Director Application Development

Welcome to Western & Southern Financial Group
- Our focus on creating value for our customers through everything we do is foundational to who we are. We provide meaningful and challenging work for our associates, a key facet of our incredible culture that helps make Western & Southern a career destination.

135 years of operating history;

• Born as a modest, door-to-door life insurance business and built to last forever
• Ranked 314 on Fortune 500
• Ranked No. 29 among Fortune 500 companies as a best company for career growth
• Award winning Talent Development Team
• Top 10 for Top Spouse Employer and Military Friendly Employer in 2023
• We consider Cincinnati the best place to live, work and celebrate life - that is why we are committed to doing good for our community

We are building our company to thrive and provide value to our customers, business partners and associates over the long term. To accomplish this, we look for professionals who embody our culture of integrity, top-notch performance, collaboration and teamwork. We are committed to hiring and developing associates who are driven to excel, have a strong work ethic and use astute, fact-based and ethical judgment in decision-making.

Provides leadership and direction to support W&SFG business objectives through the cost-effective use of technology, staff and appropriate business practices. Leads and develops associates and/or managers responsible for application development and production support across multiple technologies, domains and business units. Partners closely with business leadership to translate strategy and objectives into high-quality, sustainable and cost-effective technology capabilities. Operates with significant independence, exercises sound judgment across a broad range of critical decisions and escalates to executive leadership when appropriate.

• Plan, direct, coordinate and control application development and project activities across the full systems development and implementation lifecycle, including feasibility, requirements, scope, cost estimates, design, development, testing, implementation and support.
• Lead associates and/or managers supporting a broad portfolio of applications, technologies, business units and domains, while ensuring teams have the appropriate capacity, skills and training to meet business needs.
• Collaborate with business partners to understand business strategy, customer needs and market trends, and translate those needs into technology solutions that improve operations and enable business growth.
• Develop and execute technology and project initiatives aligned with W&SFG priorities while ensuring adherence to established IT standards, controls and practices.
• Proactively identify and address application, delivery and operational risks; participate actively in decision-making and drive issues through resolution.
• Attract, recruit, coach and develop associates and leaders. Establish clear expectations, provide effective feedback and development plans, and build organizational capability and succession strength.
• Maintain awareness of current and emerging business and technology trends and apply relevant industry and technical knowledge to business objectives.
• Ensure efficient, cost-effective operation of assigned teams while maintaining the appropriate capacity, skills and training needed to support business priorities.
• Manage a broad portfolio of application development and production support responsibilities spanning multiple technologies, business units and domains.
• Lead strategic planning and execution of process improvements that strengthen delivery effectiveness, application support and organizational performance.
• Work cross-functionally with business partners and IT teams to define, develop and implement technology solutions that improve operations and enable business growth.
• Maintain a broad enterprise perspective while ensuring effective execution of project, operational and departmental responsibilities.
• Participate in technology evaluations, management-level committees and task forces, and effectively negotiate with external vendors as appropriate.
• Coordinate application systems emergency recovery activities and proactively address potential systems problems to support reliable operations.
• Evaluate and appropriately leverage modern engineering practices, automation and AI-enabled capabilities to improve the SDLC, productivity and quality.
• Ensure adherence to W&SFG policies, IT standards,…