Assistant Director Application Development

This is a full time position based out of Elizabeth NJ, it would require being on site 3 days a week and work from home two days a week. My client is looking for someone who has the potential to grow into the CIO position down the road. The person will be responsible for managing a team of about 10 Developers that are responsible for the design, build and support of RPG based applications on the IBM System I that comprise the mostly homegrown ERP solution that ABG uses. The person will also have responsibility for the System I Operations function.

Key things that they are looking for in candidates:

Must be hands on and have very strong experience designing and building applications in an IBM System I RPG environment

Must have experience managing a team of developers and able to mentor and develop talent

Must have experience working with Business Users and establishing priorities, timelines and able to build and manage project plans for delivering new functionality

Experience with Distribution Systems (Order Management, Billing, Inventory, WMS etc.) Nice to Have

Experience with System I Operations processes Dev Ops, Job Scheduling, Back Up and Recovery Nice to have

As the Assistant Director of Application Development, you will be responsible for overseeing the entire application development lifecycle, leading a team of highly skilled developers, including hands on application design, development, and support. Your primary focus initially will be to closely collaborate with our retiring Assistant Director of Application Development, in preparation for assuming their roles and responsibilities.

Overall, the position entails the development and execution of a comprehensive application development strategy including system development lifecycle (SDLC) and Development Operations (DevOps) processes for the IBM System I/RPG/Salesforce platforms and languages. The role needs to align our technical environment with our business objectives and ensure the delivery of high-quality, scalable, and innovative software solutions.

This role offers executive potential, providing the opportunity to grow into a more senior leadership position within the company.

Key Responsibilities

Work alongside the current Assistant Director of Development for the purposes of transferring the knowledge necessary to effectively assume the roles and responsibilities of the position in advance of the incumbent s retirement. (40%)

Drive the entire application development lifecycle, including requirements analysis, architecture design, development, testing, deployment, and maintenance/support. (15%)

Lead and mentor a team of application developers, providing guidance, coaching, hands-on coding expertise and support, while providing performance feedback that aides their professional growth and achievement of team goals. (15%)

Collaborate with cross-functional stakeholders, to gather and align requirements consistent with their functional and technical objectives and result in their integration to (and with) our application portfolio. (15%)

Develop and monitor the application development budget and project timelines to manage the efficient resource allocation and cost-effective delivery of timely, high-quality software solutions within budget. (5%)

Define and enforce software development standards, best practices, and quality assurance processes necessary to deliver robust, scalable, and secure applications. (5%)

Develop and execute a strategic vision for the application development function, in alignment with overall business objectives. (5%)

Performance Standards

1. Minimal disruption to Application Development operations and support post incumbent retirement.

2. Develop project plans and accompanying budgets that ensure the on-time and on-budget deployment of application development projects.

3. Work with business and technical stakeholders to establish, execute and deliver on the development priorities.

4. Progressing on the enhancement and expansion of System Development Lifecycle (SDLC) and Development Operations (DevOps) processes and practices.

5. Provide guidance, direction and mentorship to the development community, while taking advantage of the professional development plans and any ad hoc opportunities in preparation for more senior roles.

6. Enhance and maintain an advanced strategic technology vision by leveraging existing technologies and exploring and adopting suitable new ones.

Skills and Experience

Proven experience in application development, with a strong background in leading and managing software development teams

Demonstrated track record of successfully delivering large-scale, complex software projects on time and within budget.

In-depth knowledge of software development methodologies, including Waterfall, Agile and DevOps practices.

Well versed in application and database design

A solid understanding of modern application architectures and cloud technologies

Prior experience in wholesale distribution and supply chain processes and methodologies desired

Expertise in RPG version III and higher

MuleSoft Anypoint Studio (Nice to have)

Rest API development and support

SQL expertise

IBD DB/2 design and administration

IBM System I Operations

Salesforce (Apex) Development and Support (nice to have)

Working knowledge of technology infrastructure (LAN, WAN, endpoints)

Excellent verbal and written communications