Engineering Director - Application Services

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At American Express, you’ll be recognized for your contributions, leadership, and impact—every colleague has the opportunity to share in the company’s success. Together, we’ll win as a team, striving to uphold our company values and powerful backing promise to provide the world’s best customer experience every day. And we’ll do it with the utmost integrity, and in an environment where everyone is seen, heard and feels like they belong.

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As part of our diverse tech team, you can architect, code and ship software that makes us an essential part of our customers’ digital lives.  Here, you can work alongside talented engineers in an open, supportive, inclusive environment where your voice is valued, and you make your own decisions on what tech to use to solve challenging problems.  American Express offers a range of opportunities to work with the latest technologies and encourages you to back the broader engineering community through open source.  And because we understand the importance of keeping your skills fresh and relevant, we give you dedicated time to invest in your professional development.  Find your place in technology on #TeamAmex.

Global Infrastructure & Digital Workplace Technology – Mainframe Systems is accountable for technology infrastructure including mainframe, utilities, security infrastructure, database operations, and 3rd party hosting.

The Director of Engineering for Application Services is a Hybrid role for either Phoenix or Sunrise location supporting Mainframe developers and tooling including components such as ControlM suite of tools used in Enterprise Data Orchestration (CTLM, CTLO, Workload Change Manager, Insights, Archive, Airflow), CI/CD Pipeline modernization (ISPW, Topaz, VSCODE, GIT, Code Coverage, Automated Test), along with re-usable utilities developing customer centric self- service capabilities. This critical leadership role will report directly to the Vice President of Mainframe Architecture and Engineering.

Are you ready to lead a team that is known for their customer focus? We are looking for a hardworking communicator who has excellent focus on the customer experience and big picture!

Responsibilities:

• Will drive Mainframe Product Management collaborating with hundreds of Applications to assist modernization in place strategies along with optimizing current application usage of new capabilities using Agile technologies such as Jira/Rally to advance new capabilities making the mainframe a preferred choice over open systems.
• Engaging leadership, vision and direction to the Operations team supporting the Mainframe Strategy and Product Vision.
• Collaborating with Business Unit CIOs, Engineering team, application developers and other business partners you will cultivate and deliver the Mainframe Platform Operational services strategy in the context of our Strategy.
• Your team will ensure the highest availability of the infrastructure, monitoring and alerting, appropriate tooling provides user value, while assisting them to achieve our dev/ops deployment strategies.
• Ensure the maintenance releases are at the latest levels, maintain the software currency, investigating new platform capabilities to provide greater value to developers at American Express
• Partner across technology domains with an end-to-end view. You will influence how applications on z can enable new sources of value and modernize.
• Educating business partners and developers on modern mainframe infrastructure, application support and standard methodologies
• You will be a leading influence in bringing new skills to the z Series team, while assisting to develop a talent pipeline.
• We will continue to conduct reciprocal research with customers of the platform and make recommendations on infrastructure services, software products in support of development efforts.
• We will look for you to evaluate new applications, using our fit for purpose methodology with a focus on appropriate systems software, products, and/or improvements to existing application capabilities across the organization.
• Coordinate and implement feasibility studies for software and system products under consideration for purchase, and give advice based on findings.
• You will contribute to the pre-testing phase of development of application and infrastructure changes by evaluating proposals to identify potential problem areas and make the appropriate recommendations.
• Liaise with company’s software suppliers for timely rectification of any problems or emergencies, and direction in their product development to support American Express
• Compile and maintain inventory of company software and systems assets and their corresponding contracts/agreements.
• Develop and communicate training and documentation for end users, hold clinics, and other user-related activities.
• Develop, distribute, and coordinate in-depth end-user reviews for modified and new systems or applications.

Minimum Qualifications:

• 7+ years of Mainframe experience in a medium to large environment
• Experience in Product Management using Agile methologoies and Lean Management systems to clarify objectives, deal with ambiguity/under-defined problems, advocating for simplification, and influencing teams.
• Exposure to zOS, zVM, zLinux, Open Shift on Z, Docker, Kubernetes.
• Proven track record using modern Mainframe pipeline tools such as ISPW, TOPAZ, VSCODE, Code Coverage, Code Explain/LLMs,GITHUB, Expeditor, Strobe,
• Experience with Infrastructure management, organization and planning skills applied in a dynamic, multi-tasking environment.
• Strong people leadership skills with the ability to influence without authority and collaborate across all levels in the Company.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience using Cobol, JCL, SQL, CICS, REXX, Python, z/OS Connect API’s, Java, IMS, DB2, MQ
• Good industry knowledge and experience in Mainframe Infrastructure and applications, and automation methodologies
• Forward-thinking, flexible, able to think out of the box; apply the appropriate process/methodology or solution to a given problem.
• A strategic problem solver with a record of leading large scale sophisticated multi-stakeholder initiatives
• Shown decision-making & problem-solving capabilities with strong follow-up skills and attention to detail.
• Shown sense of integrity and ability to deal with issues and subject matter in ways that requires considerable sensitivity, discretion, and judgment.

Salary Range: $170,000.00 to $255,000.00 annually + bonus + equity (if applicable) + benefits

The above represents the expected salary range for this job requisition. Ultimately, in determining your pay, we’ll consider your location, experience, and other job-related factors.

We back our colleagues and their loved ones with benefits and programs that support their holistic well-being. That means we prioritize their physical, financial, and mental health through each stage of life. Benefits include:

• Competitive base salaries 
• Bonus incentives 
• 6% Company Match on retirement savings plan 
• Free financial coaching and financial well-being support 
• Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, life insurance, and disability benefits 
• Flexible working model with hybrid, onsite or virtual arrangements depending on role and business need 
• 20+ weeks paid parental leave for all parents, regardless of gender, offered for pregnancy, adoption or surrogacy 
• Free access to global on-site wellness centers staffed with nurses and doctors (depending on location) 
• Free and confidential counseling support through our Healthy Minds program 
• Career development and training opportunities

For a full list of Team Amex benefits, visit our Colleague Benefits Site.

American Express is an equal opportunity employer and makes employment decisions without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, disability status, age, or any other status protected by law.

We back our colleagues with the support they need to thrive, professionally and personally. That's why we have Amex Flex, our enterprise working model that provides greater flexibility to colleagues while ensuring we preserve the important aspects of our unique in-person culture. Depending on role and business needs, colleagues will either work onsite, in a hybrid model (combination of in-office and virtual days) or fully virtually.

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