Position Overview

We are seeking a strategic and hands-on Head of Solutions Development and Automation to lead the buildout of our application development and automation function. This role will be foundational in establishing engineering excellence across development. This is a high-impact leadership opportunity to:

• Shape the future of our technology by building and leading cutting-edge application and automation development.
• Build and scale a high-performing team, defining the organizational structure in collaboration with the CTO and IT leadership.
• Drive IT operational maturity while balancing speed, agility, and stability.
• Work closely with IT leadership, product owners, and IT teams to deliver solutions that drive business growth and customer experience.
• Help lead innovation by integrating AI/ML, microservices, and DevOps strategies to enhance our platform.

This is a foundational leadership role focused on building the Application Development function from the ground up. Ideal for someone who thrives in fast-paced, evolving environments, this role involves creating structure where little exists — establishing team capabilities, delivery models, development standards, and scalable practices. The right candidate will enjoy shaping vision into execution, building and scaling teams, and driving the maturity of both the function and its impact across the organization.

Key Responsibilities

Strategy & Leadership

• Define and execute the application development and automation strategy, aligned with enterprise digital transformation goals.
• Build and manage a high-performing team across full-stack development, low-code platforms (e.g., Power Platform, Appian), and automation (e.g., RPA, API-first design).
• Demonstrate excellent transformative leadership and people management skills, with solid technical, communication, and analytical abilities to effectively define, decompose, estimate, and resolve problems.
• Proficient with various software methodologies (Agile, Lean, SAFe, etc.) for both on-premise and SaaS-based architectures.
• Establish and grow a dedicated UI/UX capability, with a focus on designing intuitive, consistent, and modern user experiences across internal and external applications.
• Develop and instill best practices in software design, agile delivery, code quality, and stakeholder collaboration.
• Partner with cross-functional stakeholders, including product owners, business executives, and IT teams, to align technology with business goals.

Engineering & Architecture

• Establish DevOps pipelines, CI/CD practices, and cloud-native development frameworks (Azure preferred).
• Stand up robust monitoring, observability, and alerting for all custom-built and automated solutions.
• Lead design, delivery, and support of custom-built applications across internal platforms and user-facing systems.
• Drive standardization of SDLC processes, including secure development, automated testing, documentation, and change management.

Delivery & Operations

• Own solution delivery from intake through release, with a focus on velocity, quality, security, and stakeholder satisfaction.
• Define and lead applications support models for custom solutions, ensuring SLAs, root cause analysis, and continuous improvement.
• Manage third-party development partners, balancing internal and outsourced capacity to scale effectively.

Governance & Risk

• Collaborate with cybersecurity, infrastructure, and data teams to ensure security, performance, and compliance.
• Promote reusable architecture and secure-by-design principles across application and automation initiatives.

Qualifications

• Must have Financial Industry Experience
• 10+ years of experience in software/application development
• 5+ years leadership & people management experience, building and mentoring high-performing development teams
• Proven experience establishing and scaling modern DevOps practices and observability frameworks
• Strong command of SDLC best practices, agile methodologies, and application lifecycle management
• Experience with Azure Cloud Platform, Azure and API integration, and low-code tools (e.g., Power Platform, Appian)
• Demonstrated success in delivering enterprise-grade custom-built and workflow solutions
• Strong background in code security, software quality, and production system stability
• Excellent communication, team leadership, and cross-functional collaboration skills
• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Engineering, or a related field; Master’s degree is a plus