IT Director

You spend at least a third of your day at your job. You might as well spend it doing something you really love while working with a team you really enjoy being with, right? That’s the kind of atmosphere we offer at Pekin Insurance—fun, fast-paced, gratifying, supportive, and collaborative. 

Of course, it’s not all fun and games. Insurance is a serious business, and we pride ourselves on making people’s lives whole again after a major disaster or even a fender bender.  It’s that sense of helping people that makes our team want to do our best every day. 

If you want to be excited about starting your workday and are ready to make a real difference in people’s lives, this could be the right spot for you.

See what Pekin Insurance has to offer by viewing a short video here.  

POSITION OVERVIEW

The Director works closely with the Assistant Vice President of Information Technology (IT) to direct the identification, prioritization, and delivery of business/technology initiatives; development of expectations, work processes, and business architecture; and the oversight, performance evaluation and management of staff, and directing contractors.

We are seeking a dynamic Director of IT to lead and inspire teams responsible for enterprise agency and customer digital capabilities, customer billing, and P&C claims technology. In this pivotal role, you will drive innovation and transformation, leveraging industry-leading platforms and cutting-edge technology to enhance our business. This is a unique opportunity to make a significant impact, shaping the future of our digital landscape.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

• Directs the development and implementation of strategies, plans and projects to support business strategy
• Partners with Business Unit leaders to drive product strategy and prioritization of work
• Directs the teams that do the designing, development, and deployment of new applications, system software, and enhancements to the existing applications and system software throughout the enterprise
• Directs governance activities and boards that involve their areas of responsibility
• Ensures implemented services, products, and solutions are consistent with the architecture
• Directs and collaborates with product managers to drive product strategy through the definition of customer and market needs
• Enables the leveraging of data to drive product results through application of technology and analytics
• Initiates, develops, directs, and ensures success of technology solutions & processes that impact customer satisfaction and relationships
• Participates in the development of the IT budget with the help of Managers
• Participation with internal and external audits
• Tracks and takes appropriate steps to stay within budget
• Works with IT Leaders and Architects on directing the development and implementation of tools and technologies that make it easier to do work, and increase effectiveness
• Works with business groups, product teams, and other internal teams in their area of responsibility, and external service providers to establish service letter agreements (SLA) that support business objectives 
• May serve as the primary relationship owner for vendor relationships
• Establishes measurable individual and team objectives that are aligned with business and organizational goals
• Stays abreast of IT Industry trends and forecasts new skill requirements based on emerging technologies
• Develops and executes appropriate communication, process, and educational plans for mitigating the disruption of change
• Works with the Organization Change Management (OCM) Specialist to manage change within the team, identifies and removes obstacles to change, and executes any change management plan
• Holds leaders and teams accountable for delivering results in alignment with department and business strategy. Coaches' leaders and team members on a continuous basis, documents performance evaluations, and performs management duties of staff.

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in area of specialty required or equivalent experience
• Typically requires 8 or more years of subject matter experience and business/industry work experience, with extensive knowledge of one process/service
• At least 3 years of direct or indirect leadership experience
• Experience in managing teams and building relationships with people at a variety of levels

Preferred or Specialized

• Agile methodology experience preferred
• Guidewire and Insurance experience preferred
• DevOps experience preferred 
• Proven ability to manage IT operations in environments with internal and external resources.
• Experience implementing SaaS solutions.
• Excellent problem-solving skills with the ability to implement scalable IT solutions.
• Strong communication skills and ability to work cross-functionally with engineering, HR, security, and business teams.
• Proficiency in programming languages, knowledge of databases, understanding of system architecture, familiarity with design patterns, and expertise in tools.

CERTIFICATIONS & LICENSES

• N/A

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES

Demonstrated ability to:

• influence others
• develops leaders, teams, and individuals
• understand change leadership
• Demonstrated knowledge of:
• Agile methodology & Product Management principles
• customer business needs, processes, and functions
• business and technology infrastructure, architecture, and processes

Demonstrated skill in:

• soft and interpersonal, including teamwork, facilitation, and negotiation
• analytical and technical
• written, verbal, communication, and presentation
• planning and organizational

Salary Range: 

•  $155,300-$195,800 per year 
  • This range is based on the expected level of experience and skills for this position. Final compensation will depend on individual qualifications.
  • This position is bonus eligible

Benefits: 

• Health, Dental and Vision Insurance
• Generous 401(k) with company match
• Paid Time Off (PTO) with Paid Holidays
• Flexible/Hybrid Work Schedule
• Paid Volunteer Program

For more information about the benefits we offer, please visit our Careers Page.  

Salary : $155,300 - $195,800