Applications & AI Solutions Lead

Title: AVP - Applications & AI Solutions Lead
Location: Mumbai (Full-time)
Reporting To: EVP & Head Information Technology / CTO

Role Purpose
The Applications & AI Solutions Lead will be responsible for end-to-end ownership of Howden India's key business applications, including Policy Administration Systems, CRM, Financial Applications, Client Portals and future Group-approved platforms. The role will lead application support, change management, vendor governance, audit compliance, business engagement and strategic application transformation initiatives. A
key responsibility will be driving the planned migration from existing policy administration and CRM platforms to future Group-approved solutions while ensuring business continuity. In addition, the role will support and lead AI, automation and digital transformation initiatives
by managing internal and external development resources delivering solutions such as Sales Intelligence, Document Intelligence, Workflow Automation, Knowledge Assistants and Operational Productivity Platforms.

Key Responsibilities

Application Ownership & Support
Own and manage business-critical applications including CRM, Policy
Administration Systems, Client Portals and Financial Systems.
Ensure application availability, performance and support in line with agreed SLAs.
Manage production issues, root cause analysis and resolution.
Drive continuous improvement of application capabilities and user experience.
Maintain application documentation, SOPs, support procedures and knowledge repositories.

Project & Change Management
Manage application enhancement projects and change requests end-to-end.
Work closely with business stakeholders to gather requirements and define solutions.
Prepare business cases, functional speciifications and project documentation.
Coordinate testing, UAT, implementation and post-go-live support.
Ensure successful delivery of projects within agreed timelines and budgets.

Application Migration & Transformation
Lead migration of existing CRM and Policy Administration Systems to Group- approved strategic platforms.
Coordinate data migration, process mapping, testing and business transition activities.
Act as the primary IT representative for business stakeholders throughout the migration lifecycle.
Identify opportunities for application consolidation and modernization.

Vendor & Contract Management
Manage relationships with application vendors, implementation partners and service providers.
Review and negotiate support arrangements, SOWs and change requests.
Monitor vendor deliverables, performance and compliance with contractual obligations.
Drive accountability and value realization from technology investments.

Audit, Risk & Compliance
Act as primary auditee for application-related audits including:
ISO 27001
Internal Audits
Group Audits
Statutory Audits
Client Technology Audits

Ensure adherence to:
Information Security Policies
ISMS Controls
Change Management Controls
Access Management Controls
Risk Management Framework

Maintain audit evidence and remediation trackers.

AI & Digital Solutions Leadership
Lead development and implementation of AI and automation initiatives like:
Sales Intelligence Platforms
Document Intelligence Solutions
Internal Productivity Solutions

Responsibilities include:
Identifying AI and automation opportunities.
Defining business requirements and use cases.
Managing internal developers and external partners basis model adopted by the company
Reviewing solution architecture and implementation approaches.
Establishing governance, security and adoption frameworks.
Measuring business value and ROI.

Data & Analytics
Drive business reporting and management information systems
Work with business teams to define analytical requirements.
Support dashboarding and Power BI initiatives.
Ensure data quality and consistency across platforms.

Required Skills & Competencies
Business & Functional
General Insurance / Insurance Broking domain knowledge.
Policy Administration Systems.
CRM Platforms.
Financial Applications.
Business Analysis.
Process Mapping.
Requirement Gathering.
Change Management.
UAT Management.
Stakeholder Management.

Technology
Mandatory:
Application Support & Administration.
SQL and Data Analysis.
API and Integration Concepts.
Vendor Management.
Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC).

Preferred
Power Platform (Power Apps, Power Automate).
AI and Generative AI use cases.
Python.
Prompt Engineering.
Document Intelligence Platforms.
Azure AI / Copilot / Claude / OpenAI ecosystem understanding.
Data Analytics and Power BI.

Governance & Compliance
ISO 27001 awareness.
Risk Management.
Audit Management.
Information Security controls.
Third Party Risk Management.

Leadership
Strong stakeholder management skills.
Excellent communication and presentation skills.
Ability to manage cross-functional teams and external vendors.
Analytical and problem-solving mindset.
Ability to drive innovation while maintaining governance and compliance.
Education & Experience
Mandatory - B.E. / B.Tech. / Engineering Graduate.
8-10 years of experience in: Insurance Broking/ General Insurance/ Financial Services
Experience managing enterprise business applications.

Preferred
MBA.
Experience in AI, automation or digital transformation programs.
Experience managing small development teams or technology partners.
Exposure to cloud platforms, analytics and modern AI technologies.

Success Measures
Stable operations of core business applications.
Successful delivery of application enhancements and projects.
Successful migration to Group-approved platforms.
Positive audit outcomes with minimal observations.
Improved vendor performance and governance.
Delivery of AI and automation initiatives that reduce manual effort and improve business productivity.
Development of sustainable internal capability for future digital transformation
initiatives.