Director of Application Development

DOWC; Parsippany-Troy Hills (NJ); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Work from home Fridays

Medical, Dental, Vision

401k matching

Life Insurance

PTO & Sick Time

On-site cafeteria

Job summary

Dealer Owned Warranty Company LLC in Parsippany is seeking a highly technical Director of Application Development to lead onshore and offshore teams, modernize the software portfolio, and oversee SDLC practices. You will drive architecture, governance, and strategic tech initiatives while collaborating with executive leadership.

The role combines hands-on software design with visionary leadership, focusing on cloud adoption, API-first development, and DevOps maturity to align with business goals.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in CS, IS, SWE, or related field.
• 10+ years of application development experience.
• 5+ years of progressive director-level leadership experience.
• Experience managing large tech initiatives, vendors, budgets.
• Strong backend with .NET/Java/Node.js/Python.
• Knowledge of RESTful APIs, GraphQL, SOA and integration patterns.
• Strong DevOps, CI/CD, testing and deployment automation.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute the technology roadmap for all DOWC applications.
• Evaluate emerging AI technologies and recommend scalable, secure solutions.
• Lead architecture and software development practices across teams.
• Partner with executives to prioritise investments and initiatives.
• Establish architecture standards and governance processes.

Skills

Full stack

API design

DevOps

Cloud architecture

Leadership

Stakeholder mgmt

AI governance

Security basics

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

CI/CD tools

REST/GraphQL tooling

Job description

Dealer Owned Warranty Company LLC is a leading provider of F&I (Finance and Insurance) partnership services in the automotive industry. We partner with thousands of dealerships nationwide, including exclusively for Nissan! Our newly renovated office is located in Parsippany and features a private corporate cafe serving breakfast and lunch from an exclusive, private chef and an outdoor dining courtyard. NJ's Best Places to Work 4 years in a row!

About the role

We are seeking a highly technical and visionary director to lead both on-shore and off-shore enterprise application development for our growing company in Parsippany. The Director of Application Development is responsible for the overall strategy, delivery, support, and modernization of Dealer Owned Warranty Company's (DOWC) application portfolio. This leader will oversee all application development activities, including onshore and offshore development resources, application architecture, software delivery, integration services, and development lifecycle processes.

This role requires a strong technical leader who remains hands‑on with software design and development while also driving strategic initiatives to modernize DOWC's application ecosystem, development methodologies, and Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC).

The ideal candidate combines deep application development expertise, experience leading distributed teams, and a vision for transforming software engineering practices through modern architecture, automation, quality assurance, and DevOps principles.

Job Responsibilities:

• Develop and execute the technology roadmap for all DOWC applications.
• Evaluate emerging AI technologies and recommend solutions that improve scalability, performance, security, and maintainability.
• Serve as the primary technology leader for application architecture and software development practices.
• Partner with executive leadership and business stakeholders to prioritize investments and technology initiatives.

Architecture & Technology Governance

• Establish application architecture standards and governance processes.
• Ensure solutions are secure, scalable, maintainable, and aligned with organizational standards.
• Lead application modernization initiatives, including cloud adoption, API-first design, integration frameworks, and platform rationalization.
• Partner with infrastructure, security, and business teams to ensure alignment across technology domains.
• Establish delivery expectations, service levels, and performance metrics.
• Ensure effective resource planning and utilization.
• Evaluate and manage development tools, platforms, and third‑party technology vendors.

Required Experience & Skills:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Software Engineering, or related field is required.
• Minimum of 10+ years of application development experience.
• Minimum of 5+ years of progressive leadership (director level) experience managing software development teams both onshore and offshore.
• Success managing large technology initiatives, vendors, budgets, and cross-functional partnerships.
• Extensive experience in full stack application development, including front-end, back-end, database, API, and cloud-based architectures.
• Strong back‑end development expertise using technologies such as .NET, Java, Node.js, Python, and microservices-based architectures.
• Deep understanding of RESTful APIs, GraphQL, service-oriented architecture (SOA), and integration patterns.
• Strong knowledge of DevOps practices, CI/CD pipelines, automated testing, and deployment automation.
• Knowledge of IT service management, Agile delivery, modern DevOps practices, application governance, and AI governance.
• Ability to contribute to design and coding activities when necessary.
• Strong understanding of application architecture, integration patterns, APIs, databases, security principles, and cloud technologies.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.

Come join our growing team here in Parsippany! As NJ's Best Places to Work Honoree for four years in a row, we offer:

• Competitive compensation
• Work from home Fridays
• PTO and Sick Time
• Medical, Dental, Vision, 401k matching, Life Insurance, ancillary benefits
• Full-service cafeteria on‑site serving breakfast and lunch from an exclusive private chef
• Corporate events, team and culture building activities, extracurriculars, employee awards and recognition, company trips and more!

DOWC is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected Veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law. Applicants who require accommodation to participate in the job application process may contact us for assistance.