Director - Application Development

The Gig :

The Director - Application Development is responsible for the strategic direction and execution of all software engineering and application delivery across the enterprise. This leader will own the entire Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC) and is

accountable for building and supporting the technology products that drive our business, from guest-facing mobile applications to critical internal systems.

This position requires a transformative leader who will guide a large, multi-disciplinary organization of over 100 team members. The leader will be responsible for fostering a culture of technical excellence and innovation, managing a significant budget, governing the company's Agile SAFE program, and serving as a key strategic partner to the executive team to deliver measurable business value through technology.

This gig is based at VVHQ - our swanky Virgin Voyages Head Office in Plantation, FL where we follow a hybrid work environment. We can't wait to 'sea' you in person during our Collaboration Days, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, while you enjoy Mondays and Fridays' as remote days.

What You'll Be Up To :

Strategic Leadership and Product Delivery :

Develop and own the enterprise application roadmap, ensuring software development initiatives are directly aligned with strategic business objectives and deliver a high return on investment.

Serve as the primary application development advisor to the executive leadership team, articulating vision, strategy, and the status of the technology portfolio.

Oversee the entire portfolio of technology projects, ensuring on-time and on-budget delivery of high-quality software solutions that meet business requirements.

Drive innovation in application development, championing modern architectural patterns, technologies, and processes to enhance product delivery and user experience.

Software Engineering and Architectural Excellence :

Lead all software development teams, including developers, QA engineers, and business analysts, to ensure the creation of scalable, secure, and maintainable applications.

Establish and enforce best practices for software engineering, including coding standards, code reviews, source control management, build processes, and testing.

Govern the overall application architecture, ensuring solutions are designed for longevity and align with the company's cloud-first strategy on Google Cloud Platform (GCP).

Agile Program Governance and Project Management :

Own and direct the enterprise-wide Agile methodology, providing executive leadership and governance for the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) program.

Lead the Program Management Office (PMO) to ensure disciplined execution, transparent reporting, and effective risk management across all technology projects.

Foster a culture of continuous improvement within the delivery process, optimizing for predictability, quality, and speed to market.

Financial and Vendor Management :

Assume full P&L ownership for the Application Development budget, including software, tools, services, and management of a large contingent workforce.

Lead strategic sourcing and vendor management for all application-related services and software, negotiating major contracts and managing key partner relationships to ensure maximum value.

Organizational Leadership and Talent Development :

Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing global organization of over 100 team members, including employees and contractors.

Design and implement an effective organizational structure for the application development teams that promotes agility, collaboration, and clear accountability.

Oversee the talent strategy for the department, attracting, retaining, and developing top- tier engineering and product talent.

Additional :

Travel is required up to 25% to support business operations and strategic initiatives.

All other duties as assigned.

SuperPowers Required :

Experience : A minimum of 10 years of progressive experience in software application development, with at least 5 years in a senior leadership role (e.g., Director) managing large-scale software engineering organizations.

Education : A Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field is preferred. Extensive, directly relevant professional experience and a proven track record of success at a senior level may be considered in lieu of a degree.

Required Skills & Competencies :

Demonstrated experience leading software development in an enterprise environment using Agile methodologies, with specific expertise in SAFe highly desirable.

Proven track record of delivering large, complex application portfolios and managing the entire SDLC.

Strong background in modern application architecture, including cloud-native development (GCP preferred), microservices, and API-first design.

Exceptional financial acumen with experience managing large, multi-million dollar technology budgets and complex vendor contracts.

Outstanding executive-level communication and presentation skills, with the ability to effectively communicate with a wide range of stakeholders.

Preferred Skills :

Experience within the cruise, hospitality, or transportation industries.

Direct experience leading the development of both customer-facing and enterprise-level applications.

What Matters to Us :

At Virgin, your personality matters as much as how good you are at what you do. We want you to bring it to our hangout spot and help make the place even better. So, we won’t be surprised to hear that when people talk about you they say you are clever, on top of it, able to think ahead, intuitive, passionate and someone people respect and enjoy working with because you make things happen.

Virgin Voyages is committed to being an Equal Opportunity Employer and encourages applications from qualified, eligible applicants regardless of their sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital status, pregnancy and maternity. Our greatest strength comes from our ability to come together as unique individuals we seek to always embrace and celebrate our differences, providing an inclusive workplace environment that allows you to be your best self.

Virgin Voyages is not accepting unsolicited assistance from search firms for this employment opportunity. All resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at Virgin Voyages via-email, the Internet or in any form and / or method without a valid written Statement of Work in place for this position from Virgin Voyages HR / Recruitment will be deemed the sole property of Virgin Voyages. No fee will be paid in the event the candidate is hired by Virgin Voyages as a result of the referral or through other means.

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