Dir, Enterprise Applications (Testing)

100 Horizon Healthcare Services, Inc; Newark (NJ); On-site; USD 142,000 - 237,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Retirement plans

PTO

Incentive plans

Wellness programs

Volunteer time off

Tuition reimbursement

Job summary

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey is seeking a senior technology leader to drive strategy across a portfolio of up to 150 applications. You will oversee the software lifecycle, lead up to 350 technology professionals, and partner with business leaders to align roadmaps with Horizon’s strategic goals.

Ideal candidates will have extensive information systems delivery experience, strong managerial background, and proficiency in Agile/Scaled Agile practices.

Qualifications

• Ten to fifteen years professional experience in information systems delivery.
• Minimum of six years of managerial experience supervising technology staff.
• Lean Six Sigma, Agile/Scaled Agile training and certifications preferred.
• Software development lifecycle expertise required.
• Experience delivering complex technology programs and projects.

Responsibilities

• Lead workforce strategy balancing internal and external technology talent, budget and skill.
• Manage multiple application teams up to ~350 FTEs including Horizon employees and contractors.
• Establish partnerships with business customers to maintain digital and technology roadmaps.
• Oversee in-house development and vendor software lifecycle with best practices.
• Ensure 24x7x365 production support and agreed service levels.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic planning

Stakeholder management

Communication

Education

High School Diploma/GED

Bachelor degree

Job description

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey empowers our members to achieve their best health. For over 90 years, we have been New Jersey’s health solutions leader driving innovations that improve health care quality, affordability, and member experience. Our members are our neighbors, our friends, and our families. It is this understanding that drives us to better serve and care for the 3.5 million people who place their trust in us. We pride ourselves on our best‑in‑class employees and strive to maintain an innovative and inclusive environment that allows them to thrive. When our employees bring their best and succeed, the Company succeeds.

About the Role

In partnership with business customers and corporate leaders, creates technology and digital strategy for multiple business application (software) products ensuring integration with Horizon’s overall strategic plan. Maintains, plans and implements major modifications to a technology portfolio up to approximately 150 applications in pursuit of IT and business goals. Accountable for exemplary quality, performance, and availability service levels. Directs and oversees the software development lifecycle for new and existing in‑house and vendor off‑the‑shelf application assets. People leader for technology teams up to approximately 350.

What You’ll Do

People Leader Accountable for workforce strategy ensuring the necessary balance of internal and external technology talent, in terms of budget and skill, to appropriately meet customer demands. Large team management and engagement including; interviewing and hiring, training and skills development, performance management, communication, and overall compliance with Horizon regulatory requirements, policies, and procedures. Transformational leader able to guide teams through culture transition. Manage multiple application teams up to approximately 350 full time equivalents; both Horizon employees and on/offshore contingent resources.

Customer Liaison and Strategic Driver Establish and uphold effective partnerships with business customers to create and maintain digital and technology roadmaps as aligned with corporate strategy. Act as customer liaison for information technology. Implement and maintain cohesive and transparent demand management practices within a group of several product teams.

Application Development and Software Lifecycle Management – In house development and vendor off‑the‑shelf software implementation and integration. Ensure software development best practices and quality standards are embedded within all lifecycle phases and consistently utilized for software architecture, engineering, integration, testing and acceptance, and implementation. Align to Horizon’s SDLC methodology and act as transformational leader as the organization moves to Agile/Scrum. Establish and oversee close alignment with the business ensuring functional and nonfunctional requirements are collected and met and delivery commitments are upheld. Partners with EBTS directors (IT, Infrastructure & Operations, Information Security) to align on and implement divisional goals. Make certain of best practice artifact development, maintenance, and availability.

Application Portfolio Management and Service Level Availability Ensure technology roadmaps are created, managed, and implemented for the entirety of the application product line(s) within span of control. Align team members to enterprise, information security, and data governance standards on architecture. Maintain 24x7x365 production support and agreed upon service levels for performance, availability, and quality.

Vendor and contract management Develop and maintain a vendor strategy supportive of budgeted demand that aligns to the EBTS workforce strategy. Partner with corporate Legal and Procurement experts to ensure favorable terms and thorough vendor contracts. Manage effective vendor relationships, overseeing resource numbers/skill mix for capacity services relationships and delivery metrics for fixed priced contracts. Ensure month over month vendor adherence to contractual SLAs, contract terms, and quality of delivery. Uphold controls over the processes and transactions under areas of responsibility including the completeness and accuracy of financial information, business transactions, compliance with applicable laws and regulations, and the effectiveness and efficiency of operations.

Administrative, fiscal and budget management Monthly and yearly management of budgets over approximately $5M. Direct strategies that increase efficiency and throughput while maintaining cost and quality. Assure timely adherence to EBTS and Horizon’s administrative and compliance policies.

What You Bring

Education: High School Diploma/GED required Bachelor degree preferred or relevant experience in lieu of degree.

Work Experience: Ten to fifteen years professional experience in information systems delivery. Requires a minimum of six years of managerial experience, specifically supervising a technology staff.

Additional licensing, certifications, registrations: Preferred but not required: Lean Six Sigma Project Management Agile/Scaled Agile training and related certifications. Required: Software development lifecycle expertise. Experience in software engineering, development and maintenance. Proven ability to deliver quality software products and applications on time and within budget. Successful management of complex technology programs and projects. Demonstrated ability to effectively lead a technology team. Strong organizational and problem solving skills.

Preferred: Agile scrum/Scaled Agile Leadership Attributes Self-Management Relationship Management Conviction Implementation Mindset Drive Forward Thinking Functional Competencies Customer focused Develops talent and drives engagement Drives results Strategic mindset Ingenuity and flexibility Professional acumen and discretion Vendor relationship management and negotiation skills Transformational leader with strong communication skills Instills trust Values differences.

Why Horizon?

At Horizon, you’ll do meaningful work that directly improves lives—while being supported by a mission‑driven organization that values expertise, collaboration, and growth. We believe that when our people thrive, our communities do too. If you are passionate about making an impact, we’d love to hear from you!

Salary Range

Salary Range: $170,200 - $236,775. This compensation range is specific to the job level and takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions, including but not limited to: education, experience, licensure, certifications, geographic location, and internal equity. This range has been created in good faith based on information known to Horizon at the time of posting. Compensation decisions are dependent on the circumstances of each case.

Benefits

• Comprehensive health benefits (Medical/Dental/Vision)
• Retirement Plans
• Generous PTO
• Incentive Plans
• Wellness Programs
• Paid Volunteer Time Off
• Tuition Reimbursement

Disclaimer: Horizon BCBSNJ employees must live in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut or Delaware.

This job summary has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by colleagues within this classification. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of colleagues assigned to this job.

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or status as an individual with a disability and any other protected class as required by federal, state or local law. Horizon will consider reasonable accommodation requests as part of the recruiting and hiring process.

About Us

We are the leading health insurer in New Jersey, trusted by generations of families and businesses. We are dedicated to enriching the lives and health of our members and the New Jersey communities we serve, because we live and work here too.

Our Mission

We empower our members to achieve their best health.

Our Vision

We are New Jersey’s health solutions leader driving innovations that improve health care quality, affordability and member experience in the markets we serve.