Executive Director - Data & Analytics Platform Engineering (San Antonio)

Why USAA?

At USAA, our mission is to empower our members to achieve financial security through highly competitive products, exceptional service and trusted advice. We seek to be the #1 choice for the military community and their families.

Embrace a fulfilling career at USAA, where our core values – honesty, integrity, loyalty and service – define how we treat each other and our members. Be part of what truly makes us special and impactful.

The Opportunity

The Executive Director role within the Enterprise Data & Analytics Platforms (EDAP) organization is vital for sustaining operational excellence, strategic execution, and leadership continuity across a highly complex, enterprise-wide data and analytics ecosystem. The role also carries significant responsibility for managing P&L and vendor relationships operating on multiple platforms, making it a critical function for financial stewardship and risk mitigation.

The candidate selected for this position will be leading large teams of software and infrastructure engineers building cross domain business capabilities on the EDAP team in the Enterprise Chief Information Office.   You will work closely with technologists from all domains and the Chief Technology Office to create architecture for data and analytics platforms and applications, including on-premises, private and public cloud. Ideally, you will have hands-on experience in cloud architectures (SaaS, PaaS, IaaS) and deep interest and experience in broad enterprise platforms and cloud patterns.  We are at the heart of USAA’s data and analytics ecosystem.  We power data acquisition, storage, preparation, delivery, information management, governance, reporting, data science, and artificial intelligence.

The EDAP team, composed of expert software engineers, infrastructure engineers, and product managers, powers the data infrastructure that supports every line of business (Insurance, Investments, Lifeco, Bank) and shared services (CFO, CLO, GRC, HR), making this role essential to USAA’s long-term success. The portfolio is made up of strategic initiatives such as introduction of a real time data environment, automation and GenAI capabilities.

We offer a flexible work environment that requires an individual to be in the office 4 days per week. This position will be based in our San Antonio Corporate Headquarters.

*** Relocation assistance is available for this position ***

What you will do:

• Performs workload management and prioritization duties in support of operations for the functional area assigned.

• Applies subject-matter-expert functional knowledge to lead subordinate workers in producing work deliverables in support of departmental initiatives.

• While this person will not be responsible for hands-on coding, they will be responsible for code reviews as the team they manage is comprised of hands-on engineers.

• Develops functional policies, procedures and guidelines.

• Identifies opportunities and facilitates major improvements to processes and systems.

• Ensures that the assigned application group develops processes and tools that contribute to the company business objectives.

• Ensures that all application processes developed internally or by external service providers are conducted in line with corporate social responsibility, environmental and technical policies and applicable standards and legislation.

• Oversees the assessment of the technical and business fitness of the application portfolio and their associated costs and risks 

• In partnership with CTO, Infrastructure and IT Security, ensures that the organization's applications are effectively secured and that risks are mitigated and comply with legal and corporate privacy and confidentiality rules.

• Establishes management routines to ensure appropriate oversight of the organization’s software development and maintenance activities.

• Serves as financial steward for the organization and manages relationships with major vendors and service providers to ensure they cost-effectively meet the needs of the organization.

• Evaluates and selects third party vendors to provide value added services. Facilitates the contracting process through the Third-Party Risk Management (TPRM) enterprise process.

• Responsible for contract company/service performance providing timely feedback to ensure the best value for USAA.

• Collaborates with CTO to ensure that solutions are consistent with technology standards.

• Works across IT and business partners to reduce technical debt. 

• Collaborates with other leaders and/or stakeholders and develop an application development strategy that aligns with business strategy, adds value and is within budget constraints. 

• Responsible for team’s adherence to SDLC and applicable controls.

• Works to ensure teams have appropriate, development plans consistent with domain of expertise.

• Mentors across the technical community.

• Provides oversight to the engagement with the business DPO and ensures deliverables adhere to Agile practices/methodologies.

• Ensures risks associated with business activities are effectively identified, measured, monitored, and controlled in accordance with risk and compliance policies and procedures.

Minimum Education:

• Bachelor's degree in computer science, computer information systems or related field of study; OR 4 years of related experience (in addition to the minimum years of experience required) may be substituted in lieu of degree.

Minimum Qualifications:

• 10-15+ years of experience of general IT management competencies.

• Previous experience managing sizable annual spend (P&L) coupled with large portfolio of vendor relationships operating on multiple platforms

• 4+ years of people leadership experience in building, managing, and/or developing high-performing teams required.

• Strong technical background of web-based application architecture, system and database architecture, security application integration and object-oriented languages in a large enterprise environment.

• Extensive experience in all stages of the software development life cycle: requirements gathering, design, development, testing, and implementation.

• Demonstrated ability to communicate technical information to a non-technical audience.

• Experience collaborating with key resources and stakeholders, influencing decisions, and managing work to achieve strategic goals required.

• Demonstrated experience in vendor contract management and management of distributed development teams and resources.

• Demonstrated financial acumen involving budgets, forecasting, and executing on the budgets for applicable technology support function.

• Understanding of relevant industry frameworks, i.e., COBIT, ITIL, SAFe, etc.  

• Understanding of Legislative and Regulatory Compliance Requirements.

• Experience overseeing the technology life cycle from requirements analysis, feasibility estimates, design, code, documentation, testing, implementation, and support.

• Technical knowledge and understanding of technical domains that reside within Infrastructure Services, Security, Data or Application Development.

• Experience conducting cost benefit analyses and leveraging results to drive technology support solutions.

• Demonstrated thought leadership in embedding intuitive story telling of technology support functions including concise presentation of complex technical details.

• Experience and ability to drive a culture of quality and personal accountability through technology support teams.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Consistently engages in healthy challenge with delivery teams by using your skills, insight, and experience to help our development teams see what it takes to do the right things versus doing the most expedient things. 

• Builds bridges between our enterprise data and analytics platform teams, CIO teams, infrastructure teams, information security teams and technical architecture to align priorities and achieve the best outcomes.

• Demonstrated experience across all aspects of platform management, including data, analytics, and governance solutions, ranging from build to support, with a laser focus on availability, performance, and risk management.

• Exceptional integrative thinking skills that depict a deep understanding of interdependencies between platforms and capabilities, driving business value and reducing redundancy.

• Demonstrated experience leading design and delivery of enterprise, large scale data and infrastructure technology initiatives, including cloud solutions.

• Experience managing many direct reports that are geographically dispersed, managing a multitude of technologies, serving a wide range of stakeholders.

Compensation: USAA has an effective process for assessing market data and establishing ranges to ensure we remain competitive. You are paid within the salary range based on your experience and market data of the position.

Employees may be eligible for pay incentives based on overall corporate and individual performance and at the discretion of the USAA Board of Directors.

The above description reflects the details considered necessary to describe the principal functions of the job and should not be construed as a detailed description of all the work requirements that may be performed in the job.

Long Term Incentive Plan: Cash payment for Executive level roles only, representing a cash payment which is both time and performance based.

Benefits: At USAA our employees enjoy best-in-class benefits to support their physical, financial, and emotional wellness. These benefits include comprehensive medical, dental and vision plans, 401(k), pension, life insurance, parental benefits, adoption assistance, paid time off program with paid holidays plus 16 paid volunteer hours, and various wellness programs. Additionally, our career path planning and continuing education assists employees with their professional goals.

For more details on our outstanding benefits, visit our benefits page on USAAjobs.com.

Applications for this position are accepted on an ongoing basis, this posting will remain open until the position is filled. Thus, interested candidates are encouraged to apply the same day they view this posting.

USAA is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.