Senior Manager, Application Engineering – Systems

Job Description

The Senior Manager, Technology – Payment Systems serves as the application-level technical authority for one of the most critical domains within the Retail & Consumer Technology organization, supporting all in-store and digital payment transactions across Walgreens.

This role requires demonstrated experience as an application technical lead, senior software engineering lead, or application architect. Candidates must bring hands‑on application development experience earlier in their career and maintain current, working knowledge of how modern enterprise applications are designed, integrated, and scaled. While this is not a coding role, the individual must be capable of engaging deeply in architecture discussions, evaluating system design decisions, reviewing vendor‑built solutions, and confidently responding to detailed technical questions.

The Senior Manager is accountable for the stability, performance, and strategic evolution of a highly integrated, enterprise‑scale payment platform operating in a 100% vendor‑led development model. This includes ownership of application‑level architecture, system integrations, transaction flows, production incident resolution, and tradeoff decisions related to scalability, cost, and risk.

In addition to serving as the technical authority, the role provides leadership to a lean internal team and drives accountability across external development partners. Success requires strong technical judgment, operational ownership, and the ability to clearly communicate complex system behavior and architectural decisions to both technical and executive stakeholders.

• Manages efforts of others in the achievement of the strategic and operational objectives for the specified area of responsibility. Leads the specified area of responsibility to ensure performance standards are conducive to company standards and all goals and objectives are met in a timely and organized fashion.

• Shares information cross‑functionally to improve workflow processes. Interacts with direct reports and peers in management / customers / vendors to share information and improve cross‑departmental processes.

• Manages problems and issues pro‑actively, including timely resolution and the identification of remediation opportunities. Identifies and resolves systemic issues to prevent them from repeating.

• Oversees the development of technical/business approaches and new or enhanced technical tools. Defines and implements consistent key IT key performance indicators in order to enhance the operational focus of the IT department.

• Manages the vendor relationship including determining in scope and out of scope work, working through any interpretation of contract terms and monitoring/reviewing SLA adherence. Performs deep dive research on missed SLAs partners with the vendor to drive continuous improvement resulting in improved service and/or lower cost.

• Ensures delivery against agreed upon SLAs and overall service delivery of operational activities. Reviews and approves any request prioritizations.

• Understands short and long‑term goals and objectives and recommends technical solutions and services.

• Maintains organization’s effectiveness and efficiency by defining, delivering, and supporting strategic plans for implementing information technologies.

• Responsible for executing on functional and business goals for the group. Anticipates process‑centric, people‑centric, and operations‑centric ideas, issues and opportunities to move the business forward.

• May develop budget for functional area. Manages budget to plan and is responsible for meeting/delivering against budgetary goals and objectives.

• Researches and recommends new and emerging technologies and services within set budget that will enhance Company’s overall business performance.

• Makes recommendations for specified area of responsibility regarding the operating plans for specified area of responsibility, then, based on prevailing conditions may realign the daily operations of assigned area.

• Influences individuals within and outside the IT department. Prepares and presents reports to all levels of leadership and staff.

• Stays abreast of…