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Application Development Director Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Waystar

Director, Application Engineering

Lehi, UT · On-site

The Director, Application Engineering will be responsible for managing multiple teams of brilliant ... Works with the Business Product Owners to identify priorities for Application Development and ...

UnCommon Law

Development Director

Oakland, CA · On-site

Our application will remain open until May 31, 2026. About UnCommon Law UnCommon Law fights to ... About the Role The Development Director is a dynamic and strategic leader and team manager ...

UnCommon Law

Development Director

Oakland, CA · On-site

$126K - $165K/yr

Our application will remain open until May 31, 2026. About UnCommon Law UnCommon Law fights to ensure that all people incarcerated for violent crime have access to healing, justice, and effective ...

UnCommon Law

Development Director

Oakland, CA · On-site +1

$126K - $165K/yr

Our application will remain open until May 31, 2026. About UnCommon Law UnCommon Law fights to ensure that all people incarcerated for violent crime have access to healing, justice, and effective ...

Monster Energy

Director, SAP Development

Corona, CA · On-site

$163K - $218K/yr

As the Director, SAP Development, you will lead and manage the SAP development team, ensuring the ... application management services (AMS) support. * Leverage strong SAP technical subject matter ...

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Application Development Director information

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$83K

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$239.5K

How much do application development director jobs pay per year?

As of Jun 21, 2026, the average yearly pay for application development director in the United States is $152,393.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $129,500.00 and $175,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as an Application Development Director, and why are they important?

To thrive as an Application Development Director, you need deep expertise in software development, project management, and strategic leadership, typically backed by a bachelor’s or master’s degree in computer science or a related field. Familiarity with development frameworks, DevOps tools, agile methodologies, and certifications like PMP or Scrum Master are highly valued. Exceptional communication, team leadership, and problem-solving skills set top candidates apart in this role. These competencies are essential for successfully leading development teams, delivering high-quality applications, and aligning technology initiatives with business goals.

What are the responsibilities of a development director?

A development director is responsible for overseeing the planning, coordination, and execution of software development projects, ensuring they meet technical specifications, deadlines, and budgets. They lead development teams, collaborate with stakeholders, and implement best practices in coding, testing, and deployment, often utilizing project management tools and methodologies. Strong leadership, technical expertise, and communication skills are essential for success in this role.

Is application development in demand?

Application development is in high demand due to the ongoing growth of digital technology and the need for custom software solutions. Application Development Directors and developers with skills in programming languages, agile methodologies, and cloud platforms are sought after across various industries. The role often requires staying current with evolving tools and certifications to remain competitive.

What does a director of application development do?

A director of application development oversees the planning, design, and implementation of software applications within an organization. They manage development teams, coordinate project timelines, ensure technical standards are met, and align software solutions with business goals. Strong leadership, technical expertise, and knowledge of development tools are essential for this role.

What are some common challenges faced by Application Development Directors when leading cross-functional teams?

Application Development Directors often encounter challenges such as aligning diverse technical and business goals, managing resource constraints, and ensuring clear communication across various departments. Balancing project timelines with quality standards and adapting to rapidly changing technology trends can also pose difficulties. Effective leadership involves fostering strong collaboration, setting clear expectations, and proactively addressing any roadblocks to keep teams motivated and projects on track.

How much does a director of professional development make?

A Director of Professional Development typically earns between $80,000 and $150,000 annually, depending on the industry, location, and level of experience. In the context of application development, this role may focus on training and skill enhancement for technical teams, often requiring strong leadership and project management skills.

What does an Application Development Director do?

An Application Development Director oversees the planning, design, and implementation of software applications within an organization. They manage teams of developers, set technical standards, and ensure projects align with business goals. Their responsibilities also include budgeting, resource allocation, and collaborating with other departments to deliver high-quality software solutions on time and within scope.
What cities are hiring for Application Development Director jobs? Cities with the most Application Development Director job openings:
What are the most commonly searched types of Application Development jobs? The most popular types of Application Development jobs are:
Who are the top companies hiring for Application Development Director jobs? The top employers for Application Development Director jobs are:
What states have the most Application Development Director jobs? States with the most job openings for Application Development Director jobs include:
Application Development Director jobs near you
Infographic showing various Application Development Director job openings in the United States as of June 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 77% Full Time, 17% Part Time, and 5% Contract. Highlights an 91% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 6% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $152,393 per year, or $73.3 per hour.
Head of Application Development

Head of Application Development

Arbella Insurance Group

Quincy, MA • On-site

Full-time

Posted 28 days ago

Arbella Insurance rating

9.0

Company rating: 9.0 out of 10

Based on 13 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

35th of 261 rated insurance

Job description

This position reports to the VP & CIO and leads the software engineering, software architecture, and application development efforts across all of Arbella's business areas. The Head of Application Development is a senior level IT role and part of the senior leadership team. This role provides leadership, vision and direction for the Application Development organization. This position is responsible for recruiting, developing, and retaining talent, as well as ensuring the Application Development staff has the skills and capabilities to meet business needs. This leader oversees the implementation of large, strategic software engineering initiatives, ongoing maintenance, and enhancement of existing applications, and is responsible for championing best practices and ensuring initiatives achieve business outcomes.
The Head of Application Development serves as a strategic leader and trusted advisor to business units across the company exhibiting a strength in building collaborative, effective partnerships with key stakeholders. This position requires strong leadership skills, a high degree of collaboration, and excellent communication skills.
Leadership & Strategy
  • Provide leadership, vision, and direction for the Application Development organization. Establish a roadmap for Application Development and partners with the CIO on the development of the company's IT strategy and operating plan as well as building a multi-year road map identifying key operational initiatives to support business growth and create operating efficiencies.
  • Act as a trusted advisor. Build strong working relationships with business & executive leaders to ensure application development teams meet expectations and contribute to the achievement of business goals. Understand their businesses and advise them on technology needs.
  • Collaborate with IT and business leaders to develop short- and long-term strategic plans.
  • Maintain a strong understanding of industry and business needs, respond with agility to changing business priorities, assist clients in the formation of IT strategies and service level agreements.
  • Partner closely with all members of the IT Leadership Team on strategic and operational initiatives, driving results and proactively communicating on progress and direction of key IT projects. Direct the development and implementation of IT policies, processes, systems, project management, development standards and methodologies.
  • Manage the Application Development budget, with ongoing focus on personnel, vendor, and capital expenditures.
  • Establish departmental performance goals, objectives, and operating procedures with KPIs that produce measurable results for the IT functions and services

Talent & People Management
  • Develop workforce strategy to meet the organization's current and future software engineering needs through developing, hiring, and/or sourcing talent.
  • Manage resource allocation across teams to maximize business impact of resources and ensure each team has the skills and capabilities needed to achieve its objectives.
  • Develop and manage talent that is supportive of a culture that is energized, engaged, future focused and highly motivated to deliver best-in-class solutions.
  • Partner with Human Resources to create learning and development opportunities aligned to the organization's skill and capability needs, and to provide rewarding career paths for software engineering staff.
  • Recruit and hire talent to address new needs and skill gaps.
  • Facilitate collaboration and partnership across software engineering teams and stakeholders.
  • Build a culture that supports learning, collaboration, transparency, and inclusiveness.
  • Communicate delivery expectations to internal and external team members. Assess individual contributions and provide consistent and clear feedback on performance to the teams against goals and objectives.

Oversight Responsibilities
  • Champion best practices and modern software development methods and tools.
  • Lead application development teams and other stakeholders to set goals for improving code quality, maintainability, security, and scalability. Monitor progress against these goals.
  • Implement and manage application development status reporting, metrics, and benchmarks.
  • Manage collaboration with Infrastructure to ensure software performs well in production and meets SLAs.
  • Work with the Director of Information Security to ensure software is effectively secured and that risks are mitigated.
  • Oversee management of relationships with consultants, vendors, and contractors and support negotiation of statements of work and business terms with suppliers. Maintain awareness of contractual obligations and expectations of vendors and the organization. Seek opportunities to leverage partnerships for sourcing and innovation.
  • In collaboration with Infrastructure leaders, oversee DevOps processes and practices, including automating the handoff of code releases from development to operations.
  • Ensure data is consistent, accurate, and accessible for regulatory and business purposes.
  • Report regularly to the CIO and leadership team on the status and performance of technology strategies and initiatives, new innovations, and progress against goals relative to the strategic plan.

Required Experience
  • Demonstrated success as a senior IT and business leader.
  • Strong talent management skills including talent development, coaching, mentoring, and team motivation. Proven ability to recruit, retain and develop high performing teams with high employee engagement and job satisfaction.
  • Strong relationship management, strategy development, project management, problem solving and change management skills.
  • Ability to build and maintain strong cross-functional partnerships at all levels of the organization.
  • Demonstrated ability to communicate complex technical information in a condensed manner to various stakeholders verbally and in writing.
  • Strong organizational skills, including an ability to perform under pressure and manage multiple priorities with competing demands for resources.
  • Strong understanding of software development methodologies and best practices.
  • Understanding relevant tools and platforms (e.g. cloud platforms, SaaS, web technologies, client-server technologies, continuous integration and deployment), with an eagerness to learn about new and unfamiliar technologies such as artificial intelligence.
  • Adaptability and ability to manage rapid change in business needs, processes, or technologies.
  • Ability to manage multiple vendor relationships, to ensure the best financial return and value on initial investment and continued maintenance.
  • Experience in developing multi-million-dollar departmental and organizational budgets and effectively planning and managing activities within the established constraints of such approved budgets.

Preferred Experience
  • Experience in insurance or related financial services
  • Experience leading geographically distributed teams
  • Experience leading diverse technologies for a moderate/large IT department (100+ FTE).
  • Experience with Generative Artificial Intelligence and integration of this technology into software engineering processes
  • Experience leading software or enterprise architecture functions is a plus
  • Bachelor's degree in information systems, computer science or a related field. Master's degree in one of these fields or an MBA

Our current reasonable and good faith estimate of the annual base for this position is approximately $225,000 - $275,000* based on a variety of factors including, but not limited to, relevant skills and experience, educational background and certifications, performance and qualifications, market demand for the role and other organizational needs. *Certain roles may pay higher in the salary range due to technical/specialty skills and experience.
Please note: The advertised pay range is not a guarantee or promise of a specific wage.
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