Director of Application Development

Summary

Join Protective as the Director of Application Development and lead a high-performing team in designing, developing, and implementing custom applications on the Microsoft Dynamics platform. You will oversee multiple projects, manage team members, and collaborate with stakeholders to achieve business objectives. This strategic leadership role requires strong analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills. You will be responsible for driving digital transformation, optimizing business processes, and ensuring compliance with industry best practices. The ideal candidate possesses extensive experience in Microsoft Dynamics, application development, and team management. This position offers a competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience required
• Demonstrated professional level abilities in driving culture change, process management, effective tool usage, evangelizing product technologies and related application capabilities
• Demonstrated ability to communicate clearly, negotiate, listen, mitigate conflict, build alliances and achieve results
• Minimum 10+ years demonstrated experience in the IT industry or support roles for IT solutions in customer facing environments in diagnosing complex support and service issues
• Experienced in complex business processes, applications, infrastructure, and their use in IT solutions
• Proven track record of successful large-scale Dynamics implementations and customizations
• Minimum of 3+ years of leadership experience managing technical teams and complex development projects
• Proficiency in Power Platform components (Power Apps, Power Automate)
• Strong development skills in C#, .NET Framework, JavaScript, HTML/CSS, and SQL Server
• Experience with Azure services, APIs, web services, and cloud-based integration patterns
• Understanding of data migration, system integration, and ETL processes
• Comprehensive knowledge of Microsoft Dynamics licensing models, compliance requirements, and cost optimization strategies
• Excellent leadership and team management capabilities with experience building and scaling technical teams
• Strong project management skills with experience in Agile/Scrum methodologies
• Exceptional communication skills with ability to present technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders
• Strategic thinking and problem-solving abilities with focus on business outcomes
• Change management experience and ability to drive organizational transformation
• Experience with DevOps practices, CI/CD pipelines, and automated testing frameworks

Responsibilities

• Build, mentor, and manage a high-performing team of Dynamics developers, solution architects, and technical specialists
• Establish development standards, coding guidelines, and quality assurance processes specific to Dynamics environments
• Foster a culture of continuous learning and professional development within the Dynamics development team
• Manage resource allocation and capacity planning for multiple concurrent Dynamics projects
• Understand how to implement the company’s initiatives at a team and individual level
• Develop, implement and/or refine team metrics to continuously improve and move the team forward
• Monitor performance, conduct performance reviews and develop/maintain development plans for each employee
• Develop and execute comprehensive application development strategies aligned with business objectives and Dynamics platform capabilities
• Lead cross-functional teams in delivering complex Dynamics solutions, including customizations, integrations, and extensions
• Collaborate with executive leadership to define technology roadmaps and investment priorities for Dynamics applications
• Drive innovation and best practices in Dynamics development methodologies and architectural patterns
• Oversee the architecture and design of scalable Dynamics solutions across D365, Power Platform, and related Microsoft technologies
• Ensure adherence to Microsoft best practices, security standards, and compliance requirements
• Guide technical decision-making for complex integrations with third-party systems and legacy applications
• Stay current with Microsoft Dynamics product updates, new features, and emerging capabilities
• Lead enterprise-level Dynamics implementation and upgrade projects from conception to deployment
• Collaborate with business stakeholders to gather requirements and translate them into technical specifications
• Manage project timelines, budgets, and deliverables while ensuring quality and performance standards
• Coordinate with vendors, consultants, and Microsoft partners as needed
• Work closely with business units to understand operational needs and identify opportunities for Dynamics-based solutions
• Help translate business requirements into technical solutions that leverage Dynamics capabilities effectively
• Provide technical expertise and guidance during business process reengineering initiatives
• Support change management and user adoption strategies for new Dynamics applications
• Develop and maintain a comprehensive understanding of Microsoft Dynamics licensing models, user types, and compliance requirements
• Optimize licensing costs by analyzing user needs and recommending appropriate license types across the organization
• Ensure compliance with Microsoft licensing terms and conditions for all Dynamics deployments and customizations

Preferred Qualifications

• Certifications in industry-related or discipline-related organizations are desirable and may substitute for some work and/or technical experience. (Organization could include Scrum Alliance, LOMA, SILA, American College, PMI, IIBA, IIST)
• Expert-level knowledge of Microsoft Dynamics 365 (CRM, ERP, Finance & Operations, Business Central) - preferred
• Knowledge of Dynamics SDK, plugins, workflows, and custom entity development - preferred
• Master’s degree, PMP, CSPO, and CSM certifications preferred

Benefits

• Comprehensive health, dental and vision insurance
• Mental health benefits and an employee assistance program
• A variety of paid time away benefits ( e.g. , paid time off, paid parental leave, short-term disability, and a cultural observance day)
• Contributions to healthcare accounts
• A pension plan
• A 401(k) plan with Company matching
• ProHealth Rewards, Protective’s platform to improve wellbeing while earning cash rewards
• Annual incentive based on individual and Company performance