Senior Manager IT - Middleware Operations

Transamerica•Cedar Rapids, IA

20h•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 Aegon's business units together with 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 of 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 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.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or related field (or equivalent practical experience).
10+ years of relevant experience in platform engineering, middleware, infrastructure services, and/or operations in enterprise environments.
Proven people-leadership experience, including leading leaders (managers/team leads), coaching and development, performance management, and workforce/resource planning.
Technical depth and track record owning enterprise platforms such as web platforms, messaging middleware (e.g., IBM MQ or equivalent), managed file transfer, and certificate lifecycle management/PKI (e.g., Keyfactor or equivalent).
Experience owning end-to-end service health (SLAs/SLOs, incident/problem/change management, capacity, patching, upgrades, DR/BCP) and partnering with security/risk teams to meet control, audit, and compliance requirements.
Strong command of platform engineering and operations best practices, including monitoring/observability, resiliency patterns, vulnerability management, and secure-by-design principles.
Ability to set platform strategy and roadmaps and drive execution aligned to enterprise architecture and business outcomes (reliability, modernization, cost, risk reduction, and delivery).
Demonstrated ability to resolve complex, high-impact issues that span teams; make timely decisions with incomplete information; and adapt priorities to address resource, reliability, and delivery constraints.
Experience leading cross-functional programs from inception to completion (modernization, standardization, automation), including vendor/partner delivery governance and stakeholder communications.
Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa at this time.

Nice To Haves

Strong executive communication and stakeholder-management skills, with demonstrated ability to influence decisions and drive alignment across infrastructure, application, security, risk, and vendor partners.
Technical depth to dive into architecture, configuration/code reviews, and complex troubleshooting as needed, with experience operating large-scale, high-volume, highly available platforms.

Responsibilities

Provides strategic leadership and guidance to managers and colleagues within the Middleware Platforms team.
Defines and rolls out strategic priorities, plans, and roadmaps for Web Platforms, MQ, File Transfer Processing, and PKI Certificate Management, adapting to address resource and delivery challenges in line with strategic objectives.
Supports development and performance of team members through mentorship, performance reviews, and equipping colleagues with future-ready skills.
Collaborates with leadership to identify, drive, and deliver cost initiatives in line with strategic objectives.
Accountable for managing colleague, training, travel, and team budgets; monitors and controls expenditure ensuring alignment with departmental and organizational priorities.
Leads the development and implementation of platform operating practices, standards, and controls, ensuring strategic alignment and compliance.
Ensures adherence to organizational policies, guidelines, and risk oversight responsibilities, including maintaining platform documentation, runbooks, and operational procedures.
Fosters a culture of innovation and collaboration that encourages continuous improvement, accountability, and alignment with strategic direction.
Drives efficiency and effectiveness within the team and shares best practices across the department and wider organization.
Manage data privacy risks and ensure compliance with company policy regarding the processing of personal and/or other sensitive data.
Owns end-to-end service health, reliability, and lifecycle management for Web Platforms, MQ, File Transfer Processing, and PKI Certificate Management, including capacity planning, upgrades, patching, and operational readiness across environments.
Oversees build/release processes and drives automation for deployment, configuration, compliance, and environment provisioning to improve speed, quality, and consistency.
Acts as an escalation point for major incidents, service risks, and cross-team dependencies.
Manages vendor partners and holds them accountable to SLAs/KPIs; builds strong partnerships with infrastructure, application development, cybersecurity, and business technology teams.

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
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