Senior Manager - IT Application Development

United Airlines•Chicago, IL

About The Position

The Senior Manager of IT Application Development will lead a team responsible for creating, implementing, and maintaining technology solutions to support United Airlines’ TechOps business organization. This role involves aligning IT strategies with overall business goals, managing project portfolios, ensuring system performance and security, and fostering strong relationships with business partners and senior leaders. Candidates should have expertise in the software development lifecycle, familiarity with Agile methodologies, and the ability to provide technical leadership for complex, large-scale systems. The role centers on modernizing legacy systems, strengthening cybersecurity measures, and enabling data-driven insights to improve fleet reliability, safety, and regulatory compliance. Collaboration with engineering, maintenance, safety, and compliance leaders is crucial to ensure IT capabilities support both operational and strategic objectives. You will lead efforts in designing, analyzing, and developing scalable solutions, focusing on solutions architecture and driving organizational change. Effective collaboration with finance and other organizational teams is crucial to achieving the company’s strategic goals. The role requires a combination of technical expertise, leadership qualities, and collaborative skills.

Requirements

Bachelors degree in Information Technology, Computer Engineering, Finance, or related field
7+ years of relevant experience in application development.
At least 12 months of leadership experience in managing multiple, large, cross-functional teams or projects, and influencing senior-level management and key stakeholders.
Understanding of system architecture principles, including the ability to design scalable and reliable solutions
Strong background in Agile delivery, cloud technologies (such as AWS/Azure), and enterprise integration (API, microservices).
Proficient in project management methodologies, including Agile and DevOps practices.
Leadership experience and the ability to guide and inspire a team. Project management skills may also be beneficial.
A mindset for continuous learning and staying updated on industry trends, emerging technologies, and best practices.
Advanced technical and business knowledge in software development life cycle, quality assurance, project management, and other related disciplines/processes.
Well-versed in Agile development and requirements management processes.
Must be legally authorized to work in the United States for any employer without sponsorship
Must be legally authorized to work in the United States for any employer without sponsorship
Successful completion of interview required to meet job qualification
Reliable, punctual attendance is an essential function of the position

Nice To Haves

Masters degree
Practical experience in developing and architecting highly integrated, high-user-base systems is highly valued.
Leadership experience in managing multiple, large, cross-functional teams or projects, and influencing senior-level management and key stakeholders.
Proven experience managing technology solutions in an aviation or aerospace environment.
Experience in application development supporting Engineering, Reliability, Avionics, CASS(Continuing Analysis and Surveillance System), and Quality Assurance.
Experience with cybersecurity principles and secure software development lifecycle.
Experience with aircraft data systems, avionics software, or airline maintenance systems.
Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
Ability to lead through influence in a complex organization.
Passion for technology innovation, reliability, and safety in aviation.

Responsibilities

Develop and implement a comprehensive strategy in alignment with business objectives.
Manage the full lifecycle of projects, including planning, development, testing, and deployment.
Ensure the quality and scalability of solutions by establishing best practices and governance procedures.
Monitor the performance of solutions and conduct regular reviews to ensure they deliver the expected business benefits.
Responsible for escalating, assisting, and following through on the resolution of issues related to the delivery of technology solutions.
Accountable for gaining and maintaining alignment of delivery success criteria with business partners
Accountable for effective project management and delivery of work requests and projects within committed budget, schedule, and quality for individual projects while also meeting overall department performance goals.
Accountable for identifying needs, securing commitments, and monitoring progress of deliverables from internal and external service provider teams.
Provide cost estimates and business case updates.
Accountable for ensuring technology solutions comply with architectural standards.
Responsible for communication of progress to senior IT and Business leadership.
Responsible for organizing and maintaining performance of any application issues in accordance with the agreed SLA.
Provide information and periodic updates to support overall IT performance metrics, monthly project status reporting, and quarterly resource planning review.
Create a team structure and process for quality control during development, testing, debugging code, and deployment.
Ensure best practices for Agile methodologies are implemented, and continuous improvements are made, as needed. Ensure adherence to code scanning and other security protocols during development and release.
Ensure IT application development process disciplines (solution delivery, project management, work requests, QA, etc.) and standards are established, effectively managed, and performed.
Remain informed of new technologies and/or business processes and incorporate those technologies to improve the productivity of the applications staff and software systems' maintainability.
Drive continuous improvement and be adaptable to changing designs and to adding performance enhancements.
Play a key role in formulating and following the procedures and processes for development.
Play a key role in the formation of agile delivery teams for development and technology delivery.
Understand and partner with United business and DT leadership teams, along with product SMEs, to define the end-state vision, goals, and strategy of the product and create a multi-year product development strategy and tactical plans.
Share knowledge and collaborate to come up with effective and innovative solutions to problems.
Maintain up-to-date knowledge of technology trends and advancements.
Engage, collaborate, and partner with stakeholders, technical and business, to understand business requirements and user expectations, and lead the development of solutions that meet functional and technical requirements.
Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including IT operations, security, and quality assurance, to ensure the reliability, security, and scalability of our applications.
Foster strong relationships with business partners, acting as a trusted advisor and advocate for the IT department.
Collaborate with various departments to identify and prioritize process automation opportunities. Be a Thought Partner, i.e., engaged with Business Owners/Business Process Development.
Manage budgets, vendor relationships, and service delivery metrics.
Ensure adherence to FAA, OEM, and internal IT governance standards.
Drive measurable improvements in application reliability, security, and user satisfaction.
Lead a multi-functional, impactful team responsible for designing, developing, and maintaining SaaS and customer applications.
Manage vendor development teams assigned to projects and core support.
Mentor and develop team members by guiding technical skills, best practices, and career growth opportunities. Establish department and individual goals.
Assess and recommend improvements to the organization's structure, roles, and responsibilities.
Participate actively in future strategy, goals, objectives, and operational performance.
Create and maintain a high performance by interacting and mentoring junior and senior-level developers.
Perform short and long-term resource planning to ensure the proper number of resources and the right skills are available to meet project goals and schedules.
Use creative and proactive leadership skills to address project challenges and opportunities.