The Opportunity

The AVP of Application Development for USAA Investment Services Company (ISCO) reports to the VP and Chief Information Officer of USAA Life Insurance Company. This AVP is responsible for planning, coordinating, and supervising all activities related to the design, development, and implementation of ISCO's applications development and systems analysis function. This AVP is also responsible for technology leadership including evaluation and possible adoption of various emerging technologies as needed to fulfill ISCO's business needs. This executive leads matrixed and multi-level teams to set the agenda for key ISCO development and technical activities, and manages multiple development teams supporting ISCO. Moreover, this AVP is responsible for developing, distributing, supporting, enforcing, and integrating best practices and technology standards across ISCO, including ensuring all information technology controls, processes and procedures are followed as applicable and appropriate.

USAA offers a flexible work environment that requires an individual to be in the office 4 days per week. This position can be based in one of the following locations: San Antonio, TX; Plano, TX; Phoenix, AZ; Charlotte, NC; Tampa, FL. Relocation assistance is available for this position.

The Opportunity:

This position represents a compelling opportunity for a seasoned technology executive who has a successful track record of building and scaling the technology foundation of a retail investment advisory business from concept to competitive advantage. The executive in this position will own the architecture, build, and launch of integrated capabilities spanning broker-dealer operations, financial planning, and investment advice delivery. This executive will set the technical direction, lead a specialized team, and partner directly with business leaders to turn a growth agenda into a live, differentiated platform.

What You've Previously Done:

• Translated ambitious growth targets for a retail investment advisory business into technology roadmaps that actually shipped - on time, at scale, and ahead of competitors.
• Built investment advisory technology functions from the ground up inside a regulated broker-dealer environment, including standing up teams, selecting platforms, and establishing operating models.
• Implemented modern net-new platforms that measurably improved advisor experience, client outcomes, and operational efficiency.
• Designed and delivered end-to-end investment technology ecosystems - wealth management platforms, compliance tooling, and CRM - for duly registered broker-dealers and investment advisors
• Navigated FINRA regulatory requirements as a design constraint, not an afterthought - embedding compliance into platform architecture and release processes from day one.

What You'll Do:

• Ensure that the assigned application group develops processes and tools that contribute to ISCO's business objectives.
• Ensure 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.
• Implement and manage application life cycle management status reporting, metrics and benchmarks.
• Provide executive thought leadership on developing and enhancing methodologies and practices for the application life cycle management in line with best practice and practical experience of continuous improvement.
• Collaborate with other leaders and/or stakeholders and develop an application development strategy that aligns with ISCO business strategy, adds value and is within budget constraints.
• Serve as financial steward for the organization and manage relationships with major vendors and service providers to ensure they cost-effectively meet ISCO's needs.
• Oversee the assessment of the technical and business fitness of the application portfolio and associated costs and risks.
• In partnership with CTO, Infrastructure and IT Security, ensure that ISCO's applications are effectively secured and that risks are mitigated and comply with legal and corporate privacy and confidentiality rules.
• Design a visionary road map for innovative solutions at the enterprise level and ensure integration with overall IT and enterprise strategic plans.
• Develop Annual Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) for ISCO, used to measure team performance.
• Ensure team's adherence to SDLC SDLC and applicable controls.
• Understand the risk posture for the activities that are conducted on the team (development and maintenance of business applications). Implement the department talent strategy (labor mix, location, team size, etc.). Understand, own and manage the Business and IT risk & controls requirements including adherence to and timely remediation of controls-related issues.
• Manage the sourcing and vendor strategy across the business and align with wider USAA strategic technology providers.
• Partner with USAA's CTO teams to help define enterprise architecture and standards.
• Partner with ISCO stakeholders to understand their business objectives and develop a technology strategy to support those goals by translating customers' needs into USAA Technology services in the broader service architecture.
• Provide visibility and transparency into progress, risks and issues in regular stakeholder updates.
• Mentor junior staff members and provides a platform for continuous learning.
• Provide oversight to the engagement with the business DPO and ensures deliverables adhere to Agile practices/methodologies.
• Ensure risks associated with business activities are effectively identified, measured, monitored, and controlled in accordance with risk and compliance policies and procedures.

What You Have:

• Bachelor 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.
• 10 years of progressive related experience managing all phases of application development, managing major initiatives and delivering results within a complex matrix environment.
• 6 years of people leadership experience in building, managing and/or developing high-performing teams.
• 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.
• Executive-level business acumen in the areas of business operations, industry practices and emerging trends.
• Broad technical knowledge of web-based application architecture, system architecture, application integration and object-oriented languages.
• Extensive experience in all stages of the software development life cycle: requirements gathering, design, development, testing, and implementation.
• 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.

What Sets You Apart:

• Proven track record of rapidly translating complex business objectives for a growing retail investment advisory business into bold, actionable technology roadmaps - operating with fierce urgency and personal accountability to deliver results at pace without sacrificing quality or compliance rigor.
• Proven experience building and scaling technology functions from the ground up to support a high-growth retail investment advisory business, ideally within a regulated banking or broker-dealer environment, with a strong ownership mindset that treats the technology agenda as a business agenda.
• Experience implementing innovative platforms to enhance user experience, operational efficiency, and competitive positioning in the retail investment advisory space - driving execution with speed and decisiveness while maintaining full accountability for outcomes across the technology lifecycle.
• Deep expertise in designing, developing, and implementing leading-edge investment technology underpinning registered broker-dealers and investment advisors - including trading, wealth management, compliance, and CRM platforms - paired with the strategic thought leadership to influence and advise senior business executives on technology-driven decisions.
• Extensive experience building and leading high-performing, specialized investment advisory technology teams, with an ownership-driven leadership style that sets a high bar for accountability, urgency, and excellence at every level of the organization.
• Hands-on experience implementing investment technology solutions within a heavily regulated environment, ensuring compliance with SEC and FINRA regulations and data privacy requirements - while serving as a trusted strategic partner to business leaders, bringing the domain expertise needed to elevate business decisions and accelerate growth.

Visa Sponsorship: USAA does not provide visa sponsorship for this position. Please do not apply for this position if at any time (now or in the future) you will need immigration support (i.e., H-1B, TN, STEM OPT Training Plans, etc.).

Compensation: The salary range for this position is $224,250 to $403,650.

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.