Sr Director, App Development

About Grocery Outlet:

• Our Mission: Touching lives for the better


• Our Vision: Touching lives by being the first choice for bargain-minded consumers in the U.S.


• Our Values & Behaviors: Achievement, Diversity, Entrepreneurship, Family, Fun, Integrity & Service

About the Team:
Our IT team’s mission is to push the boundaries of technology with the intention of going above and beyond to aid stores and customers and deliver timely solutions to benefit all members of Grocery Outlet. Our team consists of problem solvers and go-getters who are dedicated to being service-oriented and solving important problems.

About the Role:

As the Sr. Director, App Development, you will be responsible for overseeing software development, quality assurance, and L2 support operations, focusing on development and testing environments in the cloud. You will manage an annual budget of $10M-$15M, covering onshore and offshore development and QA teams and essential tools to deliver high-quality applications. You will drive development and quality assurance in line with business goals, ensure compliance with SOX and SOC2 standards, and lead the L2 support team that provides production issue resolution when escalated by the L1 support team. The Sr. Director, App Development will report to the SVP, Chief Information Officer.

Responsibilities Include:

• Optimize resource allocation to support scalable custom application and system development across development and QA functions.

• Implement a development strategy aligned with business goals across web and mobile applications, backend services, enterprise integrations, and databases.


• Ensure architectural integrity and alignment with functional needs of applications used by planners, buyers, supply chains, and store operators.

• Develop and motivate mid-level managers, tech leads, developers, and QA professionals, fostering an inclusive environment for FTEs and contractors.


• Empower technical teams to make informed decisions, maintain accountability, and pivot where necessary to achieve project goals.

• Lead QA teams to uphold high-quality standards for applications critical to planners, buyers, marketing, and store operators; guiding rigorous testing and quality assurance processes to ensure reliability, scalability, and performance across applications.

• Oversee the management and optimization of cloud infrastructure, focusing on development and testing environments to support efficient workflows.


• Ensure that cloud resources are scalable, cost-effective, and aligned with project and team requirements.

• Ensure that all development, QA, and support functions comply with SOX and SOC2 requirements.


• Maintain practices for secure application development and data handling to align with industry and regulatory standards.

• Ensure proactive monitoring and maintenance to address production issues promptly, enhancing the user experience and system reliability.

• Collaborate with Product Managers, Project Managers, Technical Architects, and SAP implementation teams to align on development priorities and feature requirements.


• Facilitate efficient cross-functional delivery and establish clear expectations for process improvements and accountability.

• Promote Agile methodologies and DevOps principles for high-speed, reliable development and deployment.


• Implement practices for consistent and scalable deployments, ensuring development, testing, and production stability.

• Define and monitor key performance metrics such as SLOs, DORA metrics, and incident root cause analyses to improve development and support efficiency.


• Use data to enhance quality, reduce issue recurrence, and maintain alignment with business and user expectations.


• Collaborate with Product and Project Managers to prioritize and manage the technical backlog.


• Participate in backlog grooming, sprint planning, and retrospectives to clear roadblocks, optimize development efficiency, and minimize redundant efforts.

About The Pay:

• Base Salary Range: $185,000 - $210,000 Annually


• Annual Bonus Program


• Equity


• 401(k) Profit Sharing


• Medical, Dental, Vision & More!


• Final compensation will be determined based upon experience and skills and may vary based on location.

About You:

• Ability to thrive in a fast paced start up like environment


• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, information technology, or a related field preferred


• 10+ years in application development with at least 5 years in a leadership role, managing both onshore and offshore teams within a digital and cloud-first retail environment preferred.


• Experience with SAP/ERP environments


• Expertise in OKRs, Coaching, Mentoring, Employee Development, Strategic Planning, Product and Project Management, Risk and Change Management, Budgeting, and Cost Management.


• Strong in Stakeholder Management, Cross-Functional Collaboration, Technical Architecture Discussions, Problem Solving, and Conflict Management.


• Proficient in Scrum, XP Programming, Kanban, and Pair Programming.


• Knowledgeable in TOGAF, Microservices, Distributed Systems Design, and Event-Driven Architecture.


• Skilled in SDLC, Release Management, DevSecOps, Infrastructure Automation, Site Reliability Engineering, Monitoring & Telemetry.


• Proficiency in C#, .Net, Java Python, JavaScript, and modern front-end frameworks like React, Angular, Vue.


• Experience with SQL, SAP Hana, MSSQL, MongoDB, and BigQuery.


• Expertise in Test Planning, Test Automation, and Performance Testing.

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