Director of Application Development

INTRODUCTION

According to a 2017 report by Experian, credit unions continue to increase their overall numbers and market share in virtually every area of financial services, ranging from automobile loans (25% increase from 2015-2017), through personal loans, bankcard openings and mortgage loans.  Credit union members prefer the benefits of ownership, including a voice in the direction and operations of their financial services institution of choice.  They also enjoy the prospect of higher member returns and lower fees, more personalized service, and the sense of fulfillment that derives from the knowledge that their membership in a not-for-profit credit union contributes to worthy charitable causes.

The financial services industry however has never been more competitive, especially given the continued growth of online options.  And although our client enjoys a favored position within the industry – one of the largest U.S. credit unions in the U.S. – persistent leadership will require continued innovation in technology and services, and an inspired and resourceful employee team that remains attuned to member needs and experience.

Innovation will include continued digital transformation and contextual banking initiatives to reach members through all the touchpoints that are a part of their daily lives to enhance their loyalty to our client.  It will also mean continuing to evolve the use of data analytics from which to gain ever deeper insights into the customer experience and service quality.

OVERVIEW OF THE ROLE

The Director of Application Development, Data Services and PMO will lead the delivery of software solutions developed internally and by external partners, as well as quality assurance, project/program management, business analysis, business intelligence/analytics and data warehousing.

  • Work with the rest of the IS leadership team to create and manage the IS vision, strategy and roadmap that will take the company into the future
  • Lead, mentor and motivate the IS Development team; create an environment that attracts and enables high performers to thrive; recognize and reward teams and individuals
  • Partner with and manage major vendors and external service providers to ensure they meet the needs of the organization cost-effectively
  • Work collaboratively with the Director of IS Operations to provide technical leadership, deliver system capabilities to members and employees, develop/maintain an overall staffing/sourcing plan, and to develop and manage the annual IS budget
  • Define and continuously improve internal IS processes by establishing, monitoring and reporting on key performance indicators. Ensure departmental processes are designed and implemented to mitigate risks.
  • Remove obstacles, close gaps and manage risk to ensure on-time, on-budget delivery with impeccable quality
  • Work with Information Security team to ensure that the applications are effectively secured and that risks are mitigated. Also lead the team to prepare for audits and implement remediation efforts.
  • Establish, own and continually improve the Software Delivery processes critical to driving digital transformation, including Product Management, Agile/Scrum, move to DevOps, and Iterative Development
  • Develop productive relationships with business leaders across the organization to influence how applications can enable new value. Manage relationships and expectations both within IS and with all employees.
  • Foster a data-driven culture by leading efforts to establish an enterprise data warehouse, data governance, self-service data analysis capabilities and key performance indicator dashboards for the business
  • Oversee support activities in conjunction with infrastructure and IS operations to ensure the applications perform well in production
  • Understand emerging technology opportunities and drive strategic business innovations by facilitating innovative application work to test new ideas with bounded cost and timeframes
  • Effectively manage timekeeping and payroll tools, conduct timely performance appraisals and follow up, ensure all employees meet training and development goals and any other management duties
  • Create a resource staffing/sourcing plan that includes creative sourcing options and alternatives to ensure supply capacities meet work demand, role/skill set requirements and cost objectives

QUALIFICATIONS

  • Ability to simultaneously and effectively lead multiple efforts across cross-functional teams and individuals
  • Strong facilitation and communication/influencing skills at various levels of the company
  • Customer-centric focus with strong ability to listen, question and investigate
  • Ability to resolve conflicts, plan strategically and tactically, effectively manage time
  • Ability to lead change in a dynamic environment in both human and technical initiatives
  • Aptitude to develop, implement and improve business processes throughout the organization. Looks for opportunities to embrace innovation to improve user experiences and business process efficiencies.
  • High character that continuously demonstrates integrity and accepts accountability
  • Hard worker who thrives to achieve goals beyond job requirements and to be proactive
  • A clear communicator who conveys and receives information and ideas through a variety of media in a manner that engages listeners, helps them understand and retain the message, and invites response and feedback. Keeps others informed as appropriate. Demonstrates good written, oral, and listening skills.
  • Resourceful problem-solver who delivers results through decisive action and demonstrates the ability to break down problems into components and recognize the interrelationships, resulting in sound, well-informed and objective decisions consistent with available facts, constraints and probable consequences
  • Well-organized individual who can scope work requirements, set priorities and determine resources and sequence of activities needed to achieve goals
  • Cross-organizational collaborator who fosters constructive internal and external relationships with clients/customers, other work units, community organizations and others to meet mutual goals and objectives. Behaves professionally and supportively when working with individuals from a variety of ethnic, social and educational backgrounds.
  • A continuous learner who is committed to developing professionally, who attends professional conferences, focuses on best practices, values cutting-edge practices and approaches and is able to utilize newly gained knowledge and skills on the job

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

  • Minimum of 5 years of experience with Information/Business Systems development
  • Minimum of 2 years Quality Assurance in a technical setting
  • Minimum of 2 years Data Management experience
  • Minimum of 2 years managing external technology service providers
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills
  • Project Management and Financial Industry a plus
  • 4-year degree in Computer/Information Technology or equivalent work experience

 

Interested in this position? Get in touch.