Manager Application Development

DEPARTMENT:

JOB SUMMARY:

The Application Development Manager is responsible for overseeing the development, configuration, implementation, and enhancement of SAP ERP and web-based applications. This role collaborates closely with Business Relationship Management (BRM) teams, business stakeholders, and technology partners to ensure alignment and successful delivery of objectives. The manager leads all phases of the Systems Development Lifecycle (SDLC) within their area of responsibility, ensuring proper planning and resource allocation for timely project completion.

Key responsibilities include maintaining application health, mentoring both senior and junior developers, and promoting adherence to development standards and best practices. The manager regularly reviews and evaluates team performance, prepares performance reports, and communicates clearly and consistently with team members, business partners, and executive leadership.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Oversee all activities across the application development lifecycle, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and standards
• Collaborate with BRM and technology teams to define project priorities, expected outcomes, and delivery approaches
• Manages project timelines and budgets, allocating resources, assigning responsibilities, and tracking progress against critical milestones
• Leads agile and iterative planning, execution, and delivery of application development initiatives.
• Provides guidance to team members on workload estimation and planning, helping them prioritize and resolve obstacles
• Sets individual and team priorities, proactively removes roadblocks, and ensures project momentum.
• Continuously evaluates delivery effectiveness and recommends course corrections as needed to achieve desired outcomes
• Clearly communicates deliverables, release plans, project status, and issues to IT leadership and business stakeholders
• Partners with technology counterparts to ensure coordination and alignment of cross-functional efforts
• Ensures quality standards and best practices are met; identifies and implements changes to improve performance and consistency
• Holds end-to-end accountability for application development and support within assigned business areas
• Contributes to the analysis and design of systems solutions that address business needs
• Leads the diagnosis and resolution of operational issues, driving efforts to identify and address root causes
• Research, evaluates, and leads to the implementation of practical, business-aligned solutions for technical and process challenges
• Fosters a culture of continuous improvement across applications, tools, and development practices
• Develops and executes application roadmaps aligned with long-term business and IT strategies
• Contributes to the development of departmental guidelines, standards, methodologies, and procedures, and ensures consistent adoption
• Provides input into budgeting for staffing, hardware, software, training, and other departmental expenses; ensures adherence to financial targets
• Identifies skill gaps and development needs within the team, supporting career growth and capability building
• Evaluates team performance, delivers coaching and feedback, and initiates corrective actions as necessary
• Makes personnel decisions including hiring, termination, and promotions
• Performs additional duties as required to support departmental and organizational success
• Support SAP S/4HANA roadmap development and guide future-state architecture for core grocery functions such as promotions, pricing, POS integration, and fresh item management
• Drive standardization and automation while considering regulatory compliance and operational complexities specific to the grocery sector

REQUIREMENTS / QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree in information systems, Computer Science, Business, or a related field
• Fifteen (15) years of experience in designing, implementing, and supporting systems in a production environment, including a minimum of ten (10) years in application software development
• Five (5) plus years of experience leading technical teams to successfully deliver business objectives
• Advanced understanding of system development methodologies, including design, development, and testing best practices.
• Strong expertise in SAP SD, MM, FI, and IS-Retail modules with experience in full lifecycle implementations
• Proven ability to lead custom development using ABAP, BAPIs, BADIs, and SAP integration tools
• Experience with SAP Fiori/UI5, web application development, and modern web technologies such as JavaScript, HTML, CSS, and relevant frameworks
• Experienced in agile methodologies, SDLC, and application performance optimization
• Knowledgeable in SAP security, compliance, and best practices for enterprise systems
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to clearly convey complex or technical concepts in a business-friendly language
• Proven ability to build and manage relationships across all levels of an organization, from store managers to executive leadership
• Highly analytical, detail-oriented, and intellectually curious
• Strong organizational, problem-solving, and troubleshooting abilities
• Adaptable and capable of working effectively in a fast-paced, high-volume, and diverse environment
• Self-motivated, with the ability to work both independently and collaboratively