Director Application Development

Western & Southern Financial Group; Cincinnati (OH); On-site; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefits

Dental & vision coverage

401(k) retirement plan with company-mu

Paid time off and holidays

Tuition reimbursement

On-site fitness center

Employee assistance program

Job summary

Western & Southern Financial Group in Cincinnati is hiring a Director of Application Development and Production Support. You will lead multiple teams, translate business strategy into technology initiatives and ensure cost-effective, high-quality solutions.

The role calls for strong leadership, risk management, and the ability to drive delivery excellence across diverse applications and platforms within a collaborative, values-driven culture.

Qualifications

• Proven leadership experience in application development and production support.
• Strong project management, organizational and prioritization skills.
• Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance or IT preferred, or commensurate experience.

Responsibilities

• Direct and coordinate application development and production support across multiple technologies and business units.
• Partner with business leaders to translate strategy into technology solutions and cost-effective capabilities.
• Attract, coach and develop associates and leaders; maintain capacity and training to meet business needs.
• Drive strategic planning, process improvements and delivery excellence across teams.
• Collaborate cross-functionally to ensure reliable operations, governance and security standards.

Skills

Leadership experience

Strategic thinking

Project management

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance or Information Technology

Experience in IT leadership

Job description

Welcome to Western & Southern Financial Group- Our focus on creating value for our customers through everything we do is foundational to who we are. We provide meaningful and challenging work for our associates, a key facet of our incredible culture that helps make Western & Southern a career destination.

135 years of operating history;

• Born as a modest, door-to-door life insurance business and built to last forever
• Ranked 314 on Fortune 500
• Ranked No. 29 among Fortune 500 companies as a best company for career growth
• Award winning Talent Development Team
• Top 10 for Top Spouse Employer and Military Friendly Employer in 2023
• We consider Cincinnati the best place to live, work and celebrate life - that is why we are committed to doing good for our community

Our Culture

We are building our company to thrive and provide value to our customers, business partners and associates over the long term. To accomplish this, we look for professionals who embody our culture of integrity, top-notch performance, collaboration and teamwork. We are committed to hiring and developing associates who are driven to excel, have a strong work ethic and use astute, fact-based and ethical judgment in decision-making.

Overview of the Director Role:

Provides leadership and direction to support W&SFG business objectives through the cost-effective use of technology, staff and appropriate business practices. Leads and develops associates and/or managers responsible for application development and production support across multiple technologies, domains and business units. Partners closely with business leadership to translate strategy and objectives into high-quality, sustainable and cost-effective technology capabilities. Operates with significant independence, exercises sound judgment across a broad range of critical decisions and escalates to executive leadership when appropriate.

What you will do

• Plan, direct, coordinate and control application development and project activities across the full systems development and implementation lifecycle, including feasibility, requirements, scope, cost estimates, design, development, testing, implementation and support.
• Lead associates and/or managers supporting a broad portfolio of applications, technologies, business units and domains, while ensuring teams have the appropriate capacity, skills and training to meet business needs.
• Collaborate with business partners to understand business strategy, customer needs and market trends, and translate those needs into technology solutions that improve operations and enable business growth.
• Develop and execute technology and project initiatives aligned with W&SFG priorities while ensuring adherence to established IT standards, controls and practices.
• Proactively identify and address application, delivery and operational risks; participate actively in decision-making and drive issues through resolution.
• Attract, recruit, coach and develop associates and leaders. Establish clear expectations, provide effective feedback and development plans, and build organizational capability and succession strength.
• Maintain awareness of current and emerging business and technology trends and apply relevant industry and technical knowledge to business objectives.
• Ensure efficient, cost-effective operation of assigned teams while maintaining the appropriate capacity, skills and training needed to support business priorities.
• Manage a broad portfolio of application development and production support responsibilities spanning multiple technologies, business units and domains.
• Lead strategic planning and execution of process improvements that strengthen delivery effectiveness, application support and organizational performance.
• Work cross-functionally with business partners and IT teams to define, develop and implement technology solutions that improve operations and enable business growth.
• Maintain a broad enterprise perspective while ensuring effective execution of project, operational and departmental responsibilities.
• Participate in technology evaluations, management-level committees and task forces, and effectively negotiate with external vendors as appropriate.
• Coordinate application systems emergency recovery activities and proactively address potential systems problems to support reliable operations.
• Evaluate and appropriately leverage modern engineering practices, automation and AI-enabled capabilities to improve the SDLC, productivity and quality.
• Ensure adherence to W&SFG policies, IT standards, security, data privacy, governance and responsible technology-use expectations.
• Continuously improve IT management processes, tools and delivery practices and communicate departmental responsibilities and status clearly to management.

Quality

1. Strategic Business & Technology Leadership

Translates business strategy and W&SFG priorities into clear technology direction, plans and executable initiatives. Thinks beyond individual projects to understand business outcomes, organizational impact, cost, sustainability and long-term technology needs. Demonstrates strategic thinking from concept through implementation, anticipates future organizational requirements, and develops plans to meet them. Maintains ownership for the overall health of the application portfolio, balancing new capabilities with reliability, security, technical debt reduction, modernization, supportability and cost-effective long-term sustainability.

3. Business Partnership & Executive Influence

Develops trusted relationships with business and IT leadership and works collaboratively to define strategies, priorities and technology solutions. Understands business needs, customer needs and market trends; communicates clearly with management and external partners; and influences decisions by articulating business value, technology implications, risks, costs and tradeoffs. Leads effectively across Application Development, Architecture, Infrastructure, Security, Operations, PMO, vendors and business leadership to achieve shared outcomes.

4. Judgment, Ownership & Decision-Making

Works with significant independence and takes end-to-end ownership for outcomes, including delivery, operational stability, risk, cost, staffing and technology health. Applies strong analytical and fact-based judgment to define and quantify problems, interpret relevant information, evaluate alternatives, make critical decisions and drive resolution. Understands the appropriate level of decision-making authority and escalates to executive leadership when warranted.

5. Delivery & Operational Excellence

Provides disciplined oversight of multiple initiatives and application areas across development, implementation and production support. Balances scope, schedule, cost, quality, resources and risk while ensuring reliable, cost-effective operations and adherence to W&SFG IT standards. Establishes effective delivery practices, uses meaningful measures to identify bottlenecks and improve predictability, and continuously improves quality, speed, reliability and productivity. Proactively addresses system and delivery issues and holds teams accountable for accurate, timely and sustainable results.

6. Technology Vision, Adaptability & Continuous Improvement

Maintains knowledge of current and emerging business and technology trends and applies relevant industry and technical knowledge to business objectives. Anticipates future needs, adapts effectively to shifting priorities, deadlines, ambiguity and rapid change, evaluates new technologies, and identifies opportunities to simplify, standardize, automate and improve IT processes, tools and ways of working. Evaluates modern engineering practices and AI-enabled capabilities based on business value while ensuring appropriate security, governance, data privacy and responsible use.

Experience & Qualifications:

Proven leadership experience in application development and production support, including coordinating multiple IT projects or assignments, leading and motivating teams, working independently, and interacting effectively with corporate management and external vendors.

Education:

Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance or Information Technology preferred, or commensurate experience.

Key Qualifications

• Demonstrated strategic thinking from concept through implementation, with the ability to anticipate future organizational requirements and develop plans to meet them.
• Strong project management, organizational and prioritization skills, with demonstrated success managing multiple assignments and competing demands.
• Strong analytical and fact-based decision-making skills, including identifying and quantifying problems, evaluating alternatives and developing effective solutions.
• Demonstrated ability to lead, motivate, coach and develop associates and/or managers and build organizational capability.
• Demonstrated ability to partner with and influence business and IT leadership in defining strategies and developing business cases.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to communicate clearly with management, business partners and external vendors.

'Premier Benefits to Support YOU'

• Comprehensive benefits including medical, dental, vision, prescription, pet insurance, life insurance, disability, Fertility, maternity/caregiver & parental leave, and more!
• Retirement solution with our 401(k) savings AND pension plan!
• Paid time off that increases with tenure.
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Subsidized affordable parking
• On-site Cafeteria and fitness center (including sports leagues)
• On-site Registered Nurse
• Career Coaching/Mentoring
• Individualized development plans and career pathing

Learn more about who we are visit; www.westernsouthern.com/careers/home-office-careers.