Vice President, Software Engineering

Overview

The Vice President of Software Engineering is a senior leadership role responsible for aligning technology strategy with business objectives across multiple platforms and applications. This individual will lead software engineering teams through all phases of development, ensuring high-quality delivery, operational excellence, and ongoing innovation.

This role combines strategic oversight with execution, driving modern engineering practices, architecture decisions, and continuous improvement initiatives across the organization.

Key Responsibilities

Technology Strategy & Delivery

• Define and drive the technology vision and roadmap for assigned products and platforms
• Ensure alignment between business priorities, enterprise initiatives, and engineering execution
• Oversee the delivery of new systems and enhancements with a focus on quality, scalability, and timeliness

Engineering Leadership

• Lead and mentor software engineering leaders, developers, database specialists, and contract teams
• Set departmental priorities and ensure successful execution across multiple teams and agile workstreams
• Build a culture focused on performance, accountability, and continuous improvement

Architecture & Engineering Excellence

• Oversee solution architecture, software development, and system design
• Establish and enforce best practices across engineering, including test automation, performance engineering, and DevSecOps
• Ensure strong production support practices and service reliability

Stakeholder & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with business leaders, architects, and technology teams to identify opportunities to improve customer experience and business processes
• Translate business needs into scalable technology solutions
• Influence decisions through strong communication and consultative leadership

Innovation & Continuous Improvement

• Stay current with emerging technologies and industry trends
• Evaluate and introduce new tools, platforms, and approaches where appropriate
• Drive modernization initiatives to improve efficiency and scalability

Financial & Operational Management

• Develop and manage departmental budgets, including forecasting and expense management
• Support vendor selection, negotiations, and ongoing relationship management
• Build business cases to support new technology investments

Qualifications

Experience & Leadership

• 10–15 years of experience in software development and architecture
• 8+ years of leadership experience, including managing people leaders
• Experience defining and executing technology strategy at a senior level
• Background owning budgets, vendor relationships, and strategic planning

Technical Expertise

• Strong understanding of modern software development practices and methodologies
• Experience with Agile delivery models and scaling engineering teams
• Hands-on background with:
  • Java (backend development)
  • Angular or similar frontend frameworks
  • Microservices architecture
  • SQL-based databases
• Experience working in cloud environments (AWS and/or Azure), including high-availability systems
• Familiarity with test automation, DevSecOps, and performance engineering practices

Leadership & Communication Skills

• Proven ability to influence stakeholders and senior leaders
• Strong problem-solving and strategic decision-making capabilities
• Excellent communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills

Preferred Background

• Experience working in highly regulated industries
• Familiarity with complex business domains requiring scalable, high-performance systems
• Track record of driving technology modernization and improving operational efficiency