At American Equity we offer leading annuity products that help empower our clients to fulfill their needs and wants in retirement. Our success comes from hiring high-energy individuals who embody the beliefs that drive our unique culture. We currently fund over half a million retirements nationwide, headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, for over thirty years with satellite offices in Charlotte, NC and New York, NY.
GENERAL PURPOSE OF THE JOB:
The Manager, Application Development – Policy Administration is responsible for leading the delivery, stability, and evolution of a mission-critical COBOL-based policy administration platform that supports core business operations. This role provides people leadership to a team of application developers, ensures reliable and secure application performance, and partners closely with business and technology stakeholders to deliver high-quality solutions in a regulated insurance environment.
The position is accountable for production stability, regulatory compliance, delivery outcomes, and the ongoing modernization of the platform while maintaining business continuity.
**Position sits in Des Moines and will work an onsite schedule**
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Lead, mentor, and manage a team of COBOL application developers, fostering a culture of accountability, quality, and continuous improvement
- Oversee the design, development, testing, and deployment of enhancements to the policy administration platform and related systems
- Own production support for the platform, including incident management, root cause analysis, and preventive remediation
- Ensure application stability, availability, performance, and security in alignment with business and regulatory requirements
- Collaborate with business partners to translate functional, regulatory, and operational requirements into technical solutions
- Manage project timelines, scope, risks, dependencies, and delivery commitments
- Guide enhancement of delivery, defect remediation, and technical debt reduction
- Enforce coding standards, documentation practices, change control, and version management
- Partner with architecture and enterprise technology teams on modernization, integration, and platform evolution initiatives
- Ensure compliance with internal controls, audit requirements, and regulatory standards
- Manage external vendors and consultants
- Track, analyze, and report on delivery and operational metrics such as throughput, quality, defects, and production incidents
- Performs other related duties as assigned.
SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:
Direct Reports: Approximately six (6) to ten (10) Application Developers, including a mix of employees and consultants. Supervisory responsibilities include performance management, career development, hiring and onboarding, workforce planning, and succession planning.
EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE:
- Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Engineering, Information Systems, or a related field, or equivalent combination of education and experience
- Six (6) or more years of progressively responsible technology experience, including demonstrated technical or people leadership
- Experience supporting and enhancing mission‑critical, legacy application platforms
- Experience modernizing policy administration or core systems while maintaining business continuity
- Experience in insurance, financial services, or other regulated environments preferred
CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, PROFESSIONAL DESIGNATIONS: None required for this position.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:
Leadership & Execution
- Proven ability to build, mentor, and lead high‑performing technical teams
- Strong execution and delivery management capabilities in complex environments
- Effective risk assessment, escalation judgment, and decision‑making skills
- Experience with a hybrid staffing model of employees, offshore and onshore staff
Technical & Delivery
- Solid understanding of the software development lifecycle, QA practices, and release management
- Ability to architect solutions on a multi-tenant platform
- Knowledge of COBOL application development in an enterprise environment
- Working knowledge of modern delivery practices (Agile, hybrid, or regulated SDLC models)
Business & Communication
- Ability to operate effectively in fast‑paced, regulated environments
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to explain technical concepts to executive and non‑technical audiences
- Strong organizational, planning, and prioritization skills
- Experience with implementation of Annuity products
Technical Skills
- COBOL
- .NET (working knowledge)
- SQL
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This description covers the major purpose and essential functions of the job. It is not intended to give all details or a step-by-step account of the way each task is to be performed. Employees may receive other job related instructions and be required to perform other job related work requested by their manager. All requirements are subject to possible modification to provide reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities.
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At American Equity, our core values—Empowered, Passion, Integrity, and Caring—are more than words. They guide how we support one another and how we serve our clients every day. To learn more about American Equity, our culture, and our values, visit the Careers site.
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Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in computer science, Engineering, Information Systems, or a related field
- Six or more years of progressively responsible technology experience
- Experience supporting and enhancing mission-critical, legacy application platforms
- Experience modernizing policy administration or core systems
- Experience in insurance, financial services, or other regulated environments
What We Do
American Equity* Fixed Index Annuities * Retirement Planning * Customer Service An American-owned and operated company headquartered in the heart of the Midwest, American Equity Investment Life Insurance Company® is a leader in the fixed indexed annuities marketplace. American Equity’s growth and success is attributed to our dedication to excellent customer service and emphasis on building customer relationships. “The One Who Works for You!®” serves as the foundation for the way American Equity does business and values its more than 500 employees. Guided by our Principles of Excellence, we do more than sell retirement annuity products -- we are dedicated to fostering opportunity and innovation to meet the ever-changing needs and goals of retirement. "It's About the People" is the American Equity story and the legacy of our founder David J. Noble. This commitment to excellence includes our employees, agents, partners, and contract owners. We thank you for entrusting us with the things that matter most. When your retirement begins, you want to ensure you can enjoy it, which is why it’s important to have reliable support that can help fund every day of your golden years. After all, your life of hard work has earned you the retirement you planned for. These are the guiding principles that define everything we do. American Equity is the one who works for you.
