[Hiring] Senior Manager, Applications Development @Symetra

Role Description

As a Senior Manager of Software Engineering within the Retirement Division, you will lead a team of developers responsible for building, enhancing, and supporting annuity-business applications. These systems include both custom-built and vendor-configured solutions that support Symetra’s core business functions.

In this high-impact role, you'll provide technical direction, oversee software delivery practices, and manage a team of skilled engineers. You’ll also cultivate strong relationships with Product, internal customers, and external partners, balancing people leadership, technical direction, execution, and strategic partnership.

What you will do

• Provide strategic and technical direction to the engineering team.
• Guide the adoption of modern technologies and drive system-wide improvements.
• Lead delivery across multiple projects, aligning resources with business priorities.
• Improve development processes, tools, and team scalability.
• Attract, develop, and retain top engineering talent through coaching and career planning.
• Foster a collaborative, accountable, and high-performing team culture.
• Partner with business leaders to align technology solutions with strategic goals.
• Serve as the senior engineering partner to Product leadership, bringing an independent engineering perspective to roadmap and PI planning.
• Maintain a strong understanding of work across engineering teams, ensuring engineers understand the outcomes they are driving.
• Ensure clear communication, manage expectations, and deliver high-quality outcomes.
• Combine strategic thinking with hands-on technical expertise.
• Mentor future leaders and promote continuous learning and innovation.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related technical field preferred; High school diploma required.
• 9+ years of relevant experience, including 2+ years managing technical teams.
• Proven experience managing teams of 7+ software engineers, Quality Assurance, and Technical Program Managers (TPMs).
• Strong software engineering background with deep technical expertise and hands-on experience in one or more modern programming languages such as C#/.NET, TypeScript, or Python.
• Strong understanding of modern cloud architecture and engineering practices, including serverless, event-driven, and containerized solutions, with AWS experience strongly preferred.
• Experience leading teams responsible for API-driven integrations with enterprise and external SaaS platforms; experience within insurance or financial services is a plus.
• Practical experience developing and managing APIs throughout their lifecycle.
• Strong data management skills, including SQL and NoSQL databases, operational data store deployment, and GraphQL APIs.
• Solid understanding of software architecture and application lifecycle management.
• Demonstrated success leading multiple engineering teams in close partnership with Product.
• Exposure to AI/ML integration in software development.
• Able to travel occasionally to meet the needs of the business.

Requirements

• All newly hired people leaders with direct reports are required to complete a comprehensive leadership development program within their first year.
• Symetra covers all travel and accommodation expenses.

Benefits

• Flexible full-time or hybrid telecommuting arrangements.
• Plan for your future with our 401(k) plan and take advantage of immediate vesting and company matching up to 6%.
• Paid time away including vacation and sick time, flex days, and ten paid holidays.
• Give back to your community and double your impact through our company matching.

Company Description

Symetra is a national financial services company dedicated to helping people achieve their financial goals and feel confident about the future. In our daily work, we're guided by the principles of Value, Transparency, and Sustainability.

• We provide products and services people need at a competitive price.
• We communicate clearly and openly so people understand what they're buying.
• We design products—and operate our company—to stand the test of time.
• We're committed to showing up for our communities, lifting up our employees, and standing up for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).