Job Information
Thrivent Financial Digital Engineering Director, Discovery in United States
At Thrivent, we are focused on a digital transformation that will deliver modern, innovative experiences for our clients, financial advisors, and employees. We are investing in data and technology, using DevOps practices, and building an engineering culture of empowered technical experts. Our technologists are involved in work that includes cloud native development, digital architecture and integration, automation, cloud data platforms, artificial intelligence, and machine learning as well as maximizing platforms such as Salesforce, AWS and Microsoft.
Customers today expect simple, easy to use digital experiences. Digital engineering is the practice in which new applications are conceived and delivered. Encompassing the methodologies, utility, and process of creating new digital products end to end, digital engineering leverages data and technology to produce improvements to applications—or even entirely new solutions.
This Director will be responsible for leading the Digital Discovery team as they develop and implement technical solutions that bring creative ideas to connect with customers to life. They will lead a team of managers and experienced specialists who exercise significant latitude and independence. In conjunction with your Product Director partner, this leader will collaborate with our marketing leaders to optimize our customer facing digital footprint to ensure the success of our business strategies. This leader will provide strategic direction, drive innovative digital experiences, and interpret and recommend modifications to enterprise-wide policies & practices. The Digital Director will interact with senior management and others to update on progress against key business initiatives and updates and will conducts business and technical briefings for senior and top management and key external stakeholders.
DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:
Designing Solutions
Sets the vision for the teams and empowers the teams to design solutions
Review the overall / high level design and provide feedback to the team.
Helps the team to understand the architecture strategy for the given product groups and how it fits in the overall enterprise architecture.
Demonstrates critical thinking towards developing software.
Setting product/platform technology strategy
Partner with product management to set the platform / product technology vision and outcome.
Provide mentorship and motivation to the team to select and execute on the technology strategy that supports the organization growth and sustainability
Defining Engineering standards/patterns
- Promoting engineering practices and continuous improvement such as DevOps and observability
Learning and applying new techniques
Influence the team to use modern techniques and share technical insights to the team
Continuously seek for innovative techniques and solutions to solve the business problems / initiatives.
Collaboration
Promotes collaboration and provides opportunities to recognize and celebrate successes
Regularly engages in product group sprint demos to understand capabilities delivered and outcomes achieved; Provides constructive feedback to foster continuous improvement
Encourages engagement across product groups to share learnings and leverage best practices
Understands the organizations broader technology ecosystem and how their product groups contribute to the organization’s outcomes
Breaks down product group barriers that impede team delivery and continuous improvement
Builds relationships across the organization and across business and technology disciplines
Brings teams together to partner in solving the most strategic and complex problems for the organization and deliver new capabilities collaboratively
Creates a common understanding and alignment on goals and strategies for the enterprise as well as for the technology organization
Provides senior leadership visibility to accomplishments of teams
DevOps
Supports the development lifecycle processes and operational model guidelines
Ensures that operational health for the area is well articulated and supports continuous improvement.
Creates and promotes cross learning opportunities for engineers to onboard new DevOps practices.
Selecting & Managing Technology Vendors
Be an advocate to the team to define criteria’s for selecting the right platform/technology
Owns the overall technology solutions, platforms for the product groups and associated vendor relationships
Provide directions and feedback to select the right technology vendors
Coaching Engineers
Holding regular 1:1s with direct reports and periodic skip levels and team meetings.
Provides opportunities and develops framework for career growth.
Gives constructive feedback, providing guidance and coaching to help engineering managers grow their skills and experience
Recruiting/building talent
Planning in advance for future people needs for the product groups, collaborate with the other teams on the recruitment process
Drive the hiring process for engineering managers and engineers and participates in the recruitment process for the product area
Engage in the tech community to build the Thrivent technology brand and position as the employer of choice in the market
Recruits, develops, and sustains a high-performing team while promoting a culture of shared accountability, operational excellence, and partnership across the organization.
Models Thrivent’s leadership competencies – courage, collaboration, and commitment by demonstrating resiliency, working together to make the best decisions, and holding yourself and others accountable.
Supports and/or develops an environment in which Thrivent employees and colleagues are focused on continuous improvement, exceptional employee engagement, and an unwavering commitment to our clients. Shapes and/or supports a culture that represents the Thrivent purpose, promise and values, ensuring that Thrivent’s trust and reputation remain strong with its clients.
Manage a team of direct and indirect staff
QUALIFICATIONS & SKILLS:
Required
Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or other technical field or equivalent work experience
10+ years of progressively responsible positions in Information Technology including a 5+ years’ management/supervisory experience in specific IT functional area discipline.
Strong leader with a demonstrated track record recruiting and developing teams in current- and next-generation platforms and systems’ needs.
Demonstrated experience in creating, leading, and implementing large scale strategic projects.
Strong communication skills and excellence in negotiation with business partners
Strong relationship building and interpersonal skills.
Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with executive leadership, lines of business stakeholders, and technology staff across the organization.
Background in information delivery including BI/analytic reporting, operational reporting, KPIs, using reporting services.
Experience in development of business strategies, Center of Expense strategies and delivery of enterprise data services.
Preferred
MBA
Financial Services industry experience
Experience in IT planning and business relationship management
Experience working in a matrix management organization
Experience with product development and management
We exist to help people achieve financial clarity. At Thrivent, we believe money is a tool, not a goal. Driven by a higher purpose at our core, we are committed to providing financial advice, investments, insurance, banking and generosity programs to help people make the most of all they’ve been given.
At our heart, we are a membership-owned fraternal organization, as well as a holistic financial services organization, dedicated to serving the unique needs of our clients. We focus on their goals and priorities, guiding them toward financial choices that will help them live the life they want today—and tomorrow.
Pay Transparency
Thrivent’s long-term growth depends on attracting, rewarding, and retaining people who are committed to helping others thrive with purpose. We accomplish this by offering a wide variety of market competitive compensation programs to attract, reward, and retain top talent. The applicable salary or hourly wage range for this full-time role is $170,238.00 - $230,323.00 per year OR $81.84 - $110.73 per hour, which factors in various geographic regions. The base pay actually offered will be determined by a variety of factors including, but not limited to, location, relevant experience, skills, and knowledge, business needs, market demand, and other factors Thrivent deems important.
Thrivent is unique in our commitment to helping people to be wise with money and live balanced and generous lives. That extends to our benefits.
The following benefits may be offered: various bonuses (including, for example, annual or long-term incentives); medical, dental, and vision insurance; health savings account; flexible spending account; 401k; pension; life and accidental death and dismemberment insurance; disability insurance; supplemental protection insurance; 20 days of Paid Time Off each year; Sick and Safe Time; 10 paid company holidays; Volunteer Time Off; paid parental leave; EAP; well-being benefits, and other employee benefits. Eligibility for receipt of these benefits is subject to the applicable plan/policy documents. Thrivent’s plans/policies are subject to change at any time at Thrivent’s discretion.
Thrivent provides Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) without regard to race, religion, color, sex , gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy, national origin, age, disability, marital status, citizenship status, military or veteran status, genetic information, or any other status protected by applicable local, state , or federal law. This policy applies to all employees and job applicants.
Thrivent is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation , please let us know by sending an email to human.resources@thrivent.com or call 800-847-4836 and request Human Resources.
At Thrivent, we believe money is a tool, not a goal. Driven by a higher purpose at our core, we are committed to providing financial advice, investments, insurance, banking and generosity programs to help people make the most of all they’ve been given. At our heart, we are a membership-owned fraternal organization, as well as a holistic financial services organization, dedicated to serving the unique needs of our customers. We focus on their goals and priorities, guiding them toward financial choices that will help them live the life they want today—and tomorrow.
For over 100 years, Thrivent has been helping people build their financial futures and live more generous lives. Today, it’s a Fortune 500 company that offers a full range of expert financial solutions, serving more than 2 million customers, as well as the communities in which they live and work.
Thrivent fosters a diverse workforce to serve our diverse clientele, reflecting a wide range of backgrounds and experiences. If you’re intrigued about our work and the possibility of becoming part of it, we invite you to visit Thrivent.com to learn more. You won’t just build a career; you’ll be part of an organization focused on growing, innovating, and serving.