Technical Manager - Maintenance & Modernization

This role is accountable for leading the technical maintenance and modernization efforts across First Rate’s product ecosystem. The Technical Manager – Maintenance & Modernization is responsible for driving the transition of custom-built client programs into scalable, supportable base product capabilities, while ensuring ongoing system stability and maintenance excellence.

This role provides hands-on technical leadership and architectural guidance to onshore and offshore teams, collaborates closely with Product Managers to recommend modernization priorities, and develops repeatable maintenance and upgrade processes that accelerate client upgrade cycles and reduce long-term technical debt.

STRATEGIC WORK:

Contribute to the department's and company’s success by identifying modernization opportunities, reducing reliance on custom code, and recommending scalable product-aligned solutions that improve upgrade velocity, operational efficiency, and client experience.

TACTICAL WORK:

Lead and manage onshore and offshore maintenance and modernization teams across Afghanistan, Chile, India, and other current or future development centers.

• Maintain expert-level, hands-on knowledge of WebFOCUS-based solutions and custom client implementations.
• Evaluate existing custom programs and collaborate with Product Managers to recommend candidates for conversion into base product functionality.
• Provide technical oversight and architectural guidance for modernization initiatives using React, Java, JavaScript, and related technologies.
• Develop and implement standardized maintenance and modernization processes designed to accelerate client upgrade cycles.
• Ensure technical design documentation is created and maintained for complex legacy and modernization initiatives.
• Oversee and enforce unit testing and validation processes for all maintenance and modernization deliverables.
• Mentor engineers in debugging, refactoring, and modernizing complex legacy programs.
• Communicate maintenance health, modernization progress, and upgrade readiness to product leadership and stakeholders.
• Enforce software development life cycle methodologies and modernization best practices.
• Assist with Quality Assurance, Technical Writing, and Configuration Management as needed.
• Support internal and external client inquiries related to maintenance, upgrades, and legacy functionality.

Experience/Education Requirements:

1. Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field (ex. IT related, Engineering, Mathematics or similar) required.
2. 7 years of professional software development experience, including leadership responsibilities.
3. 5 years of hands-on experience with WebFOCUS programming language (required).
4. Strong technical understanding of React, Java, JavaScript, and modern web architectures.
5. Ability to assess, refactor, and modernize complex legacy systems.
6. Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
7. Strong debugging, troubleshooting, and analytical problem-solving skills.
8. Experience managing distributed and offshore engineering teams.
9. Strong knowledge of Agile development and modernization best practices.

CHARACTERISTICS:

1. Strong technical leadership presence with modernization mindset.
2. Ability to balance long-term modernization goals with short-term maintenance needs.
3. Detail-oriented with a focus on quality, scalability, and sustainability.
4. Comfortable collaborating cross-functionally with Product Managers and stakeholders.
5. Proactive in identifying technical risks, upgrade blockers, and improvement opportunities.
6. Works effectively in a fast-paced, distributed team environment.