VP, Software Engineering

Job Description:

Job Summary: The VP of Software Engineering plays a critical role in shaping the technological and architectural direction of the organization. This position requires a visionary leader with a deep understanding of technology, architecture principles, and industry trends. Responsible for designing and developing software systems and applications - create software or products tailored to a Penn Mutual’s specific needs. Act as high-level decision makers in the process, determining everything from design choices to technical standards, such as platforms and coding standards.

• Leadership: Provide strategic leadership and direction for the application development team.
• Team Management: Oversee a team of developers, ensuring they are motivated, aligned with company goals, and delivering high-quality work.
• Project Management: Manage the development lifecycle of applications, from conception to deployment, ensuring projects are completed on time and within budget.
• Technology Strategy: Develop and implement technology strategies aligned with the company's objectives, ensuring the effective use of technology to drive innovation and competitive advantage.
• Collaboration: Work closely with other departments, such as product management, IT operations, and business stakeholders, to understand requirements and deliver solutions that meet business needs.
• Quality Assurance: Establish and enforce coding standards, best practices, and quality assurance processes to ensure the reliability, security, and scalability of applications.
• Resource Allocation: Manage resource allocation, including budgeting, staffing, and vendor relationships, to optimize the efficiency and effectiveness of the application development team.
• Risk Management: Identify and mitigate risks related to application development projects, such as technical challenges, resource constraints, and changes in business requirements.
• Continuous Improvement: Promote a culture of continuous improvement within the application development team, fostering innovation, learning, and professional development.
• Compliance: Ensure compliance with relevant regulations, standards, and industry best practices, such as data privacy regulations and cybersecurity standards.
• Define standards frameworks and solutions, within best practices, for the development’s teams to follow.
• Manages the Development team with dynamic leadership that creates an environment of trust, continuous improvement, and teamwork including coaching, mentoring and career development.
• Establish and maintain software project management best practices, frameworks, and processes, such as Agile, Scrum, and DevOps.
• Monitor project performance and provide guidance and support to project managers to ensure successful project delivery.
• Track and report on software project portfolio performance, including key metrics and outcomes as well as setting the goals for each team members.
• Release Planning: Coordinate release planning activities with stakeholders from development, QA, product management, and IT operations to ensure alignment with business objectives and release schedules.
• Vendor Management: Manage relationships with third-party vendors and service providers, including cloud providers, data centers, and infrastructure vendors, to ensure service level agreements (SLAs) are met and issues are resolved promptly.
• Release Coordination: Manage the end-to-end release process, including scheduling, coordinating, and communicating release activities and milestones to stakeholders.
• Change Management: Facilitate the change management process, including assessing the impact of proposed changes, coordinating change approvals, and ensuring adherence to change management policies and procedures.

Minimum Qualifications: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the minimum knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

• Bachelor's degree in a Computer Science or related discipline.
• 20+ years of experience as a Java developer & AWS platform with proven record of overseeing large cross-functional projects in a high scale application environment.
• 20+ years of experience with Java, JavaScript, REST, and JSON.
• A demonstrated understanding of web and API platform technologies including microservices, containerization, observability and Cloud technologies.
• Proven experience with the full development lifecycle from concept to delivery.
• Proven knowledge of a broad spectrum of platforms, technologies, and design principles including Python, Java, Unit Testing (TDD, Mockito, JUnit), SQL (PostgreSQL, MongoDB, MySQL), Angular/React, Apache/NGINX Configuration, Linux, GIT management and configuration, Jenkins CI, Container deployments (Kubernetes), Microservices, React/Redux, JVM profiling, Docker, OAuth, JWT, AWS.
• Experience with leading multiple projects and advising leadership is desirable.
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail with the ability to manage multiple priorities and meet established deadlines.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills with the ability to interact with all levels of staff and management.

• Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud), containerization, and automation tools.
• Familiarity with IaaS, Agile/Scrum methodologies, and disaster recovery planning.

Competencies:

• Customer Service: Exceptional attitude and a passion for providing outstanding service to internal customers.
• Attention to Detail:  Thoroughness in accomplishing a task through concern for all the areas involved, no matter how small. Monitors and checks work or information and plans and organizes time and resources efficiently
• Analytical Skills: Collects and researches data; Designs workflows and procedures; Identifies data relationships and dependencies.
• Communications: Exhibits good listening and comprehension. Expresses ideas and thoughts in verbal and written form. Keeps others adequately informed. Selects and uses appropriate communication methods. 
• Managing People: Develops subordinates’ skills and encourages growth; provides direction and guidance; reacts well under pressure; motivates others to perform well and exhibits confidence in self and others.
• Problem Solving: Ability to solve issues efficiently and quickly. 
• Relationship Management: Manages interactions to service and support to the organization; establishes credibility with all interactions.
• Teamwork: Contributes to building a positive team spirit. Exhibits objectivity and openness to others' views.

Base Salary Range - $250,000 - $270,000

For over 175 years, Penn Mutual has empowered individuals, families and businesses on the journey to achieve their financial goals. Through our partnership with Financial Professionals across the U.S., we help instill the confidence and reliability that comes from a stronger financial future. Penn Mutual and its affiliates offer a comprehensive suite of competitive products and services to meet the unique needs of Financial Professionals and their clients, including life insurance, annuities, wealth management and institutional asset management. To learn more, including current financial strength ratings, visit www.pennmutual.com.

Penn Mutual is committed to Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO). We provide employment and advancement opportunities to all qualified applicants and associates, according to applicable laws. This is reflected in our practices for hiring, placement, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, termination, recruitment, compensation, selection or training, and all other terms and conditions of employment. All employment-related decisions and practices are free from unlawful discrimination. This includes: race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, citizenship age, gender (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, domestic partnership or civil union status, marital status, genetic information, disability, religious observance or practice, liability, veteran status or any other classification protected under applicable law.