Director, Software Engineering

Transamerica Corporation; Cedar Rapids (IA); Hybrid; USD 190,000 - 225,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work environment

Job summary

Transamerica Corporation is seeking a senior IT leader to drive the development of web and cloud platforms across the enterprise. You will define strategies, grow capabilities, and mentor a diverse team while directing delivery plans, budgets, and stakeholder partnerships.

This role emphasizes architecture, change leadership, and results across multiple business lines. The position requires a strong background in distributed systems, DevOps, and senior-level collaboration with executives.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a technical field or equivalent experience.
• 10+ years in database design, distributed apps, and microservices.
• 8+ years delivering large-scale design projects with cross-functional teams.
• 6+ years managing diverse teams and leading cross-functional work.
• Strong background in DevOps, CI/CD, architecture and strategy.
• Experience managing vendor relationships, including negotiations.
• Familiarity with modern UI frameworks and web technologies.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical guidance to development teams to deliver quality solutions across lines of business.
• Drive end-to-end enterprise design solutions and alignment with strategic priorities.
• Interact with executive leadership to set strategic direction for department and functions.
• Collaborate with senior leaders and stakeholders at all levels across the organization.
• Translate priorities into actionable plans with milestones and budgets.
• Champion enterprise architecture and design principles across projects.
• Lead discussions with stakeholders and architecture teams on whiteboard sessions.
• Identify opportunities to leverage third-party frameworks and APIs for faster delivery.
• Ensure high-quality services with oversight, KPIs, and internal controls.
• Stay current with tech trends and participate in tech communities.
• Mentor leaders and develop staff through coaching and feedback.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic thinking

Communication

Problem-solving

Analytical thinking

Technical communication

Prioritization

Adaptability

Education

Bachelor’s degree in computer science or related field

Tools

Angular

React

Vue.js

HTML

CSS

Job description

Job Family IT - Development

About Us

At Transamerica, hard work, innovative thinking, and personal accountability are qualities we honor and reward. We understand the potential of leveraging the talents of a diverse workforce. We embrace an environment where employees enjoy a balance between their careers, families, communities, and personal interests. Ultimately, we appreciate the uniqueness of a company where talented professionals work collaboratively in a positive environment — one focused on helping people look forward and plan for the best life possible while providing tools and solutions that make it easier to get there.

Who We Are

We believe everyone deserves to live their best life. More than a century ago, we were among the first financial services companies in America to serve everyday people from all walks of life. Today, we’re part of an international holding company, with millions of customers and thousands of employees worldwide. Our insurance, retirement, and investment solutions help people make the most of what’s important to them. We’re empowered by a vast agent network covering North America, with diversity to match. Together with our nonprofit research institute and foundation, we tune in, step up, and are a force for good — for our customers and the communities where we live, work, and play. United in our purpose, we help people create the financial freedom to live life on their terms.

What We Do

Transamerica is organized into three distinct businesses. These include 1) World Financial Group, including Transamerica Financial Advisors, 2) Protection Solutions and Savings & Investments, comprised of life insurance, annuities, employee benefits, retirement plans, and Transamerica Investment Solutions, and 3) Financial Assets, which includes legacy blocks of long term care, universal life, and variable and fixed annuities. These are supported by Transamerica Corporate, which includes Finance, People and Places, General Counsel, Risk, Internal Audit, Strategy and Development, and Corporate Affairs, which covers Communications, Brand, and Government and Policy Affairs. Transamerica employs nearly 7,000 people. It’s part of Aegon, an integrated, diversified, international financial services group serving approximately 23.9 million customers worldwide.* For more information, visit transamerica.com.

Job Description Summary

Provides leadership in the development of new web and cloud technologies to support an agile digital business. Defines enterprise web and cloud strategies, grow capabilities, and develops the team by providing technology vision and leadership, career development, and mentoring in design, framework and platform decisions. Defines and communicates delivery plans, manage team budgets, and partners with leaders in key business and IT groups to deliver value through efficient use of development resources.

Job Description Responsibilities

• Provide technical guidance and leadership to the development teams to deliver quality solutions utilized by multiple lines of business.
• Continue to drive the team toward delivery of the best end to end design solutions for the enterprise.
• Interact with executive management to develop strategic direction for the department and functional areas.
• Partner with senior leadership and stakeholders at all levels of the organization.
• Provide clear direction by translating strategic priorities and goals into defined tactical action plans and milestones.
• Work with cross functional leaders to understand and influence business strategy, set priorities, and define technology goals.
• Act as a strategist and champion for enterprise architecture and design principles.
• Lead white board discussions and presentations with key stakeholders, executive leadership, and enterprise architecture team.
• Identify opportunities to utilize third-party software development frameworks, open source libraries, and APIs in agile, and speed to market focused development for business partners.
• Ensure high quality service is achieved by providing oversight, monitoring key performance indicators, internal controls, and keeping abreast of market events and industry changes.
• Bring a passion to stay on top of technical trends, experiment with new technologies, and participate in internal and external technology communities.
• Act quickly and appropriately to solve problems, bring clarity, and minimize the impact of unforeseen circumstances.
• Drive a culture of change and innovation which constructively challenges the status quo and leads to prudent experimentation.
• Have a growth mindset with the ability to adopt new practices and spearhead adoption.
• Oversee the quality, delivery, performance, cost, and scope for cloud and web development initiatives.
• Develop staff through coaching, provide timely performance feedback and assessments and establish performance and development plans.
• Mentor current and future leaders, ensuring a constantly rising bar in technical excellence and professional growth.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, information systems, math, engineering, or other technical field, or equivalent experience
• Ten years of experience with database design techniques/philosophies, modern distributed applications, and microservices
• Eight years of experience in delivery of large-scale design projects involving interaction with a broad spectrum of enterprise operational functions
• Six years of experience managing a diverse team and leading cross-functional teams
• Strong background in the execution of DevOps methodologies and continuous integration/continuous deliver, and accomplishments in architecture and strategy
• Experience managing vendor relationships, including product/service evaluation, contract negotiations, and on-going relationship management
• Familiarity with modern UI development frameworks (e.g. Angular, React, Vue.js) and web technologies (e.g. HTTP, HTML, JS, CSS)
• Results oriented with a strong customer focus
• Strong communication skills to delivery highly relevant and effective information to the Board, executives, and employees
• Ability to synthesize ambiguous and complex information in a way the leads to substantive actionable outcomes
• Proactive mindset to drive change, question assumptions and push for innovation solutions
• Ability to work as part of a team and independently
• Analytical and problem-solving skills
• Technical communication skills and the ability to present information to all levels of the organization
• Problem-solving and technical communication skills
• Ability to work in a highly matrixed environment and identify, define, and resolve organizational issues
• Creative analytical thinker
• Ability to prioritize workload to meet tight deadlines

Preferred Qualifications

• Ten years experience in banking and/or life insurance industry
• Proven experience leading large-scale AI engineering organizations, driving front-end architecture, modern web technologies, and enterprise digital transformation initiatives
• Demonstrated expertise in building scalable, accessible, and high-performance user interfaces using modern frameworks, design systems, and component-based development methodologies
• Strong track record of partnering with Product, UX, Architecture, and Engineering leaders to deliver customer-centric digital experiences and align technology roadmaps with business objectives
• Experience leveraging AI, GenAI, and emerging technologies to enhance user experiences, improve developer productivity, and accelerate innovation across digital platforms

Working Conditions

Hybrid office environment (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday)

Locations: Denver, Cedar Rapids, Philadelphia

Work outside of normal business hours may be required

Frequent Travel 25 to 50%

Compensation

The Salary for this position generally ranges between $190,000 - $225,000 annually. Please note that the salary range is a good faith estimate for this position and actual starting pay is determined by several factors including qualifications, experience, geography, work location designation (in-office, hybrid, remote) and operational needs. Salary may vary above and below the stated amounts, as permitted by applicable law.

Applicants must possess legal authorization to work for our company in the U.S. without the need for immigration, sponsorship or otherwise serving as an employer of record for immigration employment purposes. At this time, this role is not eligible for immigration-related employment authorization sponsorship.

Enterprise Technology is a global Aegon/Transamerica organization that enables the business to move quickly and deliver the best possible outcomes for clients, while keeping their information safe and secure. With more than 1,000 employees across the UK, US, Netherlands, Hungary, Spain, and Hong Kong, Enterprise Technology is a diverse, global team. Our experts work across areas such as application development, information security, infrastructure, data & analytics, risk & controls, program management, and architecture. We offer a wide range of career opportunities and are committed to supporting employee development. Curiosity is the quality we value most. Much of our work involves solving complex problems, applying knowledge in new ways, and continuously improving how we operate. As technology evolves rapidly, we look for inquisitive people who are confident challenging the status quo and helping us drive change.

What We Offer

For eligible employees, we offer a comprehensive benefits package designed to support both the personal and the financial well-being of our employees.

• Competitive Pay
• Bonus for Eligible Employees
• Benefits Package
• Pension Plan
• 401k Match
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Disability Insurance
• Medical Insurance
• Dental Insurance
• Vision Insurance
• Employee Discounts
• Career Training & Development Opportunities
• Health and Work/Life Balance Benefits
• Paid Time Off starting at 160 hours annually for employees in their first year of service.
• Ten (10) paid holidays per year (typically mirroring the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) holidays).
• Be Well Company holistic wellness program, which includes Wellness Coaching and Reward Dollars
• Parental Leave – fifteen (15) days of paid parental leave per calendar year to eligible employees with at least one year of service at the time of birth, placement of an adopted child, or placement of a foster care child.
• Adoption Assistance
• Employee Assistance Program
• Back-Up Care Program
• PTO for Volunteer Hours
• Employee Matching Gifts Program
• Employee Resource Groups
• Inclusion and Diversity Programs
• Employee Recognition Program
• Referral Bonus Programs
• Inclusion & Diversity

We believe our commitment to diversity and inclusion creates a work environment filled with exceptional individuals. We’re thrilled to have been recognized for our efforts through the Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index, Dave Thomas Adoption Friendly Advocate, and several Seramount lists, including the Inclusion Index, 100 Best Companies for Working Parents, Best Companies for Dads, and Top 75 Companies for Executive Women.

Giving Back

We believe our responsibilities extend beyond our corporate walls. That’s why we created the Aegon Transamerica Foundation in 1994. Through a mix of financial grants and the volunteer efforts of our employees, the foundation supports nonprofit organizations focused on the things that matter most to our people in the communities where we live and work.

Transamerica’s Parent Company

Aegon acquired the Transamerica business in 1999. Since its start in 1844, Aegon has grown into an international company serving more than 23.9 million people across the globe.* It offers investment, protection, and retirement solutions, always with a clear purpose: Helping people live their best lives. As a leading global investor and employer, the company seeks to have a positive impact by addressing critical environmental and societal issues, with a focus on climate change and inclusion and diversity.

* As of December 31, 2023 At Transamerica, hard work, innovative thinking, and personal accountability are qualities we honor and reward. We understand the potential unleashed by leveraging the talents of a diverse workforce. We embrace an environment where employees enjoy a balance between their careers, families, communities, and personal interests. Ultimately, we appreciate the uniqueness of a company where talented professionals work collaboratively in a positive environment — one focused on helping people look forward and plan for the best life possible while providing tools and solutions that make it easier to get there.

* As of December 31, 2022 For more information about Transamerica’s privacy practices, click here.