Application Development Manager

The Momba Group; Des Moines (IA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

The Momba Group is seeking an experienced Application Development Manager to lead a high-performing technology team supporting mission-critical business applications and strategic digital initiatives. This role emphasizes collaboration, leadership, and modernization in a complex enterprise environment.

Ideal candidates will bring strong delivery experience, stakeholder management, and the ability to drive technology direction aligned with business goals.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and professional experience.
• 8+ years of experience within software development, application delivery, or IT leadership environments.
• Prior experience leading technical teams and managing delivery efforts.
• Strong understanding of enterprise application development and support models.

Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of software engineers and technical professionals.
• Manage staffing, workload balancing, employee development, performance management, and team engagement.
• Foster a culture centered around accountability, collaboration, continuous improvement, and innovation.
• Support career growth and skill development across the team.
• Oversee the successful delivery and support of enterprise business applications and strategic technology initiatives.
• Partner with engineering teams to establish application roadmaps and future-state capabilities.
• Collaborate with cross-functional technology teams to deliver scalable, high-quality solutions.
• Ensure projects are aligned with organizational priorities and business outcomes.
• Serve as a primary liaison between IT and business stakeholders.
• Translate complex business challenges into actionable technology solutions.
• Partner with leadership to prioritize initiatives, manage risks, and support digital transformation efforts.
• Communicate project status, risks, and resolution plans to stakeholders and leadership teams.
• Help drive best practices related to the software development lifecycle, delivery methodologies, and operational support.
• Partner with technical teams to maintain application stability, integrity, and performance.
• Identify operational inefficiencies and recommend process or technology improvements.
• Support vendor relationships, service delivery expectations, and third-party solution evaluations.
• Stay informed on emerging technologies, development trends, and modernization strategies.
• Help evaluate new tools and platforms that can improve efficiency, scalability, and customer experience.
• Support strategic planning and prioritization of technology investments.

Skills

People leadership

Stakeholder management

Communication

Agile delivery

Strategic thinking

Team development

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Job description

The Momba Group is partnering with a well-established financial services organization seeking an experienced Application Development Manager to lead a high-performing technology team supporting mission-critical business applications and strategic digital initiatives.

This leadership role is ideal for someone who thrives in a collaborative, fast-moving environment and enjoys building strong teams, partnering across the business, and driving technology solutions that improve customer, employee, and operational experiences.

The ideal candidate brings a blend of people leadership, application delivery expertise, strategic thinking, and the ability to align technology initiatives with broader business goals.

Overview

As the Application Development Manager, you will oversee a team responsible for supporting and enhancing key enterprise applications within a core business domain. You will work closely with business stakeholders, product owners, architects, engineers, and executive leadership to help shape technology direction, prioritize initiatives, and deliver scalable solutions that support long-term organizational growth.

This position requires someone who can effectively lead teams, manage competing priorities, communicate across all levels of the organization, and help modernize technology capabilities within a complex enterprise environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of software engineers and technical professionals
• Manage staffing, workload balancing, employee development, performance management, and team engagement
• Foster a culture centered around accountability, collaboration, continuous improvement, and innovation
• Support career growth and skill development across the team

Technology Delivery & Execution

• Oversee the successful delivery and support of enterprise business applications and strategic technology initiatives
• Partner with engineering teams to establish application roadmaps and future-state capabilities
• Collaborate with cross-functional technology teams to deliver scalable, high-quality solutions
• Ensure projects are aligned with organizational priorities and business outcomes

Business Partnership & Strategic Alignment

• Serve as a primary liaison between IT and business stakeholders
• Translate complex business challenges into actionable technology solutions
• Partner with leadership to prioritize initiatives, manage risks, and support digital transformation efforts
• Communicate project status, risks, and resolution plans to stakeholders and leadership teams

Operational & Technical Oversight

• Help drive best practices related to the software development lifecycle, delivery methodologies, and operational support
• Partner with technical teams to maintain application stability, integrity, and performance
• Identify operational inefficiencies and recommend process or technology improvements
• Support vendor relationships, service delivery expectations, and third-party solution evaluations
• Stay informed on emerging technologies, development trends, and modernization strategies
• Help evaluate new tools and platforms that can improve efficiency, scalability, and customer experience
• Support strategic planning and prioritization of technology investments

Required Experience

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and professional experience
• 8+ years of experience within software development, application delivery, or IT leadership environments
• Prior experience leading technical teams and managing delivery efforts
• Strong understanding of enterprise application development and support models

Desired Skills & Background

• Proven leadership experience with the ability to motivate and develop high-performing teams
• Strong communication, collaboration, and stakeholder management skills
• Ability to operate effectively in fast-paced, results-driven environments
• Experience working within Agile and modern software delivery methodologies
• Strong analytical, organizational, and strategic thinking abilities
• Experience managing complex priorities and cross-functional initiatives

Preferred Qualifications

• Background within financial services, insurance, banking, or highly regulated industries
• Familiarity with enterprise application ecosystems and distributed technologies
• Understanding of SDLC best practices, Agile frameworks, and application modernization efforts
• Experience partnering with external vendors and managing service relationships

What Makes This Opportunity Exciting

• Opportunity to lead impactful enterprise technology initiatives
• High visibility across both business and IT leadership
• Collaborative environment with strong executive partnership
• Ability to influence modernization and future technology direction
• Long-term growth potential within a stable financial services organization

NOTE: **Our client is unable to provide sponsorship at this time**