Software Development Manager

As the Software Development Manager, you are responsible for the development and support of the applications in use at ACE. Additionally, you are responsible for supervising development teams, managing resources and work allocation across teams, and collaborating with stakeholders to ensure the delivery of solutions that meet business needs. You will ensure prioritized application changes are implemented in a timely manner to allow end users to achieve institution’s mission and vision.

Requirements

Who is American College of Education

Founded in 2005, American College of Education continues to be a leader in professional development through our online programs. The mission of ACE is to deliver high-quality, affordable and accessible online programs grounded in evidence-based content and relevant application. Our graduates are prepared to serve, lead and achieve personal and professional goals in diverse, evolving communities. As a socially conscious institution, we’re dedicated to making a positive impact and inspiring our students to do the same.

ACE is a premier organization that is continually recognized for its commitment to social responsibility. In 2016, ACE became a Certified B Corporation. As a socially conscious institution, we believe we have a responsibility to our students, alumni, employees, local communities, and society. We strive to make an impact in the world that goes well beyond our bottom line.

Who You Are

You are passionate about helping students achieve their educational goals. You thrive in a competitive and collaborative team environment. You are comfortable working remotely and have experience collaborating with others in a virtual environment. You possess a strong attention to detail.    

As the Software Development Manager, you are responsible for the development and support of the applications in use at ACE. Additionally, you are responsible for supervising development teams, managing resources and work allocation across teams, and collaborating with stakeholders to ensure the delivery of solutions that meet business needs. You will ensure prioritized application changes are implemented in a timely manner to allow end users to achieve institution’s mission and vision.

Compensation

ACE is committed to paying a competitive wage while staying true to our mission of maintaining high quality, affordable programs for our students. The starting salary range for this position is $145,000 plus all full-time employees are eligible for an annual bonus. Offers vary depending on education, prior experience, and expertise being applied to the role.

What We Look for in the Ideal Candidate

• Demonstrates positive attitude and motivation, concern for students, teamwork, and excellent time management skills.
• Follows established processes as outlined by organization and leadership.
• Completes assigned duties based on daily business needs and individual skill set.
• Consistently produces a high volume of quality work.
• Capable, and adapts as needed, to work under pressure and meet tight deadlines.
• Proven ability to work independently with limited supervision and with other department personnel.
• Must support and embrace the College’s B Corp mission to improve the people and communities we serve through our civic engagement initiatives.
• Must have exceptional communication, organization, and time management skills.
• Must be "self-motivated" as well as creative and efficient in proposing solutions to complex, time-critical problems.
• Must be collaborative in driving decisions and a team-player.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with a high attention to detail.
• Builds and maintains student satisfaction.
• Recognizes and anticipates student needs.

Day to Day Responsibilities
In this role you will wear different hats, but your skills will be especially essential in the following areas: 

• Leads the development of new software and subsystems.
• Identifies and removes impediments to development team’s productivity.
• Provides supervision of development team to ensure adherence to policies, standards, and documentation requirements.
• Contributes to resource estimation and work allocation across delivery teams and members.
• Plans change management and training for end users to take advantage of new solutions.
• Conducts technical design reviews, code reviews and provide constructive feedback to the development team.
• Coordinates with external development resources and vendors, as needed.
• Tracks and communicates delivery progress and risks.
• Collaborates with stakeholders within IT and business to ensure delivery of solutions that meet specified requirements and align with business priorities.
• Manages end-to-end solution delivery using cutting-edge techniques and approaches.
• Ensures deliverables meet customer expectations for speed, quality, and value.
• Collaborates with other IT Managers and stakeholders to develop, execute, and continuously improve delivery practices.
• Manages all application architecture and integrations between systems and external partner applications using scalable and extensible APIs.
• Provides technical expertise for current technology and implements future solutions in conjunction with Product Owners, Business Owners, and IT leadership.
• Identifies and manages risks, provide risk mitigation strategies associated with applications security and infrastructure.
• Manages external vendor and resources to ensure ideal optimization of spend.
• Ensures build-out of scalable & performing applications.
• Ensures development team stays on track with development activities and provides day-to-day guidance.
• Ensures technical documentation is kept up to date.
• Supports release processes during extended business hours or weekends.
• Ensures adherence to ACE Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC) policy and procedures.

Skills and Competencies
In this role, the following skills and competencies are desired: 

• Background in Agile application development.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate technical information in a clear and concise manner.
• Ability to coach development teams on software development methodologies and best practices.
• Demonstrated ability as a team player who encourages continuous improvement and innovation
• Strong leadership, interpersonal and influencing skills.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Proficiency in multiple programming languages (e.g., C#, JavaScript, etc.) and throughout the technology stack.
• Business understanding and ability to drive for results.
• Exposure to application security best practices.
• Exposure to Agile methodology/ Scrum framework.

Qualifications and Education Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems or related discipline, or equivalent experience.
• 10+ years of Information Technology experience.
• 5+ years of hands-on software development experience preferably using Microsoft technology stack i.e., .NET, C#, SQL Server, ASP.NET MVC, JavaScript, Angular and other related or equivalent technologies.
• 3+ years in a technical supervisory/management/leadership role with a development team.
• Experience creating and consuming web APIs.
• Experience managing software projects using Agile/Scrum framework.
• Experience with Microsoft Azure cloud is strongly preferred.
• Certification in Agile, Scrum or other equivalent delivery frameworks, or equivalent experience.
• Experience working with enterprise applications and systems in EdTech space (e.g., Anthology SIS, Canvas LMS, etc.) is a strong plus.

Our Commitment to Employees

Just as we strive to empower our students for success, we also aim to enrich the lives of our employees. For 6 consecutive years, ACE was recognized as one of Indiana’s Best Places to Work, winning the #1 spot for medium-sized companies in 2020. In addition, ACE has earned national recognition, being named a USA Top Workplace in 2022, 2023 and 2024. As a virtual first organization, we celebrate diversity and are committed to creating a family-like inclusive work environment. For our full-time employees, we offer the following benefits:  

• Medical, dental, & vision Insurance 
• HSA and FSA options 
• Paid parental leave 
• Paid volunteer time 
• Tuition reimbursement & reduction programs 
• Generous PTO  
• 401k and employer match 
• Full-service wellness and EAP program 
• Employee recognition and awards programs 
• Employer paid life & AD&D insurance 
• Short-term disability 
• Employer paid long-term disability 
• And more…

Physical Demands

The physical demand described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.  While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to communicate with and receive communications from students and ACE employees in real time using online and other electronic media.

Diversity

At American College of Education, we believe that the best learning environment for students and staff is one in which we encounter viewpoints and experiences that are different, yet complementary to ours. This environment is fostered by the presence of persons with diverse backgrounds.  We recognize that acknowledging diversity is a necessary precondition, but sustained effort is necessary to ensure equity and greater inclusion.  Through strategic planning and initiatives, we seek to develop programs that promote equity and inclusion for everyone so that all members of ACE’s community can reach their full potential. To create and maintain a truly diverse, equitable and inclusive learning community, we strive to make all feel equally valued, and we uphold our Commitment to Freedom of Expression.  We may celebrate diversity, but we “live” inclusion.

Additional Notes

Employees are increasingly integrating AI into their roles, demonstrating its potential to boost efficiency, accuracy, and productivity. By utilizing AI technologies, we can streamline processes, gain valuable insights from data, and automate routine tasks, which allows employees to concentrate on more strategic and creative aspects of their work. While AI is a beneficial tool in the workplace, if its use—such as ChatGPT, Grammarly, Copy.ai, etc.—accounts for more than 50% of any work assignments or job responsibilities, it will need to be reported to a direct leader.

Internet bandwidth speeds from an employee's remote work location must be a minimum of 50Mbps download speeds and 5Mbps upload speeds. Please note if the bandwidth is shared across multiple devices (tablets, computer, streaming, phone, etc.) you will need higher overall speeds. You can test the speed of your connection by visiting speedtest.net Purchase, setup, installation, support, and ongoing maintenance of reliable internet service is the responsibility of the individual.  

American College of Education seeks to attract and retain a diverse staff consistent with its diverse student body and surrounding communities. At this time we cannot consider candidates residing in Alaska, Washington D.C., Massachusetts, South Dakota, or Alabama.

ACE is an Equal Opportunity Employer.