Director, Enterprise Applications

CarGurus • Boston, MA

213d

About The Position

We are looking for a forward-thinking Director of Enterprise Applications who thrives in a dynamic environment, driving application innovation, strategic alignment, and operational excellence. The Director of Enterprise Applications is a transformative leader responsible for steering the strategic direction while ensuring the execution of cutting-edge enterprise-wide business applications solutions at global scale. As a proactive change leader, the Director will foster a culture of continuous improvement, guiding cross-functional teams through digital transformation initiatives, ensuring alignment with organizational goals, and delivering measurable business value. The Director will collaborate closely with senior leadership, business units, and technology teams to ensure effective solutions delivery, operational efficiency, scalability, and security. This individual will lead the Enterprise Applications team, foster innovation, optimize application portfolios, and ensure robust governance and compliance.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree (Master’s preferred) in Information Technology, Computer Science, Business Administration, or related field.
• Minimum of 10+ years in senior leadership roles, specifically managing enterprise application portfolios, including CRM, FinTech, MarTech and other business-critical enterprise platforms.
• Proven track record of successfully leading complex enterprise application implementations, integrations, migrations, and digital transformation initiatives.
• Extensive experience with cloud-based enterprise application solutions, SaaS implementations, and application lifecycle management.
• Deep knowledge of enterprise application architecture, integration methodologies, and related cybersecurity best practices.
• Strong business acumen with demonstrated ability to align technology strategies to organizational objectives and outcomes.
• Proven experience managing large-scale vendor relationships, negotiating favorable terms, and overseeing substantial budgets.
• Exceptional strategic planning, analytical thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and stakeholder management capabilities, with the ability to effectively articulate complex technical strategies to non-technical audiences.
• Commitment to continuous learning, staying abreast of emerging trends, technologies, and best practices in enterprise application management and governance.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute a strategic roadmap for enterprise applications, aligning technology solutions with the company's long-term business objectives.
• Provide visionary leadership, fostering innovation, collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement within the Enterprise Applications team.
• Build, manage, and mentor high-performing teams, clearly defining roles, responsibilities, and key performance indicators (KPIs).
• Leverage deep expertise in Artificial Intelligence (AI) to champion innovation and lead the team in identifying, developing, and deploying cutting-edge AI-driven solutions that enhance business performance and operational efficiency.
• Act as a senior advisor and strategic partner to executives and departmental leaders, providing recommendations and guidance on application-related strategies.
• Oversee the planning, implementation, and continuous improvement of enterprise application solutions, including CRM, FinTech, MarTech and other business-critical enterprise platforms.
• Lead large-scale enterprise application projects, including system upgrades, integrations, migrations, and process automation.
• Drive application modernization initiatives, emphasizing cloud solutions, automation, AI, and emerging technologies to enhance organizational efficiency and agility.
• Establish robust governance, compliance frameworks, and best practices to ensure data integrity, cybersecurity, regulatory compliance, and operational reliability.
• Monitor and optimize the performance, availability, scalability, and cost-effectiveness of the enterprise application portfolio.
• Set clear performance metrics and regularly evaluate application effectiveness, driving continuous improvements and proactive resolution of issues.
• Ensure timely delivery of application projects, effectively managing risks, dependencies, and resource constraints.
• Coordinate closely with cross-functional IT teams (Infrastructure, Cybersecurity, BI/Data Analytics) to ensure cohesive delivery and alignment of enterprise-wide solutions.
• Manage strategic vendor partnerships, negotiate contracts, and ensure delivery against service-level agreements.
• Develop and manage the enterprise applications budget, ensuring strategic alignment and optimal allocation of resources.
• Develop clear business cases to justify investments in enterprise application enhancements, integrations, and major implementations.
• Serve as the primary point of escalation for enterprise application issues, maintaining clear communication with stakeholders regarding resolution timelines and impacts.
• Communicate clearly and consistently with all stakeholders, providing regular updates on strategic initiatives, risks, progress, and application performance.
• Foster strong working relationships with business stakeholders, ensuring enterprise applications continuously support business needs.

Benefits

• Equity for all employees, both when they start and as they continue to grow with us.
• Career development and corporate giving programs.
• Employee resource groups (ERGs) and communities.
• Flexible hybrid model and robust time off policies.
• Daily free lunch.
• New car discount.
• Meditation and fitness apps.
• Commuting cost coverage.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: Master's degree
• Number of Employees: 251-500 employees