Senior Director, IT Application Development- Loyalty Platforms

JOB SUMMARY: 

The Senior Director, IT Application Development is a hands-on technical leader responsible for turning strategy into scalable, high-quality software products. This role blends deep engineering acumen with a product and commercial mindset - owning outcomes, customer value, and operational excellence. You will lead and scale multi-disciplinary, global teams (internal, vendor, and matrixed) to deliver platforms and applications that power critical business capabilities and exceptional customer experiences. You’ll set the technical direction, shape product roadmaps with stakeholders, and drive continuous improvement in quality, reliability, speed, and cost. 

CANDIDATE PROFILE 

Education and Experience 

Required: 

• 10+ years of application development leadership experience and the various approaches to the Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC) (e.g. 

Agile and Waterfall) 

• Five years recent experience as a primary point of application accountability for an enterprise, globally-distributed applications 

• Demonstrated expertise of industry application platforms, trends and best practices 

• Direct management of complex budgets in excess of $10M+ annual direct and indirect costs 

• Direct management of cross functional, sourced, or matrixed teams 

• Experience with and knowledge of IT outsourcing activities in a managed services environment 

• Demonstrated experience leading transformations (e.g., cloud migration, platform modernization, agile/DevOps adoption).  

• Exceptional communication and storytelling skills—can explain complex technology in clear business terms to executives and non-technical audiences. 

Preferred: 

• Experience in Loyalty programs (Marriott Rewards/SPG) 

• Demonstrated success leading medium- to large-scale initiatives/transformations 

• Proven management experience in strategic planning and budgeting within one or more business groups 

• Good process management, negotiating, influencing and problem resolution skills 

• Proven ability to effectively prioritize and execute tasks in a high-pressure environment 

• Experience in business systems and process planning 

• Knowledge of business environment, service requirements and hospitality culture 

• Demonstrated ability to assess customer/client needs, creatively approach solutions, decide and influence appropriate courses of action 

• Ability to understand and communicate the lifecycle of technologies and applications and to translate into business strategies for the client 

organizations. 

• Undergraduate/graduate degree in computer science or related discipline 

• Solid understanding of IT financial structures and ability to manage to corporate financial processes and standards - including drivers of process 

costs 

• Strong verbal and written communication skills with the ability to articulate complex technical ideas in easy to understand business terms 

• Ability to accomplish results through others, particularly by establishing relationships, effective controls and leading in a managed service 

Environment 

CORE WORK ACTIVITIES 

Managing Application Development Standards, Processes, and Tools 

• Works with direct reports to facilitate consistency of service delivery across client groups 

• Facilitates compliance with the standard set of application development tools and processes that will drive consistency and predictability 

throughout the SDLC for all client groups including: 

o SDLC standard tools and processes for both waterfall and agile development 

o Estimating standard tools and processes, incorporating flexibility for small and large projects 

o Deployment standard tools and processes 

• Monitors projects for adherence to defined application development processes 

• Communicates to Application Development leaders opportunities to create broader IT related and corporate standards and policies where 

necessary 

• Communicates important application development policy changes that affect service provider and/or Marriott operations 

Managing Day-To-Day Relationships with Teams 

• Manages application development projects in partnership with IT teams, business partners and providers 

o Provides project management of business projects 

o Oversees effective reporting within application development team 

o Leads project reviews with team on application development projects 

o Manages day-to day relationships with all IT teams to promote the delivery of services that meet or exceed the client expectations 

o Monitors projects for alignment with defined business case process 

o Drives timely resolution of escalated service delivery problems and minimizes the impact of any client service delivery issues 

o Manages, and improves service level reporting for application development 

o Provides early warning to the appropriate Business Partnership & Planning leaders and team regarding degraded or missed service 

levels 

o Assists with application, development and maintenance of service provider project management standards and tools 

o Participates in client portfolio and demand management processes, and engages service providers to ensure client satisfaction 

• Works with application development service providers 

o Validates the service provider(s) performs the services agreed to by the master services agreement in a manner that is consistent 

with both the spirit and the letter of the agreement 

o Works with team to progress the service providers services to match client needs 

o Facilitates team and service provider compliance with the agreement 

o Validates service levels meet business needs 

o Facilitates the definition and enforcement of good service provider contracts 

• Supports the IT organization 

o Provides input to IT’s business strategy and planning as needed 

o Supports and follows defined IT Governance decision rights, standards and practices 

o Emphasizes accuracy and effectiveness of estimating and planning management with team 

o Provides input to business/discipline and continent IT budgets 

All positions offer a 401(k) plan, stock purchase plan, discounts at Marriott properties, commuter benefits, employee assistance plan, and childcare discounts.  Benefits are subject to terms and conditions, which may include rules regarding eligibility, enrollment, waiting period, contribution, benefit limits, election changes, benefit exclusions, and others. Click here to learn more.

Full-time positions also offer coverage for medical, dental, vision, health care flexible spending account, dependent care flexible spending account, life insurance, disability insurance, accident insurance, adoption expense reimbursements, paid parental leave and educational assistance. 

Washington Applicants Only: Employees will accrue paid sick leave, 0.077 PTO balance for every hour worked and be eligible to receive a minimum of 9 holidays annually.

Marriott HQ is committed to a hybrid work environment that enables associates to Be connected.  Headquarters-based positions are considered hybrid, for candidates within a commuting distance to Bethesda, MD; candidates outside of commuting distance to Bethesda, MD will be considered for Remote positions.