Vice President, Software Engineering

At Ascensus, technology is more than just a solution. It powers the business that helps millions of people save for what matters—retirement, education, and healthcare.  Our technology experts tackle exciting challenges in collaborative teams, but work in an environment where individual and career development is always valued.  Technology associates leverage their talents and passion, building new and innovative platforms, creating programs founded in automation in agile frameworks, and driving existing and new markets—all of which supports the rapid growth of a dynamic industry leader.

The Vice President of Software Engineering and Development leads high-performing teams across engineering, QA, DevOps, and architecture. This role partners closely with product and business leaders to deliver scalable, secure, and high-quality software solutions. A key focus will be on optimizing software delivery through agile practices, data-driven metrics, and continuous improvement. Reporting to the SVP of Software Engineering and Development for Retirement Services, the VP will drive strategic execution, talent development, and operational excellence.

There is only 1 position. Can be hybrid in either our Newton, MA or Dresher, PA locations.

Responsibilities:

Leadership & Team Development

• Lead and mentor Chapter Leads and cross-functional teams, fostering a culture of innovation, accountability, and continuous learning.
• Drive performance management, succession planning, and skills development across all engineering disciplines.

Software Delivery & Agile Execution

• Oversee agile scrum delivery across multiple teams, ensuring consistent execution of sprint goals and delivery commitments.
• Establish and refine delivery metrics (e.g., velocity, throughput, cycle time, defect rates) to monitor team performance and identify areas for improvement.
• Implement frameworks for continuous feedback and retrospectives to drive iterative improvements in delivery speed and quality.
• Promote a metrics-driven culture that uses data to inform decisions, optimize team capacity, and improve predictability.
• Collaborate with Product and Architecture to ensure alignment between delivery teams and strategic roadmaps.

Technical Strategy & Quality Assurance

• Guide the development of scalable, maintainable, and secure software aligned with business and architectural goals.
• Influence architectural decisions and ensure consistency across platforms and teams.
• Drive adoption of modern engineering practices, including test automation, CI/CD, and infrastructure as code.
• Ensure adherence to secure development practices, quality standards, and audit controls.

Operational Excellence

• Lead budget planning, forecasting, and capacity management.
• Manage vendor relationships and ensure contract alignment with strategic goals.
• Drive automation, tooling enhancements, and process optimization across the delivery pipeline.
• Ensure compliance with SOC controls, governance standards, and audit requirements.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Product leadership to align scrum teams with strategic roadmaps and delivery milestones.
• Collaborate with Architects and Product Owners to identify and act on opportunities for improvement using data-driven insights.
• Share best practices and foster alignment across business lines and technology teams.
• Serve as the primary IT contributor for Requests for Proposals (RFPs).
• Responsible for protecting, securing, and proper handling of all confidential data held by Ascensus to ensure against unauthorized access, improper transmission, and/or unapproved disclosure of information that could result in harm to Ascensus or our clients.
• At Ascensus we are guided by our Core Values of People Matter, Quality First and Integrity Always®. They inspire us every day to prioritize an environment of respect for those we serve and one another and should be visible in your actions on a day-to-day.

Supervision  

• Lead and grow high functioning teams through effective hiring and coaching of teams.
• Coach and mentor software associates, develop skills, provide continuous feedback

Requirements:

• 10+ years of progressive experience in software engineering, including 5+ years in leadership roles.
• Proven success managing cross-functional, geographically distributed teams (onshore, offshore, remote).
• 4+ years of hands-on experience with agile methodologies (Scrum, XP, Lean).
• Expertise in scalable, distributed systems and cloud modernization of legacy platforms.
• Strong background in DevOps, CI/CD, automation, and infrastructure as code.
• Experience with AI/ML, natural language processing, and data analytics is a plus.
• Proficiency in C#, Java, and modern development frameworks.
• Exceptional communication, decision-making, and stakeholder management skills.
• Demonstrated ability to influence architectural direction and lead technical discussions.
• Track record of aligning diverse stakeholders and building consensus across teams. 

For all virtual remote positions, in order to ensure associates can effectively perform their job duties with no distractions, we require an uninterrupted virtual workspace and there is also an expectation of family care being in place during business hours. Additionally, there is an internet work speed requirement of 25 Mbps or better for individual use. If more than one person is utilizing the same internet connection in the same household or building, then a stronger connection is required. If you are unsure of your internet speed, please check with your service provider. Note: For call center roles specifically, it is a requirement to either hardwire your equipment directly to the internet router or ensure your workstation is in close proximity to the router. Please ensure that you are able to meet these expectations before applying.

We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer

Be aware of employment fraud. All email communications from Ascensus or its hiring managers originate from @ascensus.com or @futureplan.com email addresses. We will never ask you for payment or require you to purchase any equipment. If you are suspicious or unsure about validity of a job posting, we strongly encourage you to apply directly through our website.