Head of Solution Delivery
Leeds, England, United Kingdom. Redhill, England, United Kingdom
Head of Solution Delivery
- 202508343
- Leeds, England, United Kingdom
- Redhill, England, United Kingdom
- Full time
Description
The Outsourcing Business delivers high quality pension administration services and solutions to clients in GB, Ireland, Germany and Asia. We provide fully outsourced pension administration services or co-sourced services, where we supply our services and support clients to administer their schemes. Outsourcing Business is currently the largest provider of pension administration services to the top 200 private sector funds including a number of high street banks. OGB also supports the LifeSight master trust product and OneDB which is WTWs bundled pension solution.
At WTW, we believe difference makes us stronger. We want our workforce to reflect the different and varied markets we operate in and to build a culture of inclusivity that makes colleagues feel welcome, valued and empowered to bring their whole selves to work every day. We are an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering an inclusive work environment throughout our organisation. We embrace all types of diversity.
The Role
The Head of Solution Delivery is accountable for shaping and driving the strategic vision for technology delivery, ensuring end-to-end execution of solutions that enable business outcomes across Outsourcing Business.
This role leads cross-functional teams in Solution Design and Delivery, Software and Data Engineering, and Quality Assurance, ensuring alignment with business objectives and continuous innovation. With full ownership of the delivery lifecycle—from design through implementation and transition to BAU—the role drives architectural integrity, platform scalability, and delivery excellence. The incumbent is responsible for embedding relevant delivery methodologies, managing risk and resource allocation, and maintaining high standards in solution design, data integration, and security.
A key aspect of the role is stakeholder engagement, acting as the technology voice in governance forums, chairing Tech Delivery steering committee and ensuring transparent communication of trade-offs, risks, and value. Through strategic leadership, technical depth, and a commitment to continuous improvement, the Head of Solution Delivery ensures consistent, high-impact outcomes that enable enterprise transformation.
As an integral member of the Technology Management Team (TMT) reporting to the Head of Technology for Outsourcing UK, Germany and Ireland, the Head of Solution Delivery is expected to line manage 5 sub functions and collaborate across LoBs, regional and global functions to deliver enterprise-grade platforms and services. The role also extends to supporting adoption of enterprise technology, policies and best practice, as well as vendor evaluations, internal and external audits, global initiatives such as Cyber Acceleration Programme and assessments against global KPIs.
Note: Out-of-hours cover may be expected occasionally, with consultation among colleagues as required.
At WTW, we trust you to know your work and the people, tools and environment you need to be successful. The majority of our colleagues work in a ”hybrid”(#LI-Hybrid) style, with a mix of remote, in-person and in office interactions dependent on the needs of the team, role and clients. Our flexibility is rooted in trust and “hybrid” is not a one-size-fits-all solution. We understand flexibility is key to supporting an inclusive and diverse workforce and so we encourage requests for all types of flexible working as well as location-based arrangements. Please speak to your recruiter to discuss more.
Key accountabilities include:
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Leadership & Strategy
Define, drive and execute delivery vision and roadmaps for all strategic business technology with the view to reduce technical debt and embrace innovation.
Lead and mentor team leads across Software and Data Engineering, Solution Architecture, and QA.
Align technology delivery with business objectives and strategic priorities.
Lead investment and prioritisation decisions for platform initiatives, ensuring alignment with business cases and strategic objectives. -
Solution Design & Architecture
Oversee solution architecture and system analysis activities.
Ensure consistency, scalability, and security across all technology solutions.
Evaluate emerging technologies, recommend and oversee adoption of good industry practices in solution design and implementation, ensuring delivery quality and technical integrity.
Ensure robust data architecture and integration across platforms. -
Delivery Management
Own the delivery lifecycle from design through implementation and transition to BAU.
Lead on embedding of the Architecture-Driven-Agile methodology and Solution Planning Framework.
Govern management of RAID logs, delivery backlogs, and sprint planning using DevOps tools.
Ensure timely decision-making on scope, budget, and resource allocation.
Continuously improve delivery velocity and reduce risk exposure. -
Software & Data Engineering
Embed best practices in software development and data engineering.
Promote automation and continuous improvement in engineering processes. -
Quality Assurance
Establish and maintain QA strategy and standards based on Automation First and Shift Left principles
Continuously improve functional, regression, integration and e2e testing quality in terms of traceability, coverage, speed of execution. -
Stakeholder Engagement
Collaborate with senior business stakeholders to ensure alignment.
Act as the technology voice in governance forums and steering committees.
Manage vendor relationships and external SMEs where required.
Liaise with key stakeholders to quantify and communicate the impacts, trade-offs, risks, costs, benefits and opportunities of technology solutions from an architecture perspective.
Qualifications
The Requirements
Mindset, Values & Capabilities
- Facilitates collaboration across business, technology, and cultural contexts, fostering alignment and shared ownership.
- Combines emotional intelligence with technical leadership to inspire and guide diverse, distributed teams.
- Brings extensive experience in solving complex delivery challenges across enterprise environments.
- Prioritises decisively and adapts swiftly in high-pressure, delivery-focused environments.
- Embeds governance, compliance, and audit readiness across platform lifecycle activities.
- Demonstrates passion and commitment to the organisation’s future through visible leadership.
- Guides teams to achieve performance outcomes through motivation and strategic support.
- Flexes leadership style across varied audiences and cultural contexts for maximum impact.
Technical Competencies
- Leads the adoption of platform-first principles across engineering and product delivery.
- Cultivates deep expertise across architecture domains, including solution design, software and data engineering, and quality assurance.
- Skilled in CI/CD systems and applying DevSecOps principles across environments.
- Skilled in defining architecture principles, reusable patterns, API strategies, and service mesh designs.
- Experienced in Agile SDLC including backlog management and sprint delivery.
- Demonstrates the potential of emerging technologies and industry trends to advance platform evolution.
- Applies deep subject matter expertise to resolve complex issues and implement lasting solutions.
- Experienced in system integration across legacy and modern platforms.
- Understands data architecture, governance, analytics and BI, data warehousing, LTE & ETL processes.
- Embeds security into solution design and delivery, with awareness of best practices and regulatory requirements (e.g., GDPR, ISO).
- Sets and enforces technical standards, including risk assessment and mitigation.
- Leads development of intellectual capital and enables team growth through technical upskilling.
Leadership Competencies
- Leads cross-functional transformation initiatives, aligning executive stakeholders and driving strategic change.
- Translates strategic KPIs into actionable insights, guiding platform evolution and high-value decision-making.
- Collaborates across senior leadership to develop high-impact platform strategies and systems thinking.
- Translates technical complexity into clear, actionable communication across business and IT audiences.
- Influences and engages internal and external stakeholders through tailored, strategic messaging.
- Maintains accountability for consistent delivery, continuous improvement, and enterprise enablement.
- Presents effectively to board-level audiences, executive committees, and strategic governance forums.
- Manages vendor partnerships and complex third-party contract negotiations with confidence.
- Builds high-performance solution delivery teams through strong mentoring and talent development.
- Coordinates multi-team engagement and manages resources across multiple disciplines.
- Communicates the platform vision with clarity and rallies teams around strategic outcomes.
- Translates business objectives into actionable, measurable platform enablement goals.
Key outcome –based expectations
- % Reduction in technical and functional debt year-over-year.
- % of projects delivered on time, within scope and budget
- % of code coverage by automated tests
- Defect leakage rate (post-release defects / total defects)
- % improvement in delivery velocity
- Stakeholder satisfaction scores
Inclusion and Diversity
- Champions inclusive leadership and cultivates diverse, high-trust teams.
- Creates spaces for authentic dialogue and ensures all voices are heard in technical forums.
Enjoy a benefits package designed to help you thrive, both professionally and personally. You'll receive 25 days of annual leave plus an extra WTW day to relax and recharge. Our comprehensive health and wellbeing offering includes private healthcare, life insurance, group income protection, and regular health assessments, all giving you peace of mind. Secure your future with our defined contribution pension scheme, featuring matched contributions up to 10% from the company.
We support your growth and balance with hybrid working options, access to an employee assistance programme, and a fully paid volunteer day to make a difference in your community. On top of these, you can opt into a variety of additional perks including an electric vehicle car scheme, share scheme, cycle-to-work programme, dental and optical cover, critical illness protection, and much more. Start making the most of your career and wellbeing with a range of benefits tailored for you.
We’re committed to equal employment opportunity and provide application, interview and workplace adjustments and accommodations to all applicants. If you foresee any barriers, from the application process through to joining WTW, please email candidate.helpdesk@willistowerswatson.com.
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