AVP, Software Engineering, Employee Benefits

The Hartford•Hartford, CT

5d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Hartford's Employee Benefits organization is seeking a dynamic and forward-thinking IT leader to drive transformational investments and modernization of core policy, billing, and the digital experience supporting employers. This senior leadership role, reporting to the CIO of Employer Benefits Technology, will have end-to-end ownership of critical technology roadmap priorities for a significant part of The Hartford’s $6B Employee Benefits business. The position will lead the Employer Experience technology strategy and roadmap, driving the delivery of critical business capabilities through agile engineering practices. Key accountabilities include technology execution, engineering excellence, advancing agile ways of working, and adopting AI to enhance productivity, code quality, and business outcomes. The ideal candidate will combine strong software engineering expertise, people leadership, executive presence, and a passion for guiding teams through transformation.

Requirements

12+ years of experience in technical software solution development and engineering leadership.
Hands-on experience leading complex portfolios through transformation such as digital or large platforms replacement.
Demonstrated engineering track record of sustainable technical solution design with a focus on driving productivity, efficiency, and innovation.
Experience leading legacy to modern application transitions, including migration of applications to cloud and continued technical innovation in the cloud.
Experienced people leader with the ability to build and develop future-ready technology talent, fostering a culture of engineering excellence, accountability, innovation, and growth.
Excellent communicator who can effectively translate technology concepts into business language and adjust as needed to target audience.
Strategic thinker, problem solver and collaborator with the ability to engage executive level leaders across organizational boundaries to influence decisions and drive results.
Global experience with onshore and offshore teams (US and India) and managing vendor resource strategy.
Comfortable in a fast-paced environment, with the ability to effectively prioritize competing priorities and deadlines.
Passion for learning, excellent customer focus with a positive attitude.

Nice To Haves

Employee Benefits and/or insurance industry experience preferred but not required.

Responsibilities

Accountable for the end-to-end technology strategy, execution, and continuous transformation of Group Benefits engineering, embedding AI-first practices across product delivery, software development, operations, and decision-making.
Accountable for the end-to-end technology strategy, delivery, and continuous modernization of the Employer Experience value stream.
Partner with business and product leaders to define and execute a technology and AI roadmap that aligns with business priorities and enhances employer experience.
Lead adoption of AI-first engineering practices, leveraging AI-assisted development, testing, automation, and operations to improve productivity, quality, and speed to market.
Drive scalable, cloud-native, and API-driven technology solutions in partnership with Enterprise and Solution Architecture teams.
Ensure data, analytics, and AI capabilities are aligned to business objectives, enabling trusted insights and intelligent business processes.
Establish modern engineering and DevSecOps practices that improve reliability, security, resilience, and developer experience.
Use outcome-based metrics and engineering productivity measures to provide transparency, predictability, and continuous improvement.
Build and lead high-performing engineering teams through strategic workforce planning, effective organization design, AI-enabled skill transformation, and focused talent development.
Champion a culture of engineering excellence, innovation, customer focus, and responsible AI adoption.
Continuously evaluate emerging AI and technology trends, translating them into practical capabilities that deliver measurable business value.
Maintain a continuous learning mindset to stay current with AI advancements, helping to translate emerging capabilities into practical business and technology outcomes.