Software Development Manager

ROLE:

The Software Development Manager role supports the business by leading Waupaca Foundry's custom application development function - .NET / custom software development and SharePoint forms, workflow, and Power Platform development - and by serving as the primary interface between IT and the business for that portfolio. This leader owns the direction, day-to-day resourcing, and delivery of a single combined development team spanning both disciplines. This person leads technical leads and developers across the code-first stack (.NET/C#, web and API, SQL Server) and the low-code stack (SharePoint forms and workflow, Power Apps, Power Automate, Dataverse). They set development and low-code strategy and governance, prioritize the application and workflow portfolio against business objectives, and drive value into the business, providing leadership on best practices for software development, application architecture, and delivery. This is a working-manager role. Management, portfolio, and governance responsibilities take priority, and the role also carries a continued - though reduced - hands-on software engineering expectation on priority projects. That contribution is concentrated where a senior engineer adds the most leverage: architecture and design, complex or cross-platform integrations, code review, and proof-of-concept work. This position requires strong people- and portfolio-leadership skills, a solid software-development and application-architecture foundation across both custom code and the Microsoft low-code platform, and excellent communication skills, as well as attention to detail.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

• Lead the combined custom application development team, covering .NET / custom software development and SharePoint forms, workflow, and Power Platform development, including technical leads and developers.
• Set the development strategy, standards, and delivery model for both the code-first (.NET/C#, web and API, SQL Server) and low-code (SharePoint, Power Apps, Power Automate, Dataverse) disciplines.
• Contribute hands-on software engineering on priority projects - architecture and design, complex or cross-platform integrations, code review, and technical proof-of-concept work. This contribution is a reduced but genuine share of the role; it is not scheduled onto critical-path deliverables, so that management, coaching, and oversight duties are not displaced.
• Own the custom application and workflow portfolio: intake, prioritization against business objectives, resourcing, and delivery commitments.
• Serve as the primary IT-to-business interface for .NET and Power Platform application and workflow requests, requirements, and delivery; escalate cross-platform and ERP-affecting scope to the Senior IT Manager - Applications.
• Own the integration layer between custom applications/workflows and the enterprise platforms - partnering with the SAP, IBM i, and data services teams on interfaces, APIs, data contracts, file/EDI exchanges, and coordinated change windows. This role assists with integrations into those platforms; it does not own them.
• Establish and enforce Power Platform governance, including environment strategy, connector and data-loss-prevention policy, licensing, solution/ALM promotion paths, and control of unsupported citizen-developer sprawl.
• Establish and enforce standards for development, source control and release management, application architecture, security, and J-SOX compliance for in-scope applications.
• Manage day-to-day resourcing and delivery outcomes for the development team; provide input to budget, vendor, and contract-developer decisions owned by the Senior IT Manager - Applications.
• Develop and coach technical leads and developers; build cross-training and succession across the .NET and Power Platform disciplines to reduce key-person risk.
• Maintain an inventory and lifecycle plan for custom applications and workflows, including consolidation or retirement of legacy and duplicative solutions.
• Report on delivery, risk, and value to the Senior IT Manager - Applications and to business stakeholders.

Preferred Education/ Experience Requirements

• 8+ years of application development and delivery experience, including several years of team leadership, technical-lead, or people-management responsibility.
• Current hands-on capability in .NET/C# application development (web, API, SQL Server) - sufficient not only to set standards and review design and architecture decisions, but to contribute production-quality work directly on priority projects.
• Demonstrated experience with the Microsoft low-code stack - SharePoint forms and workflow, Power Apps, Power Automate, Dataverse - including governance, environment strategy, and solution lifecycle practices.
• Experience delivering integrations to enterprise systems of record (SAP, IBM i/ERP, or comparable) via APIs, middleware, flat-file/EDI, or data-platform interfaces.
• Bachelor's degree in Information Systems, Business Administration, Computer Science, or related discipline desired. Equivalent relevant industry experience may be considered.
• Experience with portfolio prioritization, budgeting, vendor management, and business partnership.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and organizational skills.
• Equipment used: Portfolio/project-management tools, Azure DevOps/Git, Visual Studio, Power Platform and SharePoint administration centers, Microsoft 365 (Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams)

Qualifications

• Strong desire to learn a variety of IT disciplines, either through self-study, collaboration with other teams and/or third party services and apply it to business problems and requirements.
• Technical proficiency, excellent analytical skills for problem solving and organizational skills with attention to detail.
• Demonstrated project leadership experience: managing multiple projects, objectives, and deadlines.
• Ability to work independently, as part of a team or in a lead role including chairing project management meetings and leading teams.
• Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communications skills. Ability to communicate and interact effectively with all levels of staff and management, as well as with outside customers/vendors.
• Show Initiative and displays a positive flexible attitude.
• Willingness to train and mentor junior staff.
• A self-starter with excellent interpersonal and teamwork skills capable of working efficiently and productively with members across different disciplines and locations.
• Must have strong oral and written communications skills, including good grammar skills, and the ability to work independently to plan and organize.

If selected for consideration, candidates must successfully complete a selection process that includes interviews, reference check/verification, and a pre-employment drug screen.

BENEFITS:
Waupaca Foundry offers competitive wages and exceptional benefits, including:

• Medical, dental, vision
• Short and long term disability
• Life insurance
• 401(k)
• Employer funded retirement plan
• Paid vacations/holidays
• Wellness program
• Fitness membership
• Employee assistance program (EAP)
• Employer supported career development, including tuition reimbursement