Applications Development Manager

Job Description Summary:

Salary: $129,667.20 - $194,480.00 annually

The Application Development Manager provides strategic leadership for TRWD’s Custom Applications, Data Services, and Technology Governance & Assurance (TGA) teams. This role will collaborate with Product Owners and business partners to deliver innovative, sustainable solutions that support the District’s mission. They will ensure that data is treated as a valued enterprise asset.

In addition, the Applications Development Manager will oversee IS Project Management, Records & Information Governance, and OT/IT Cybersecurity, fostering consistent practices, regulatory compliance, and risk reduction across the organization. This position plays a critical role in shaping technology direction, building strong partnerships, and empowering teams to achieve lasting results.

Job Description

Essential Functions and Responsibilities

The duties listed below are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment to this position.

Product, Portfolio, and Delivery Leadership

• Partner with Product Owners across the enterprise to define and continuously improve a product/service portfolio using Agile with Scrum
• Establish roadmaps and strategies for custom application architecture, DevOps/CI-CD governance, source control standards, and data & analytics—ensuring teams follow modern, sustainable design patterns
• Define and enforce SDLC, code review, testing, release, and change-management policies (managerial governance; no hands-on coding)
• Oversee vendor performance and ensure external partners comply with TRWD standards, architecture patterns, and repositories

Data Services & Enterprise Information Management (EIM)

• Lead Enterprise Information Management activities: data governance, data quality, metadata management, reference & master data, data warehousing & BI, data development, and data operations
• Ensure availability and integrity of TRWD data through governance of source control, database backup/recovery, integrity monitoring, and compliance auditing
• Promote data literacy and self-service analytics to enable informed decision-making

Technology Strategy & Policy

• Research emerging technologies and delivery methodologies to meet business needs
• Author and maintain policies, standards, and procedures related to application development, implementation, and upgrades
• Drive continuous-improvement initiatives and innovation experiments aligned to business outcomes

Staff Management

• Develop staffing plans to meet demand and service-level expectations for Custom Applications, Data Services, and TGA functions
• Hire, onboard, coach, and evaluate staff; build growth plans and mentoring pathways
• Set objectives, remove impediments, and ensure timely resolution of issues

Customer Relationship Management

• Manage internal customer and Product Owner expectations with transparent roadmaps and status
• Communicate options and trade-offs clearly; seek opportunities to increase satisfaction and trust
• Conduct periodic performance reviews of services (KPI annual review; asset-management self-assessment/audit; policy/plan reviews; stakeholder alignment; training budget needs; job description review; continuous-improvement tracking)
• Maintain familiarity with strategic District levels of service

IS Project Management

• Operate the intake, prioritization, and portfolio-level planning process; align capacity with strategic priorities
• Establish and coach consistent project practices (Agile/Scrum, hybrid, or predictive as appropriate), including scope, schedule, budget, risk, and change control
• Provide clear reporting (dashboards, burndown/burnup, milestones, RAID logs) to executives and stakeholders
• Support organizational change management and adoption planning for major initiatives

Records & Information Governance

• Oversee records policies, retention/disposition schedules, classification/taxonomy, and procedures consistent with applicable laws and standards
• Govern enterprise content and collaboration platforms (e.g., SharePoint/Teams) for lifecycle, security, and discoverability
• Coordinate public information requests and eDiscovery in partnership with Legal and Records staff; lead training and periodic audits

OT/IT Cybersecurity Oversight

• Provide managerial oversight for the OT/IT Cybersecurity Engineer and the cybersecurity program spanning IT and OT environments
• Align program to recognized frameworks (e.g., NIST CSF, CIS Controls, IEC 62443) and TRWD risk appetite; maintain risk register and metrics
• Govern vulnerability management, identity and access management, incident response, business continuity/DR, and security awareness
• Ensure appropriate network segmentation, logging/monitoring, and vendor/third-party risk practices across IT and OT
• Coordinate compliance requirements (e.g., CJIS eligibility) and audit readiness

• Perform other duties as required

Required Experience

• Seven (7) years of progressive leadership managing software/application development, data services, or related technical teams
• Demonstrated success leading Agile/Scrum delivery with multiple Product Owners and cross-functional teams
• Experience governing SDLC/DevOps processes (planning, quality, release, CI/CD, source control) and managing vendor/partner delivery
• Background overseeing data governance/analytics programs (data quality, metadata, MDM, BI/analytics) and reliability practices (backup/recovery, monitoring, audit)
• Experience directing project/portfolio management practices and coordinating enterprise cybersecurity and records governance at a managerial level

Desired Experience

• Experience implementing or operating an EIM framework (e.g., DAMA)
• Prior leadership within a public sector or critical-infrastructure environment
• Familiarity with IEC 62443 (OT), NIST CSF, CIS Controls, records retention/eDiscovery practices, and enterprise content management

Required Education/Certification/License

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Services, Engineering, or a related field (or equivalent combination of education and relevant leadership experience)
• Valid Texas driver’s license
• Ability to pass and maintain a Texas DPS/FBI CJIS criminal history background check and CJIS eligibility

Desired Certifications

• ITIL Foundation v3 or ITIL 4 Foundation
• Project Management Professional (PMP) or equivalent
• DAMA CDMP Associate
• Security leadership certification (e.g., CISSP, CISM, or GICSP) preferred

Success Factors/Job Competencies

• Strategic thinking with the ability to translate strategy into actionable roadmaps
• Skilled at operating across levels of abstraction—from enterprise strategy to delivery detail
• Strong communicator and relationship builder; fosters trust and collaboration
• Disciplined planning (5-year horizon) with continuous-improvement mindset
• Exercises discretion and independent judgment on matters of significance
Team-first leader who develops people and culture

Physical Demands and Work Environment

The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Physical demands: While performing duties of the job, employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; sit; use hand to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls; reach with hands and arms; balance; stoop; talk or hear. Employees must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.
• Work environment: While performing the duties of this job, the employee typically resides within an office or cubicle and may have occasional fieldwork that will expose the employee to weather conditions prevalent at the time.