Senior Director - IT Platform Services

Aegon • Cedar Rapids, IA

63d • $195,000 - $250,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

Enterprise Technology (formerly Global Technology Services) is a global organization within Transamerica. We provide dedicated support to Transamerica and we bring all of Aegon's business units together through the use of technology. We provide the backbone - the infrastructure - for how everything works. We're creating the company's AI environment, building a flexible 'cloud experience' for internal hosting services, designing frameworks for data governance and management, and ensuring the security and stability the company's technology. In short, we enable the business units to move more quickly and deliver to our clients in the best possible way. Whether customers are interested in insurance products or annuities or financial services, we're here to ensure they don't have to worry whether their information is safe. The people we employ are incredibly diverse, both in terms of backgrounds and skill sets.  There are over 1,000 of us representing a dozen or so nationalities and located in the UK, the US, the Netherlands, and Hungary, Spain, and Hong Kong.  Our global teams are comprised of experts in the areas such as application development, information security, infrastructure services, data & analytics, risk & controls,  procurement, program management, and architecture.  With the breadth of functions within Enterprise Technology, individuals can pursue a wide variety of careers, and we have a focus on supporting employees' development.  In particular, our Talent Marketplace enables colleagues to take on gigs to broaden their experience and try out different responsibilities, which can be extremely rewarding. The most important quality in the people who join us is curiosity.  A lot of what we do is problem solving, requiring colleagues to take what they know and apply it to new situations. We have many mature processes, but we're always looking for opportunities to improve, so we want people who are naturally inquisitive and confident enough to challenge the way we do things.  Technology is constantly, rapidly changing - we need you to help us continue to change with it. The Senior Director of IT Platform Services is a strategic leadership role responsible for the global vision, delivery, and governance of enterprise platforms that enable agile, scalable, and high-quality technology delivery. This includes ownership of ServiceNow, Jira/Atlassian suite, the Testing Center of Excellence (TCoE), and CI/CD tooling and adoption. The role will lead a global team and partner with engineering, operations, security, and business stakeholders to drive platform innovation, automation, and operational excellence.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in related field or equivalent training/experience required.
• Minimum of 12 years experience in financial services and minimum of 5 years previous leadership required.
• Experience in IT leadership roles, with deep expertise in enterprise platforms, DevOps, and agile delivery
• Proven track record of leading global teams and delivering platform transformation at scale
• Strong knowledge of ServiceNow, Jira/Atlassian, CI/CD tools, and enterprise testing practices
• Experience in regulated or complex environments (e.g., finance, healthcare, manufacturing) is a plus
• Exceptional leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills
• Applicants must possess legal authorization to work for our company in the U.S. without the need for immigration, sponsorship or otherwise serving as an employer of record for immigration employment purposes. At this time, this role is not eligible for immigration-related employment authorization sponsorship.

Nice To Haves

• MBA or equivalent business acumen preferred
• ServiceNow Certified Implementation Specialist or Architect
• Atlassian Certified Jira Administrator
• SAFe Program Consultant (SPC) or equivalent Agile certification
• DevOps Leader or CI/CD-related certifications (e.g., GitLab, Jenkins, Azure DevOps

Responsibilities

• Define and execute the global strategy for IT platform services aligned with enterprise architecture and digital transformation goals
• Champion platform modernization, automation, and DevOps/Agile enablement across the organization
• Serve as a thought leader and advisor to executive leadership on platform capabilities and innovation
• Lead the global delivery and lifecycle management of ServiceNow, including ITSM, ITOM, HRSD, and custom applications
• Drive platform governance, performance, and expansion into new business domains
• Ensure alignment with ITIL practices, security, and compliance standards
• Oversee the enterprise-wide configuration, standardization, and integration of Jira and the Atlassian ecosystem
• Establish governance models, usage standards, and reporting frameworks to support agile at scale
• Partner with product and engineering teams to optimize workflows and delivery velocity
• Lead the TCoE to define enterprise testing strategies, automation frameworks, and quality metrics
• Promote shift-left testing, continuous testing, and test data management practices
• Ensure consistent quality assurance practices across all delivery teams and geographies
• Own the strategy and implementation of CI/CD pipelines and toolchains (e.g., Jenkins, GitLab, Azure DevOps)
• Drive adoption of DevSecOps practices and continuous delivery capabilities across engineering teams
• Ensure tooling supports secure, scalable, and efficient software delivery pipelines
• Build and lead a high-performing global team of platform engineers, architects, and service owners
• Foster a culture of innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement
• Manage vendor relationships, budgets, and service delivery metrics
• Act as a key liaison between IT, business units, and engineering teams to ensure platform alignment with business needs
• Lead change management, training, and communication strategies to drive adoption and value realization
• Report on platform KPIs, ROI, and strategic outcomes to executive stakeholders

Benefits

• Competitive Pay
• Bonus for Eligible Employees
• Pension Plan
• 401k Match
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Disability Insurance
• Medical Insurance
• Dental Insurance
• Vision Insurance
• Employee Discounts
• Career Training & Development Opportunities
• Paid Time Off starting at 160 hours annually for employees in their first year of service.
• Ten (10) paid holidays per year (typically mirroring the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) holidays).
• Be Well Company holistic wellness program, which includes Wellness Coaching and Reward Dollars
• Parental Leave - fifteen (15) days of paid parental leave per calendar year to eligible employees with at least one year of service at the time of birth, placement of an adopted child, or placement of a foster care child.
• Adoption Assistance
• Employee Assistance Program
• College Coach Program
• Back-Up Care Program
• PTO for Volunteer Hours
• Employee Matching Gifts Program
• Employee Resource Groups
• Inclusion and Diversity Programs
• Employee Recognition Program
• Referral Bonus Programs

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director
• Industry: Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees