Senior Director Software Engineering

empower; United States; On-site; USD 200,000 - 280,000; Full time

Job summary

Empower is seeking a Senior Director of Software Engineering to lead a software engineering function across the business unit, setting strategic and technical direction for multiple teams. This role oversees complex systems from design through deployment, establishes priorities, budgets, and delivery standards while building leadership capability.

You will oversee program scope, partner with stakeholders, manage resources and vendors, and drive accountable execution across initiatives.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or Information Systems, or equivalent experience.
• Broad technical expertise across software systems and multiplatform environments.
• Experience overseeing complex software systems throughout the software development lifecycle.
• Experience managing managers and professional employees, including hiring, developing, motivating, coaching, and directing people.
• Experience managing project workloads, competing priorities, resources, schedules, risks, budgets, and delivery commitments.
• Experience managing operating costs, labor, and departmental financial performance.
• Experience managing relationships with internal stakeholders, external clients, and third-party vendors.

Responsibilities

• Lead software engineering teams responsible for the architecture, technical design, development, implementation, maintenance, support, repair, and enhancement of complex software systems and applications.
• Provide subject matter expertise across multiplatform applications and determine appropriate courses of action in partnership with systems and business leadership.
• Direct the software development lifecycle, including design, coding, testing, documentation, installation, maintenance, and support of proprietary and purchased software systems and applications.
• Establish and oversee policies, procedures, and expectations for system performance, quality assurance, testing, and technical documentation, ensuring solutions meet established business and customer requirements.
• Evaluate and make decisions regarding application enhancements, technical improvements, and changes based on system needs and organizational priorities.
• Manage project and development workloads across teams, including priorities, schedules, resources, risks, delivery expectations, and adjustments necessary to meet commitments.
• Execute deliverables through subordinate managers, ensuring initiatives are completed on time, within predefined requirements, and within approved budgets while maintaining accountability for team and project performance.
• Communicate project status, risks, dependencies, and impacts to key stakeholders and manage relationships with internal departments, external clients and third-party vendors.
• Oversee organizational design, resource allocation, and leadership structure for assigned departments or work units, setting clear short and long-term goals and delegating responsibilities based on capabilities and capacity.
• Develop short and long-term business strategies, prioritize initiatives, allocate resources, balance workloads, and manage leadership expectations related to deliverables and timelines.
• Recommend and implement improvements to policies, processes, systems, services, and operating practices while identifying, evaluating, and mitigating operational and delivery risks.
• Apply an enterprise and global perspective to identify opportunities to improve or align systems, services, resources and processes leading to multiple cont.
• Manage departmental operating costs and budgets, including labour.
• Make leadership decisions related to hiring, pay performance, appraisals, employee development, work schedules, and discipline.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Skills

Broad technical expertise

Strategic leadership

Software architecture

Vendor management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or Information Systems, or equivalent experience

Job description

Our vision for the future is based on the idea that transforming financial lives starts by giving our people the freedom to transform their own. We have a flexible work environment, and fluid career paths. We not only encourage but celebrate internal mobility. We also recognize the importance of purpose, well-being, and work-life balance. Within Empower and our communities, we work hard to create a welcoming and inclusive environment, and our associates dedicate thousands of hours to volunteering for causes that matter most to them.

Chart your own path and grow your career while helping more customers achieve financial freedom. Empower Yourself.

***Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa at this time, including CPT/OPT.***

The Senior Director Software Engineering will lead a software engineering function at the business unit or corporate level, providing strategic and technical direction across multiple teams, managers, and professional employees. This role will oversee complex software systems and applications throughout the development lifecycle, establish priorities and standards, manage resources and budgets, and develop short and long-term business strategies. The Senior Director Software Engineering will also build leadership capability, manage key stakeholder relationships, and drive accountable execution across teams and initiatives.

What you will do:

• Lead software engineering teams responsible for the architecture, technical design, development, implementation, maintenance, support, repair, and enhancement of complex software systems and applications.
• Provide subject matter expertise across multiplatform applications and determine appropriate courses of action in partnership with systems and business leadership.
• Direct the software development lifecycle, including design, coding, testing, documentation, installation, maintenance, and support of proprietary and purchased software systems and applications.
• Establish and oversee policies, procedures, and expectations for system performance, quality assurance, testing, and technical documentation, ensuring solutions meet established business and customer requirements.
• Evaluate and make decisions regarding application enhancements, technical improvements, and changes based on system needs and organizational priorities.
• Manage project and development workloads across teams, including priorities, schedules, resources, risks, delivery expectations, and adjustments necessary to meet commitments.
• Execute deliverables through subordinate managers, ensuring initiatives are completed on time, within predefined requirements, and within approved budgets while maintaining accountability for team and project performance.
• Communicate project status, risks, dependencies, and impacts to key stakeholders and manage relationships with internal departments, external clients and third-party vendors.
• Oversee organizational design, resource allocation, and leadership structure for assigned departments or work units, setting clear short and long-term goals and delegating responsibilities based on capabilities and capacity.
• Develop short and long-term business strategies, prioritize initiatives, allocate resources, balance workloads, and manage leadership expectations related to deliverables and timelines.
• Recommend and implement improvements to policies, processes, systems, services, and operating practices while identifying, evaluating, and mitigating operational and delivery risks.
• Apply an enterprise and global perspective to identify opportunities to improve or align systems, services, resources and processes leading to multiple cont.
• Manage departmental operating costs and budgets, including labour.
• Make leadership decisions related to hiring, pay performance, appraisals, employee development, work schedules, and discipline.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

What you will bring:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or Information Systems, or equivalent experience.
• Broad technical expertise across software systems, applications, and multiplatform environments.
• Experience overseeing complex software systems and applications throughout the software development lifecycle.
• Experience managing managers and professional employees, including hiring, developing, motivating, coaching, and directing people.
• Experience managing project workloads, competing priorities, resources, schedules, risks, budgets, and delivery commitments.
• Experience managing operating costs, labor, and departmental financial performance.
• Experience managing relationships with internal stakeholders, external clients, and third-party v