Senior Director, Software Engineering & Data

AWC, Inc.•St. George, LA

6d•Hybrid

About The Position

AWC is seeking an experienced Senior Director of Software Engineering & Data to lead its Enterprise Applications organization and help shape how technology supports the business. The role provides strategic and operational leadership across software engineering, enterprise applications, data engineering, and the modern enterprise data platform. The Senior Director partners with business leaders, Digital Transformation, Infrastructure and Operations, and ERP leadership to set priorities, strengthen delivery capabilities, and guide technology modernization. This hands-on leadership role balances maintaining critical business systems with developing modern, scalable technology solutions. It includes ownership of the software delivery lifecycle, engineering operating model, application and data capabilities, ERP-related integrations and modernization, practical adoption of AI-assisted engineering, and the development of high-performing software engineering and data teams. The position is hybrid and requires commuting distance to Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Houston, Texas; Dallas, Texas; or Austin, Texas, along with regular travel to AWC locations.

Requirements

Demonstrated experience leading software engineering organizations, including responsibility for engineering practices, delivery processes, talent development, and performance management.
Proven ability to establish or transform software engineering operating models, development standards, and team capabilities.
Strong technical understanding of enterprise applications, software architecture, integration strategies, and modern development practices.
Experience supporting established legacy applications while simultaneously developing and implementing modern systems.
Demonstrated ownership of enterprise data platforms, data engineering capabilities, or data products, including data quality and governance.
Practical experience implementing AI-assisted software development tools and driving adoption across engineering teams while maintaining quality and security standards.
Experience managing engineering leaders and technical professionals, including hiring, coaching, performance management, and succession planning.
Strong business acumen and ability to evaluate priorities, communicate tradeoffs, and align technology investments with organizational objectives.
Excellent communication, collaboration, and relationship-building skills, including the ability to influence technical and nontechnical stakeholders.
Ability and willingness to travel regularly to AWC locations.

Nice To Haves

Experience supporting a major ERP implementation or replacement, particularly systems integration and data migration.
Background in industrial distribution, manufacturing, automation, energy, or related industries.
Experience establishing governance and production-readiness practices for applications or prototypes developed outside traditional IT teams.
Experience leading technology organizations in a mid-sized, growing business environment.
Demonstrated success introducing modern engineering practices while maintaining operational stability and supporting organizational change.

Responsibilities

Provide strategic and operational leadership for the Enterprise Applications organization, including software engineering, data engineering, and application delivery.
Establish a scalable engineering operating model covering project intake, prioritization, capacity planning, development standards, deployment, and ongoing support.
Guide technical direction and evaluate solution designs with the software architect and engineering teams, ensuring reliability and maintainability.
Balance support of established, business-critical applications with development and implementation of modern technology solutions.
Own the software delivery lifecycle from solution design and development through testing, deployment, and production support.
Partner with business stakeholders and Digital Transformation leadership to evaluate opportunities, establish priorities, and translate business needs into scalable technology solutions.
Improve portfolio visibility, resource planning, and delivery accountability so engineering capacity aligns with high-value initiatives.
Establish a structured process for transitioning business-developed prototypes and innovative solutions into secure, supported production applications.
Evaluate build-versus-buy decisions and recommend solutions that balance business value, speed, cost, security, and long-term sustainability.
Lead the development and maturity of AWC's modern enterprise data platform.
Establish scalable practices for data engineering, integration, accessibility, quality, and governance.
Partner with business data owners to strengthen data definitions, accuracy, accountability, and trust.
Support enterprise analytics and enable business teams to use reliable data for informed decisions.
Collaborate with ERP leadership during the transition to a new enterprise resource planning environment.
Provide engineering leadership for integrations, application modernization, custom development, and system decoupling.
Support data migration and integration strategies that protect business continuity and enable future scalability.
Help determine which capabilities should be supported within the ERP platform and which should be developed or maintained through enterprise applications.
Advance practical adoption of AI-assisted software engineering tools and methodologies to improve productivity, quality, and delivery speed.
Establish standards for code review, testing, security, and maintainability as development practices evolve.
Create pathways for innovative ideas and prototypes to become scalable, secure, sustainable business solutions.
Identify opportunities to improve engineering efficiency, reduce technical debt, and strengthen system reliability.
Lead, coach, and develop software engineering and data professionals, fostering accountability, collaboration, continuous learning, and innovation.
Assess organizational capabilities, identify talent needs, and build development plans for current and future business requirements.
Set clear performance expectations, encourage ownership, and recognize results.
Foster partnerships across technology and business functions while reinforcing AWC's values and commitment to Winning Together.
Travel regularly to AWC locations.
Establish a transparent engineering portfolio and capacity-planning process aligned with business priorities.
Deliver measurable business value through new applications and improvements to existing systems; strengthen application reliability, support accountability, and release quality.
Advance trusted, governed enterprise data access and analytics capabilities and establish an engineering roadmap supporting ERP transformation.
Develop a stronger engineering organization that effectively leverages modern tools and AI-assisted development practices.