VP, IT Digital & Customer Delivery

LOCATION NAME: Home Office, Columbus - East 5th * Anchor technology strategic planning and solution delivery for DSW in collaboration with functional executives and stakeholders.

* Leads an enterprise release roadmap framework that:

+ Enables prioritization of initiatives that involve technology solution delivery in a clear, quantitative, flexible, and collaborative fashion across business units, implementing effective business-case/data-driven demand management.

+ Activates enabling technology strategies (e.g. migration Cloud infrastructure, evolution to micro-services architecture) through management and maintenance of clear, documented vehicles, such as an enterprise release calendar/roadmap and a resource capacity management apparatus.

+ Facilitates creation of confident estimates and delivery release cycles for solutions, anchored on determining critical paths based on understanding of technical solution architecture designs with the enterprise architecture in sight and optimization for resource utilization.

+ Provides comfort to the company at large, for example in form of steering committees, as delivery and governance evolves to a product development/enterprise release management models.

* Provides vision and leadership to the IT organization, shaping it as a service-oriented unit that provides value centric, customer driven solutions.

* Effectively engages, influences, and collaborates across the company to achieve a consistent, business-aligned IT strategy.

* Formulates strategic planning for investments in technology to automate manual activities, perform system upgrades, manage ongoing vendor relationships, and use strategic insourcing or outsourcing to complement internal technology or gaps in knowledge and expertise.

* Drives appropriate prioritization of business transition and technology needs across the enterprise while simultaneously determining needs vs. wants, budget considerations, and timetable requirements. Identifies inefficiencies, cost reductions or system improvements.

* Serves as the technology thought leader to positively influence key internal stakeholders, technology shared services vision, architecture, and strategies.

* Leads the research and evaluation of innovative solutions and technologies to enhance operational effectiveness while reducing costs.

* Ensures appropriate resources (technology, personnel, and vendors) are in place to support business objectives based on operational requirements and service level agreements.

* Identifies, communicates timely, with proposed mitigations, all significant and material system risks, to key technology senior stakeholders and the enterprise CIO.

* Builds, develops, and improves operations, processes, and procedures in technology shared services to support strategic direction. Ensures proper documentation of processes related to shared services/operations systems and technology.

* Oversees management of all relevant agency and vendor relationships including vendor selection, renewals, etc.

* Applies a proactive product development mindset to the applications in custody with an outward time-horizon conscious of solutions/assets viability per their lifecycle, market trends, and changing needs of supported business units and their functional teams.

* Leads through sound architectural and functional expertise, including thorough and comprehensive knowledge of software development/package implementation life cycle processes, and thorough experience in the applications support arena, including job scheduling and management, change management, data management, applications and database troubleshooting and maintenance.

* Foster innovation in systems and business processes by listening to and partnering with functional teammates and users and by keeping current in market solutions and trends.

* Ensure a financial value model is prepared for all projects/releases, system changes, and maintenance activities.

* Inspire direct team to consistently meet and exceed business objectives through a culture of positivity where hard work and accomplishments are celebrated and appreciated.

* Ensure that staff is developed and can meet the changing needs of users, customers, and new technologies.

* Provides strong leadership for implementations activities and system changes. Ensures strong oversight and adherence to the IT Policies including for: security, architecture, disaster recovery, IT Operational Readiness, change management and change control processes, systems standards and documentation, adherence to regulatory compliance such as, but not limited to, SOX, PCI, FTC, and other compliance activities, and purchasing.

* Proficient in application development/engineering and enterprise architecture.

* Technical and business understanding of cloud computing, design, build and run functions, as well as CMMI standards.

* Demonstrated success implementing large scale consumer platforms in a matrixed environment.

* IT financial management experience (i.e. managing departmental budgets and forecast, understanding of accounting principles related to capitalization, procurement process experience, contractual/legal wherewithal).

* Experience directing staff and building teams at progressed scale; understands delegation and accountability, is comfortable with leveraging others to get things done, is an effective coach and mentor to subordinates.

* Proven ability to understand business and technical requirements, development estimates, and project plans.

* Proven relationship management skills with the ability to interface with all personnel.

* Consultative skills with the ability to engage on a matrix-basis and provide thought leadership and influence.

* Excellent written, verbal, presentation, and communication skills as well as excellent listening skills with ability to address audiences of all levels, including Board of Directors.

* Ability to facilitate through conflict and manage conflict appropriately.

* Ability to organize and prioritize multiple assignments simultaneously.

* Action-oriented and a high tolerance for ambiguity.

* Ability to coordinate, lead and manage groups of people with different objectives from multiple functional areas and ability to form and manage an effective project team.

* Thorough knowledge and experience with project management methodologies, processes, and tools both Agile and Waterfall. Ideally, possess a technology-oriented (e.g. software) product development delivery experience applying release management methodology to bridge coexistence of both Agile and Waterfall -based means.

*STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP* Deliberately communicates overall business strategy and connects it to the work of the functional team. Anticipates future trends and implications accurately. Leverages market knowledge to anticipate, capitalize on and drive change. Articulate credible pictures and visions of possibilities that will create sustainable value. Creates competitive and breakthrough strategies that show a clear connection between vision and action. Is willing to champion an idea or position despite dissent or political risk. Tackles tough issues, sharing sensitive messages or unpopular points of view effectively. Influences inside and outside of functional area for positive impact on business performance. Owns the development of successors and individuals who have potential for further development. * Minimum 15 years experience in application development or related technical field

* Experience with retail information technology systems.

* Experience implementing IT delivery and management frameworks in a progressively widened domain

* Previous experience working for a global Shared Service organization.

* Experience in technology standards activities.

* Experien