AVP, Policy Administration Strategy & Architecture

Job Description:

Pacific Life is seeking an experienced and visionary Assistant Vice President, Policy Administration Strategy & Architecture to drive the strategic direction and execution of policy administration systems focused on advancing capabilities through digitization, automation, and AI enablement across our Consumer Markets Division, delivering scalable, efficient, and customer-centric solutions.

This role will lead the technical strategy, architecture, and execution of core administration systems, partnering closely with business leaders in a “two-in-a-box” model to deliver measurable business outcomes. The AVP will champion innovation, define the future-state architecture, and ensure alignment between technology investments and business priorities to position the organization for long-term success.

This role will be located onsite in one of our office locations, preferably in Newport Beach, CA.What you'll own:

Strategic Leadership & Transformation Define and evolve the technology strategy and capability roadmap for Policy Administration aligned to enterprise architecture and business priorities.

Partner in a “two-in-a-box” model with business leadership to co-own shared OKRs and outcomes.

Drive modernization by decoupling legacy components, enabling composable services, and adopting next-gen platforms and AI-driven capabilities.

Identify where automation and AI can materially improve straight-through processing, service efficiency, data quality, and customer experience.

Platform Delivery & Execution Lead dedicated engineering teams responsible for core Policy Administration platforms, including FAST.Translate business needs into crisp, actionable delivery plans—turning vision into roadmaps, epics, and user stories with strong acceptance criteria.

Own execution cadence: PI planning, sprint prioritization, release strategy, and delivery metrics using agile and Dev Ops practices.

Set delivery quality standards and ensure strong execution across design, build, testing, training, launch, and support.

Remove roadblocks, manage dependencies, and maintain alignment across Technology, Product, Operations, and Enterprise Architecture.

Architecture & Solution Design Own architectural decisions across Policy Administration platforms to ensure scalability, modularity, resiliency, and reuse.

Guide the design of orchestration layers, APIs/integration patterns, unified workflows, and digital self-service experiences.

Ensure technology investments align to business outcomes and support long-term platform sustainability.

Talent & Team Development Build, mentor, and retain high-performing teams (employees + contractors + partners).Promote modern engineering practices and skills development (agile, Dev Ops, and GenAI enablement).Partner with HR and L&D on workforce planning, role clarity, and capability uplift.

Qualifications We’re looking for a leader who brings the right combination of domain depth, architecture leadership, and delivery accountability:10+ years in technology leadership roles, ideally within life and annuity insurance

Experience leading policy administration systems and large-scale modernization initiatives

Strong understanding of annuity/life products and core insurance operations

Proven ability to lead architecture + delivery across complex platforms and integrations

Experience with SaaS platforms and integrating SaaS with core administration systems

Strong command of agile delivery, product-centric operating models, and Dev Sec Ops  practices

Executive-level stakeholder influence and communication skills

Experience managing hybrid teams and vendor/partner relationships

Hands-on leadership style with a bias toward clarity, outcomes, and continuous improvement

Preferred qualifications

Strategic…