Overview

This role is critical for accelerating end-end life insurance processing and the company's industry leading position by bringing incremental software changes to market. The ideal candidate is an industry-proven, hands-on, well-rounded senior leader of software engineering by trade specializing in COBOL application development and mainframe modernization to run end-end life insurance policy administration.

Responsibilities

What you will do:

Owns 100% of life insurance policy adinistration mainframe-based application architecture and the blueprint for its continuous adaptation across the entire company.
Provides technical oversight for all 15-20 software engineers implementing blueprinted changes.
Ensures software engineering team technical compliance with design patterns and overall software standards.
Provides technical leadership and hands on development direction for all custom legacy COBOL application development for all of Gerber Life policy administration applications (product config, billing, collections, policy servicing, claims) and feeds to various downstream systems (workflow, document generation and fulfillment, general ledger, reinsurance, etc.) that enable end-end life insurance processing.
Executes a roadmap for mainframe-based life insurance policy administration software modernization transformation (legacy policy administration applications support 500 operators handling 1 million calls per year to service 3.8 million policies). Specifically evolves batch-centric processing to real-time enablement to meet instant gratification demand of consumers and the industry.
Collaborates with all Gerber Life teams to advance the policy administration application architecture by evaluating, selecting and introducing new technologies that enable new capabilities (IMS and VSAM replacement with DB2, CICS replacement with UI development using web technologies, z/OS Connect for mainframe API introduction, IBM MQ and ESB introduction for effective integration with external systems, etc.).
The individual in this role grows the ADSD agile and analytical mindset, a "can-do" spirit with existing employees and contractors.
Proactively aligns the organizational design with the changing technical landscape while selectively recruiting and participating in the hiring of like-minded new engineers.
Provides hands-on direction to team members individually managing product and sprint backlogs as needed to deliver software change.
Ultimately accountable for sustaining and accelerating the delivery velocity of the entire team by effectively adapting people, process and technology to maximize value for the company within departmental and project budgets.
Guides teams and individually performs hands-on discovery, data modeling, and development to deliver value through data engineering.
Responsible for technical oversight and assignment of work to all junior peers in order to meet all new data modifications related work demand.
Responsible for estimating new work and participating in the screening and hiring of technical resources.
Steers teams using all people, process and technology advantages across the company.
Ensures teams and individually adheres to all designs, policies, procedures and standards for data security and regulatory compliance.
Performs other duties as assigned.
Complies with all policies and standards.

Qualifications

M.S. Computer Science, less than a Master's degree may be acceptable if accompanied by other technical training, relevant certifications, or extensive experience in positions that demonstrate required abilities and performance. - Required
Typically requires at least 15 years of agile software engineering change management experience with at least 10 years in a leadership setting with executive level reporting experience. - Required
Typically requires 10 years of custom DTC and agency end-end life insurance policy administration software change management and large-scale internal and public facing service engineering. - Required
Typically requires 7 years managing a team of COBOL policy administration software engineers utilizing both waterfall and agile Scrum delivery frameworks. - Required
Must have the ability to simplify large-scale system change related needs to minimize total cost of ownership (ensuing overhead).
Must have an agile mindset and insatiable passion for innovation, agile delivery methods and continuous integration.
Must be an autonomous team player able to lead effectively while solidifying working relationships at all levels of the organization.
Legacy Policy Admin: Mainframe CICS, APS, IMS, VSAM and JCL
New: Mainframe COBOL w/ MicroFocus, Web UI, DB2, zOS Connect, IBM MQ
Docker, GIT, Maven, Jenkins, JIRA
Familiarity with JavaScript or TypeScript (Angular), jQuery, AJAX, HTML, CSS; Java and Spring

Work Setting/Position Demands:

Works in an office setting and remains in a stationary position for long periods of time while working at a desk, on a computer or with other standard office equipment, or while in meetings.
Requires the ability to verbally communicate and exchange accurate information to customers and associates on a regular basis.
Requires visual acuity to read and interpret a variety of correspondence, procedures, reports and forms via paper and electronic documents, visual inspection involving small defects; small parts, and/or operation of machinery (including inspection); using measurement devices continuously. Visual acuity is required to determine accuracy, neatness, and thoroughness of work assigned.
Requires the ability to prepare written correspondence, reports and forms using prescribed formats and conforming to rules of punctuation, grammar, diction, and style on a regular basis.
Requires the ability to apply principles of logical thinking to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions
Performs substantial movement of wrists, hands, and fingers for continuous computer work.
Extended hours required during peak workloads or special projects/events.
Routine and/or extended after hours work needed

Travel Requirements:

Quarterly on-site travel to work in offices outside of the associates permanent office location could include: White Plains, NY (Gerber Life HQ), Fremont MI (Gerber Life Operations) and / or Cincinnati, OH (Western and Southern Financial Group HQ).