery of software projects. 

• Foster a culture of continuous improvement, innovation, and knowledge sharing within the team. 

• Oversee code reviews, quality assurance processes, and best practices adherence. 

• Address and resolve project-related issues, risks, and escalations. 
  Provide regular project status updates to upper management and stakeholders

Qualifications:

EDUCATION:  Post-secondary degree/diploma in business or computer science, or equivalent experience. 

EXPERIENCE:

• Experience with Modern Technologies: Proficiency in delivering business process automation solutions on low code platforms such Appian, Pega etc.   
• Industry Experience: A minimum of 6 to 9 years of industry-related experience supporting technology platforms and delivering projects/products to enable business capabilities. 
• Leadership Skills: Excellent leadership skills with the ability to inspire and mentor developers, fostering a high-performance culture. 
• Adaptability: Ability to deal with ambiguity and flexibility of approach, adapting to changing requirements and environments. 
• Relationship Building: Strong relationship-building and influencing skills to manage stakeholders and ensure alignment with business objectives. 
• Change Leadership: Experience as a change leader, driving a high-performance culture and advocating for necessary cultural changes within the business unit. 
• Operational Improvement: Demonstrated experience in challenging the status quo and identifying areas of operational improvement (people, process, technology). 

REGISTRATIONS/LICENSES/CERTIFICATIONS: (list those required to perform the job that ALL associates in the role must have):  NA

SKILLS/CHARACTERISTICS:

• Hands-On and Strategic Mindset: Ability to be "hands-on" with support while also having a strategic/business mindset. 
• Agile/DevOps Methodology: Experience working with Agile/DevOps methodology. 
• Complex Environment Experience: Preference for and experience working in a complex, rapidly evolving environment with high expectations for excellence and achievement. 
• Technical Problem-Solving: Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to develop effective technical solutions under various constraints. 
• Industry Knowledge: Keeping current on industry technology direction and best practices, with a deep understanding of the financial services industry and regulatory compliance. 
• Communication Skills: Excellent written and verbal communication skills to prepare communications and interact effectively with all levels, both technical and non-technical, within the organization. 

We are an equal opportunity employer with a commitment to diversity.  All individuals, regardless of personal characteristics, are encouraged to apply.  All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, pregnancy, religion, physical or mental disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or any other status protected by applicable state or local law.