Executive Director, Application Development – Life Insurance

USAA

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

Why USAA? At USAA, our mission is to empower our members to achieve financial security through highly competitive products, exceptional service and trusted advice. We seek to be the #1 choice for the military community and their families. Embrace a fulfilling career at USAA, where our core values – honesty, integrity, loyalty and service – define how we treat each other and our members. Be part of what truly makes us special and impactful. The Opportunity The Opportunity USAA is seeking an Executive Director, Application Development – Life Insurance, to lead teams responsible for the availability, security, and performance of Life and Investment applications used by our members and service representatives. This leader will guide the delivery of secure, scalable, member‑centric technology within a product‑aligned Agile model, partnering closely with business stakeholders to accelerate value delivery. Leveraging deep domain expertise, the role builds capabilities that expand access, enhance the member experience, and drive sustainable growth, while also overseeing the end‑to-end technology strategy and execution for Life Claims to deliver integrated solutions that improve operational efficiency and elevate the claims experience for members and employees. We offer a flexible work environment that requires an individual to be in the office 4 days per week. This position can be based in San Antonio, TX or Plano, TX. Relocation assistance is available for this position

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in computer science, computer information systems or related field of study; OR 4 years of related experience (in addition to the minimum years of experience required) may be substituted in lieu of degree.
• 10 years of experience in general IT management competencies.
• 4 years of people leadership experience in building, managing and/or developing high-performing teams required.
• Strong technical background of web-based application architecture, system and database architecture, security application integration and object-oriented languages in a large enterprise environment.
• Extensive experience in all stages of the software development life cycle: requirements gathering, design, development, testing, and implementation.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate technical information to a non-technical audience.
• Experience collaborating with key resources and stakeholders, influencing decisions and managing work to achieve strategic goals required.
• Demonstrated experience in vendor contract management and management of distributed development teams and resources.
• Demonstrated financial acumen involving budgets, forecasting, and executing on the budgets for applicable technology support function.
• Understanding of relevant industry frameworks, i.e. COBIT, ITIL, SAFe, etc.
• Understanding of Legislative and Regulatory Compliance Requirements.
• Experience overseeing the technology life cycle from requirements analysis, feasibility estimates, design, code, documentation, testing, implementation, and support.
• Technical knowledge and understanding of technical domains that reside within Infrastructure Services, Security, Data or Application Development.
• Experience conducting cost benefit analyses and leveraging results to drive technology support solutions.
• Demonstrated thought leadership in embedding intuitive story telling of technology support functions including concise presentation of complex technical details.
• Experience and ability to drive a culture of quality and personal accountability through technology support teams.

Nice To Haves

• A robust background in modern technology stacks with the ability to navigate complex systems and drive innovation
• Deep technical experience within the Life Insurance industry, specifically focused on claims processing systems and workflows
• Strong architectural foundation paired with an intimate understanding of the Life Insurance claims business to align technical solutions with organizational goals
• A positive, "team-first" builder mindset with a passion for solving complex problems and fostering a collaborative, high-performance environment

Responsibilities

• Performs workload management and prioritization duties in support of operations for the functional area assigned.
• Applies subject-matter-expert functional knowledge to lead subordinate workers in producing work deliverables in support of departmental initiatives.
• Develops functional policies, procedures and guidelines.
• Identifies opportunities and facilitates major improvements to processes and systems.
• Ensures that the assigned application group develops processes and tools that contribute to the company business objectives.
• Ensures that all application processes developed internally or by external service providers are conducted in line with corporate social responsibility, environmental and technical policies and applicable standards and legislation.
• Oversees the assessment of the technical and business fitness of the application portfolio and their associated costs and risks
• In partnership with CTO, Infrastructure and IT Security, ensures that the organization's applications are effectively secured and that risks are mitigated and comply with legal and corporate privacy and confidentiality rules.
• Establishes management routines to ensure appropriate oversight of the organization’s software development and maintenance activities.
• Serves as financial steward for the organization and manages relationships with major vendors and service providers to ensure they cost-effectively meet the needs of the organization.
• Evaluates and selects third party vendors to provide value added services.
• Facilitates the contracting process through the Third-Party Risk Management (TPRM) enterprise process.
• Responsible for contract company/service performance providing timely feedback to ensure the best value for USAA.
• Collaborates with CTO to ensure that solutions are consistent with technology standards.
• Works across IT and business partners to reduce technical debt.
• Collaborates with other leaders and/or stakeholders and develop an application development strategy that aligns with business strategy, adds value and is within budget constraints.
• Responsible for team’s adherence to SDLC and applicable controls.
• Works to ensure teams have appropriate, development plans consistent with domain of expertise.
• Mentors across the technical community.
• Provides oversight to the engagement with the business DPO and ensures deliverables adhere to Agile practices/methodologies.
• Ensures risks associated with business activities are effectively identified, measured, monitored, and controlled in accordance with risk and compliance policies and procedures.

Benefits

• At USAA our employees enjoy best-in-class benefits to support their physical, financial, and emotional wellness. These benefits include comprehensive medical, dental and vision plans, 401(k), pension, life insurance, parental benefits, adoption assistance, paid time off program with paid holidays plus 16 paid volunteer hours, and various wellness programs.
• Additionally, our career path planning and continuing education assists employees with their professional goals.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Executive
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees