Books A Million · 21 hours ago
Senior Director Application Development
Birmingham, AL
Full-time
Onsite
Lead/StaffBooks A Million is seeking a senior technical leader who blends executive-level software leadership with deep, hands-on architectural expertise. This role is responsible for the strategy, architecture, and execution of all web applications, APIs, and backend systems while leading modernization efforts across legacy platforms.
BooksE-CommerceEBooksFinanceRetail
Responsibilities
Define and execute the software development strategy and architecture, aligning it with organizational goals and customer needs
Oversee the development of all web applications, APIs, and backend systems
Lead efforts to modernize legacy systems and transform technical debt into modern frameworks, ensuring scalability, security, and performance
Champion architectural decisions that future-proof the organization’s technology stack
Act as the primary technical liaison with business stakeholders, ensuring alignment of technical solutions with business requirements
Build strong, collaborative relationships with key internal and external partners
Translate business needs into actionable technical strategies and prioritize initiatives to maximize value delivery
Oversee development of all web applications, APIs, and backend systems
Lead architecture and design for RESTful APIs, integrations, and internal platforms
Ensure systems are secure, performant, and resilient
Drive best practices across coding, testing, deployment, documentation, and maintenance
Stay close to the codebase where architectural risk or complexity demands it
Lead or review designs for major refactors, migrations, and integrations
Perform code reviews and technical troubleshooting when needed
Act as final technical escalation point for complex system issues
Lead, mentor, and inspire a diverse team of developers, fostering a culture of excellence, innovation, and continuous improvement
Provide coaching and professional development opportunities to grow technical and leadership skills within the team
Ensure effective resource allocation and team scalability to meet business demands
Oversee the software development lifecycle (SDLC), ensuring high-quality, timely delivery of projects
Ensure alignment with best practices, BRDs, and IT PMO standards
Improve delivery predictability, quality, and operational stability
Establish and monitor performance metrics for teams and systems, driving operational improvements
Implement best practices for coding, testing, deployment, documentation, and maintenance
Drive the adoption of modern frameworks, tools, and cloud-based solutions to improve system reliability and efficiency
Lead the design and development of scalable, robust architectures for web applications and APIs
Ensure robust integration between systems and third-party applications via well-designed APIs
Stay current with industry trends and emerging technologies, identifying opportunities to leverage them for competitive advantage
Qualification
Required
Proven experience in a senior leadership role managing large-scale software development teams
Expertise in Perl, Python, PHP, Laravel, MySQL, with experience in .NET and SQL Server a strong plus
Deep understanding of web technologies (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) and modern frameworks
Extensive experience with RESTful APIs, microservices, and cloud platforms (e.g., AWS, Azure)
Demonstrated success in transforming technical debt into modern, scalable solutions
Strong strategic thinking and the ability to align technical goals with business objectives
Excellent stakeholder management skills, with a proven ability to build trust and influence decision-making at all levels
Strong knowledge of SDLC, Agile methodologies, business requirement documentation (BRD), and working within an IT PMO framework
Preferred
Experience leading modernization initiatives, such as migrating legacy systems to modern frameworks
Familiarity with modern frontend frameworks (e.g., React, Vue.js, Angular)
Knowledge of DevOps practices and tools, including CI/CD pipelines
Must be able to sit at a computer or desk for extended periods of time
Must be able to operate keyboard and telephone for repetitive motion activities
Must be able to lift objects up to 25 lbs. with or without assistance
Must be able to communicate using speech, sight, and sound with or without assistive device
Company
Books A Million
Books A Million is a book retailing company that sells books, magazines, collectibles, toys, electronics and accessories, and gifts.
Founded in 1917
5001-10000 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Public CompanyTotal Funding
unknown1992-11-13IPO
Leadership Team
T
Terrance G. Finley
President & CEO
Damian Doggett
Chief Financial Officer
Recent News
Company data provided by crunchbase