AVP, Application Development

Role Overview

• Plans short
• and long-range HR tech roadmaps
• Drives the evaluation, implementation, and integration of new technologies (including AI tools) to support the employee lifecycle
• Manages and develops a team of HRIS analysts, developers, and system administrators
• Owns the integration architecture between core HR systems and edge platforms (e.g., ATS, payroll, benefits, and learning management)
• Ensures data integrity, system security, compliance (like SOX controls), and privacy standards
• Leads relationships with third-party software vendors, handles contract renewals, and manages the HR tech budget
• Establishes KPIs to monitor system performance, ticket resolution, and user adoption
• Responsible for ensuring the assigned application group develops processes and tools that contribute to the company business objectives
• Ensures that all application processes developed internally or by external service providers are conducted in line with corporate social responsibility, environmental and technical policies and applicable standards and legislation
• Implements and manage application life cycle management status reporting, metrics and benchmarks
• Provides executive thought leadership on developing and enhancing methodologies and practices for the application life cycle management in line with best practice and practical experience of continuous improvement
• Collaborates with other leaders and/or stakeholders and develops an application development strategy that aligns with business strategy, adds value and is within budget constraints
• Serves as financial steward for the organization and manages relationships with major vendors and service providers to ensure they cost-effectively meet the needs of the organization
• Oversees the assessment of the technical and business fitness of the application portfolio and associated costs and risks
• In partnership with CTO, Infrastructure and IT Security, ensures that the organization's applications are effectively secured and that risks are mitigated and comply with legal and corporate privacy and confidentiality rules
• Designs a visionary road map for innovative solutions at Enterprise level and ensures integration with overall IT and enterprise strategic plans
• Develops Annual Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) for department, used to measure team performance
• Responsible for team's adherence to SDLC SDLC and applicable controls
• Responsible for understanding the risk posture for the activities that are conducted on their team (development and maintenance of business applications)
• Implements the department talent strategy (labor mix, location, team size, etc.)
• Understands, owns and manages the Business and IT risk & controls requirements including adherence to and timely remediation of controls-related issues
• Manages the sourcing and vendor strategy across your service line and aligns with wider USAA strategic technology providers
• Partners with our CTO teams to help define enterprise architecture and standards
• Partners with business stakeholders to understand their business objectives and develop a technology strategy to support those goals by translating customers' needs into USAA Technology services in the broader service architecture
• Provides visibility and transparency into progress, risks and issues in regular stakeholder updates
• Mentors junior staff members and provides a platform for continuous learning
• Provides oversight to the engagement with the business DPO and ensures deliverables adhere to Agile practices/methodologies
• Ensure risks associated with business activities are effectively identified, measured, monitored, and controlled in accordance with risk and compliance policies and procedures.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Information Systems, or related field; OR 4 years of relevant education and/or experience
• 10 years of progressive related experience managing all phases of application development, managing major initiatives and delivering results within a complex matrix environment
• 6 years of people leadership experience in building, managing and/or developing high-performing teams
• Demonstrated ability to communicate technical information to a non-technical audience
• Experience collaborating with key resources and stakeholders, influencing decisions and managing work to achieve strategic goals
• Executive-level business acumen in the areas of business operations, industry practices and emerging trends
• Broad technical knowledge of web-based application architecture, system architecture, application integration and object-oriented languages
• Extensive experience in all stages of the software development life cycle: requirements gathering, design, development, testing, and implementation
• Demonstrated experience in vendor contract management and management of distributed development teams and resources
• Demonstrated financial acumen involving budgets, forecasting, and executing on the budgets for applicable technology support function
• Understanding of relevant industry frameworks, i.e.COBIT, ITIL, SAFe, etc.
• Understanding of Legislative and Regulatory Compliance Requirements.
• Experience overseeing the technology life cycle from requirements analysis, feasibility estimates, design, code, documentation, testing, implementation, and support.
• Technical knowledge and understanding of technical domains that reside within Infrastructure Services, Security, Data or Application Development.
• Experience conducting cost benefit analyses and leveraging results to drive technology support solutions.
• Demonstrated thought leadership in embedding intuitive story telling of technology support functions including concise presentation of complex technical details.
• Experience and ability to drive a culture of quality and personal accountability through technology support teams.

Tech Stack

• SDLC

Benefits

• comprehensive medical, dental and vision plans
• 401(k)
• pension
• life insurance
• parental benefits
• adoption assistance
• paid time off program with paid holidays plus 16 paid volunteer hours
• various wellness programs
• career path planning and continuing education