Application Engineering Director

Be Here. Be Great. Working for a leader in the insurance industry means opportunity for you. Great American Insurance Group's member companies are subsidiaries of American Financial Group. We combine a "small company" culture where your ideas will be heard with "big company" expertise to help you succeed. With over 30 specialty and property and casualty operations, there are always opportunities here to learn and grow.

At Great American, we value and recognize the benefits derived when people with different backgrounds and experiences work together to achieve business results. Our goal is to create a workplace where all employees feel included, empowered, and enabled to perform at their best.

P&C IT Services provides professional services to help our business units and corporate functions use technology to create, manage, and optimize information and business processes.  IT Services can include a wide range of activities such as: software development, data management, Cloud services, IT security, network security, technical support, establishing and overseeing access rights, procuring and maintaining equipment or software, managing the infrastructure, and defining security procedures,  The overall goal of IT Services is to provide technology solutions that increase efficiency, reduce costs, and give our company a competitive advantage over our competitors.

Essential Job Functions and Responsibilities

• Lead and optimize Application Engineering operations to ensure efficient workflows and high productivity.
• Set and execute strategic direction for application engineering aligned with organizational goals and business objectives.
• Oversee design, development, deployment, and enhancement of software applications.
• Drive delivery of new features that improve user experience and integrate seamlessly with existing systems.
• Partner with business leaders to translate needs into technical strategies, roadmaps, and communicate clear progress updates.
• Champion adoption of modern technologies and best practices to improve performance, scalability, and resilience.
• Provide strategic leadership, mentorship, and promote a culture of continuous improvement and innovation.
• Evaluate and implement industry-leading engineering practices to maintain competitive advantage.
• Perform additional duties as required.

Scope & Leadership Responsibilities:

• Manage multiple teams and direct reports; oversee talent selection, development, and performance management.
• Manage budgets, vendor relationships, and external development partners
• Implement policies, procedures, and process improvements to enhance application service quality and efficiency.
• Provide expert guidance on programming languages, cloud platforms, and modern development frameworks.
• Serve as a strategic advisor on business and technology operations.
• Own application portfolio delivery, ensuring quality, security, scalability, and reliability.
• Lead modernization efforts including cloud adoption, automation, and reduction of technical debt.
• Promote DevOps, CI/CD, and engineering excellence, including AI‑enabled development practices.
• Communicate progress, risks, and outcomes to executive leadership.

Job Requirements

Education: Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field.

Experience:

• 18+ years in software/application development, including 8+ years in leadership roles.
• Strong communication skills; experience managing offshore teams is a plus.
• Background in Agile, DevOps, CI/CD, and operational databases preferred.
• Proven ability to define and execute engineering strategy and deliver enterprise-scale applications.
• Strong application architecture expertise and adherence to enterprise technology standards.
• Experience managing large budgets, ROI, vendors, and third‑party development partners.
• Track record of building high-performing teams and fostering accountability and innovation.
• Hands-on experience with modernization initiatives (cloud, automation, AI-accelerated development) preferred.
• Familiarity with project management and governance tools, version control, and deployment pipelines.

Business Unit:

Benefits:

We offer competitive benefits packages for full-time and part-time employees*. Full-time employees have access to medical, dental, and vision coverage, wellness plans, parental leave, adoption assistance, and tuition reimbursement. Full-time and eligible part-time employees also enjoy Paid Time Off and paid holidays, a 401(k) plan with company match, an employee stock purchase plan, and commuter benefits.

Compensation varies by role, level, and location and is influenced by skills, experience, and business needs. Your recruiter will provide details about benefits and specific compensation ranges during the hiring process. Learn more at http://www.gaig.com/careers.

*Excludes seasonal employees and interns.