Director IT, Agent Contracting Platform

** Our Company
** Explore how you can contribute  over 50 years, Ameri Life has been a leader in the development, marketing and distribution of annuity, life and health insurance solutions for those planning for and living in retirement.

Associates get satisfaction from knowing they provide agents, marketers and carrier partners the support needed to succeed in a rapidly evolving industry.
** Job Summary
** Ameri Life is seeking a strategic and hands on Director, IT – Agent Contracting Platform to own the enterprise delivery, governance, and operational success of Ameri Life’s agent contracting and onboarding ecosystem. This platform is currently delivered as a SaaS solution (Agent Sync), with all configurations, development, and operational support primarily managed by the vendor.
This role will initially function as a senior individual contributor, serving as the enterprise product and technology owner for the platform. While there may be limited direct people management at the outset, the role requires strong leadership capability, deep technical understanding, and readiness to build and lead a team as the platform footprint expands.
The Director will be accountable for platform strategy, vendor execution oversight, integrations, production stability, roadmap alignment, and stakeholder satisfaction across Contracting, Licensing, Compliance, Operations, Sales, and IT.
** Job Description
**** Key Responsibilities
**** Platform Ownership & Strategy
*** Serve as the enterprise owner for the Agent Contracting Platform, defining vision, roadmap, and success metrics.
* Align platform capabilities with Ameri Life’s distribution growth, compliance requirements, and business strategy.
* Own prioritization of enhancements, configuration changes, and integrations in partnership with business stakeholders.
** Vendor‑Led Development & Delivery Oversight
*** Oversee all vendor‑managed development, configuration, and release execution.
* Act as the technical and functional authority validating solution designs, delivery plans, and release outcomes.
* Ensure vendor delivery aligns with enterprise architecture, security standards, and data governance expectations.
** Technical Leadership & Integrations
*** Own end‑to‑end platform architecture from an enterprise perspective, including integrations with CRM, licensing, data platforms, identity management, and downstream systems.
* Partner with Data Engineering and Enterprise Architecture teams on integration design, data quality, monitoring, and scalability.
* Provide hands‑on technical leadership despite the SaaS delivery model, ensuring informed decision‑making and vendor accountability.
** Production Support & Operational Governance
*** Own production stability, platform availability, incident management, and escalation coordination with the vendor.
* Define and enforce SLAs, KPIs, monitoring, and support processes.
* Lead root‑cause analysis, post‑incident reviews, and continuous improvement initiatives.
** Vendor & Relationship Management
*** Serve as the primary relationship owner for Agent Sync and any related third‑party vendors.
* Manage contracts, SOWs, renewals, roadmap alignment, and performance reviews.
* Hold vendors accountable for quality, responsiveness, transparency, and value realization.
** Leadership & Future Team Growth
*** Initially operate as a senior individual contributor with enterprise‑wide ownership and accountability.
* Establish operating models, governance processes, and documentation that enable future team scaling.
* Prepare to build, mentor, and lead a dedicated team as the platform and organizational needs grow.
* Communicate clearly and effectively with senior leaders, providing transparency into risks, delivery status, and opportunities.
** Required Qualifications**
* ** 10+ years
** of progressive IT experience with a strong background in application development or enterprise platforms.
* ** 5+ years
** of leadership or platform ownership experience involving vendor‑led delivery models.
* Proven ability to operate effectively as a
** hands‑on leader and individual contributor
** at a Director level.
* Strong experience with:  + SaaS enterprise platforms  +…