Director - IT Application Development, Cargo and Sales Technology

Description

United's Digital Technology team is comprised of many talented individuals all working together with cutting-edge technology to build the best airline in the history of aviation. Our team designs, develops and maintains massively scaling technology solutions brought to life with innovative architectures, data analytics, and digital solutions.

Job overview and responsibilities

United Airlines is seeking a dynamic, strategic, and people focused technology leader to serve as the Director of IT Application Development for our Cargo and Sales Technology portfolio. It is critical that this role establish and maintain strong business relationships with both senior and operating level business leaders and be the key interface point of contact with the business. This role is accountable for the strategy, evaluation and implementation of standards and procedures which support the enterprise's application infrastructure. This leader will guide application development and support teams across multiple geographies, deliver next generation commercial technology platforms, and ensure the stability, innovation, and performance of systems that enable United's global Cargo operations, B2B sales channels, and our Salesforce Center of Excellence.

• Strategy, Vision and Stakeholder Management:
  • Develop and adapt a multi-year application development strategy in line with corporate and IT goals
  • Translate business goals into actionable, scalable technology strategies and roadmaps
  • Serve as the senior technology partner to Cargo, Sales, and key Commercial leadership teams
• Communication and Stakeholder Management:
  • Establish and maintain strong business relationships with senior and operating business leaders Establish delivery governance, metrics dashboards, and transparent stakeholder communication mechanisms
• Project Delivery and Technology Management:
  • Lead and oversee delivery of complex software programs, ensuring timelines, budgets, and performance commitments are met or exceeded
  • Align with business partners on delivery success criteria and ensure technology solutions follow architectural standards and security requirements
  • Develop project governance including status reporting
  • Ensure reliability, resilience, security, and performance of critical operational systems
• Direct the application development lifecycle, architecture direction, and technology roadmap for:
  • Cargo Operational and Ecommerce Systems
  • B2B Sales and Agency Distribution Systems
  • Salesforce Center of Excellence, including platform governance, integration strategy, and enterprise standards.
  • Establish delivery governance, metrics dashboards, and transparent stakeholder communication mechanisms.
  • Leadership
  • Empower, coach, and develop team members
  • Lead, inspire, and scale global teams of employees and strategic vendor partners responsible for developing, enhancing, and supporting critical commercial applications
  • Establish department and individual goals, including performance reviews and career and performance plans
  • Assess and recommend improvements to the organizational structure, roles, and responsibilities
  • Build an environment where innovation thrives-encouraging experimentation, modern engineering patterns, and data driven decision making
• Operational, Compliance & Regulatory Adherence:
  
  
  • Ensure all platforms and processes adhere to regulatory, security, data privacy, and compliance frameworks relevant to the airline and transportation industry
  • Partner with Enterprise Technology, Security, Legal, Ai and Compliance teams on audits, risk mitigation, and incident response readiness
  
  This role is Hybrid out of Chicago.

Qualifications

What's needed to succeed (Minimum Qualifications):

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or related field
• 8+ years of relevant experience
• 7+ years of application development
• 5+ years of management experience in an IT or leadership-related role Requires advanced technical and business knowledge in software development life cycle, quality assurance, project management, and other related disciplines/processes
• Strong experience in vendor and partner management
• Experience driving technology modernization, cloud transformation, or platform consolidation efforts
• Must be legally authorized to work in the United States for any employer without sponsorship
• Successful completion of interview required to meet job qualification
• Reliable, punctual attendance is an essential function of the position

What will help you propel from the pack (Preferred Qualifications):

• Master's degree
• Experience with Agile development
• Experience with cloud delivery