Director, Software Engineering - Platform Engineering and API

Job Description

JOB SUMMARY

Oversees day to day application development projects and engineering while leading continuous improvement on process definition and compliance. Directly manages software engineers and project managers. Delivers on commitments to discipline partners and collaborates with architects on major organizational initiatives across multiple channels & platform. Functions as the technical decision-maker and problem solver to deliver projects on time and on budget. Promotes project quality and manages the application development team to promote satisfaction with all technology teams and business partners by following standard application development tools and processes. Manages continuous improvement program to improve quality, consistency, and client satisfaction.

CANDIDATE PROFILE

Education and Experience

Required:

• 10+ years of application development leadership experience that includes:
  • 7+ years of technical experience within architecture development, integration of backend systems and development
  • Experience in designing, managing and maintaining API gateway (Akana or other industry leading) and developer portal in Production environment.
  • In-depth knowledge of integration approaches and architectures
  • Deep understanding of the pros and cons with cloud-native solution, microservices-architecture and API orchestration architecture
  • Experience with technologies - Java, NoSQL, Spring boot and WebFlux, Kafka, Docker, K8s, Cloud
  • Experience & understanding of DevOps, CI/CD pipelines, logging, metrics, monitoring, tracing, service mesh, LTM, GTM, SEO etc.
  • Strong understanding of API platforms, back-end services, database and networking components of full stack infrastructure
  • Direct management of cross functional, sourced, or matrixed teams
  • Undergraduate/graduate degree or equivalent education + experience

Preferred:

• Experience with defining API gateway roadmap and with automated API provisioning.
• Demonstrated success leading medium- to large-scale initiatives/transformations
• Proven management experience in strategic planning and budgeting within one or more business groups
• Experience with and knowledge of IT outsourcing activities in a managed services environment
• Proven management experience in application development across waterfall and agile environments.
• Digital Customer Experience platforms (Adobe AEM and Marketing Cloud, Analytics, DTM, Target, Search & Promote)
• Proven knowledge of SDLC; good understanding of ITIL v3 Framework
• Proven knowledge of Agile methodology; preferably SAFe Agile
• Experience with Play / Akka frameworks, GraphQL
• Active contributions to OSS projects
• Relevant technology certifications
• Experience in full stack development
• Experience with Content Management Systems
• Good process management, negotiating, influencing and problem resolution skills
• Proven ability to effectively prioritize and execute tasks in a high-pressure environment
• Knowledge of business environment, service requirements and hospitality culture
• Demonstrated ability to assess customer/client needs, creatively approach solutions, decide and influence appropriate courses of action
• Ability to understand and communicate the lifecycle of technologies and applications and to translate into business strategies for the client organizations.
• Solid understanding of IT financial structures and ability to manage to corporate financial processes and standards - including drivers of process costs
• Strong verbal and written communication skills with the ability to articulate complex technical ideas in easy to understand business terms
• Ability to accomplish results through others, particularly by establishing relationships, effective controls and leading in a managed service environment
• Ability to bridge the gap between technology and business
• Self-driven, curious and a fast-learner, and able to work in a fast-paced environment launching new consumer products to market
• Possess strong problem-solving skills and ability to prioritize and manage multiple tasks
• Strong interpersonal and stakeholder management skills with the ability to coordinate between technical and business teams
• Relevant experience in systems integration and development, package analysis and implementation
• Excellent collaborator, working in fully agile product or software delivery teams regionally
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, as well as presentation skills
• Working in a Product-based model and building strong partnerships with Product owners by providing innovative technology solutions to complex business problems
• Ability to communicate complex technology solutions to both Product owners in a business-friendly manner and to Enterprise Architects in most technical detail
• Excellent knowledge of working with dynamic data using services (e.g., JSON, XML, REST APIs etc)
• Experience & expertise with microservices architectures, Service Mesh (e.g. Istio), Service discovery, rate limiting, config management etc.
• Experience/ understanding of GraphQL
• Strong experience and knowledge of what it takes to operate a production platform
• Experience with public cloud platforms and designing cloud native solutions (e.g. AWS, Azure)
• Influencing technology strategy by providing strategic advice, be a trusted advisor to discipline partners for leveraging/customizing software to meet their digital marketing requirements
• Management of multiple Omni-Channel development efforts integrating with multiple back-end systems
• Experience with Automation testing, Performance Engineering, CI/CD, Release Management processes and Application Deployments.

CORE WORK ACTIVITIES

Managing Application Development Standards, Processes, and Tools

• Works with direct reports to facilitate consistency of service delivery across client groups
• Facilitates compliance with the standard set of application development tools and processes that will drive consistency and predictability throughout the SDLC for all client groups including:
  • SDLC standard tools and processes for both waterfall and agile development
  • Estimating standard tools and processes, incorporating flexibility for small and large projects
  • Deployment standard tools and processes
• Monitors projects for adherence to defined application development processes
• Communicates to Application Development leaders opportunities to create broader IT related and corporate standards and policies where necessary
• Communicates important application development policy changes that affect service provider and/or Marriott operations

Managing Day-To-Day Relationships with Teams

• Manages application development projects in partnership with IT teams, business partners and providers
  • Provides project management of business projects
  • Oversees effective reporting within application development team
  • Leads project reviews with team on application development projects
  • Manages day-to day relationships with all IT teams to promote the delivery of services that meet or exceed the client expectations
  • Monitors projects for alignment with defined business case process
  • Drives timely resolution of escalated service delivery problems and minimizes the impact of any client service delivery issues
  • Manages, and improves service level reporting for application development
  • Provides early warning to the appropriate Business Partnership & Planning leaders and team regarding degraded or missed service levels
  • Assists with application, development and maintenance of service provider project management standards and tools
  • Participates in client portfolio and demand management processes, and engages service providers to ensure client satisfaction
• Works with application development service providers
  • Validates the service provider(s) performs the services agreed to by the master services agreement in a manner that is consistent with both the spirit and the letter of the agreement
  • Works with team to progress the service providers services to match client needs

o Facilitates team and service provider compliance with the agreement

o Validates service levels meet business needs

o Facilitates the definition and enforcement of good service provider contracts
• Supports the IT organization

o Provides input to IT's business strategy and planning as needed

o Supports and follows defined IT Governance decision rights, standards and practices

o Emphasizes accuracy and effectiveness of estimating and planning management with team

o Provides input to business/discipline and continent IT budgets

Implementing and Managing Continuous Improvement Program
• Drives adoption of CMMi or similar metrics to demonstrate continuous improvement and alignment with the industry
• Demonstrates continuous improvement through metrics of quality consistency and client satisfaction
• Works with application development service providers, IT teams, and business partners to implement continuous improvement activities
• Responds to issues identified in project surveys or other feedback processes, to continually improve client satisfaction

MANAGEMENT COMPETENCIES

Leadership

• Communication - Conveys information and ideas to others in a convincing and engaging manner through a variety of methods.
• Leading Through Vision and Values - Keeps the organization's vision and values at the forefront of employee decision making and action.
• Managing Change - Initiates and/or manages the change process and energizes it on an ongoing basis, taking steps to remove barriers or accelerate its pace; serves as role model for how to handle change by maintaining composure and performance level under pressure or when experiencing challenges.
• Problem Solving and Decision Making - Identifies and understands issues, problems, and opportunities; obtains and compares information from different sources to draw conclusions, develops and evaluates alternatives and solutions, solves problems, and chooses a course of action.
• Professional Demeanor - Exhibits behavioral styles that convey confidence and command respect from others; makes a good first impression and represents the company in alignment with its values.
• Strategy Development - Develops business plans by exploring and systematically evaluating opportunities with the greatest potential for producing positive results; ensures successful preparation and execution of business plans through effective planning, organizing, and on-going evaluation processes.

Managing Execution

• Building a Successful Team - Uses an effective interpersonal style to build a cohesive team; inspires and sustains team cohesion and engagement by focusing the team on its mission and importance to the organization.
• Strategy Execution - Ensures successful execution across of business plans designed to maximize customer satisfaction, profitability, and market share through effective planning, organizing, and on-going evaluation processes.
• Driving for Results - Sets high standards of performance for self and/or others; assumes responsibility for work objectives; initiates, focuses, and monitors the efforts of self and/or others toward the accomplishment goals; proactively takes action and goes beyond what is required.

Building Relationships

• Customer Relationships - Develops and sustains relationships based on an understanding of customer/stakeholder needs and actions consistent with the company's service standards.
• Global Mindset - Supports employees and business partners with diverse styles, abilities, motivations, and/or cultural perspectives; utilizes differences to drive innovation, engagement and enhance business results; and ensures employees are given the opportunity to contribute to their full potential.
• Strategic Partnerships - Develops collaborative relationships with fellow employees and business partners by making them feel valued, appreciated, and included; explores partnership opportunities with other people in and outside the organization; influences and leverages corporate and continental shared services and/or discipline leaders (e.g., HR, Sales & Marketing, Finance, Revenue Management) to achieve objectives; maintains effective external relations with government, business and industry in respective countries; performs effectively as a liaison between locations, disciplines, and corporate to ensure needed resources are received and corporate strategies are understood and executed.

Generating Talent and Organizational Capability

• Developing Others - Plans and supports the development of others' skills and capabilities so that they can fulfill current or future job/role responsibilities more effectively; provides high visibility to individuals with potential; offers challenging assignments that build confidence and credibility and provides such individuals with a personal vision for their future.
• Organizational Capability - Evaluates and adapts the structure of assignments and work processes to best fit the needs and/or support the goals of an organizational unit. Learning and Applying Professional Expertise
• Business Acumen - Understands and utilizes business information to manage everyday operations and generate innovative solutions to approach business and administrative challenges.
• Technical Acumen - Understands and utilizes professional skills and knowledge in a specific functional area to conduct and manage everyday business operations and generate innovative solutions to approach function-specific work challenge...