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Director Application Development - Job Opportunity at ADP

Peterborough, GB

Full-time

Executive

Posted: August 6, 2025

Hybrid

£90,000 - £130,000 per year plus bonus and equity compensation. Given the executive-level nature of this role, the location in Peterborough (which offers lower cost of living than London while maintaining access to talent), and ADP's position as a Fortune 500 company, the total compensation package likely reaches £150,000+ when including performance bonuses, equity, and comprehensive benefits.

Benefits

Comprehensive career development opportunities with a focus on growing technical and leadership capabilities in a global technology environment

Inclusive and collaborative work culture that emphasizes diversity, equity, and belonging with recognition from multiple industry organizations

Flexible hybrid work arrangements that balance in-person collaboration with remote work flexibility

Access to cutting-edge technologies and continuous learning opportunities to stay current with industry innovations

Philanthropic foundation support providing community giving opportunities and associate assistance during personal hardships

Global exposure working with enterprise-scale clients and international development teams

Comprehensive equal employment opportunity protections and workplace equity initiatives

Key Responsibilities

Lead strategic technology initiatives in an Agile environment, driving the development of mission-critical applications that impact millions of users daily across enterprise clients

Provide visionary leadership to development teams focusing on Security, Identity and Access Management, and system resiliency while maintaining high-performance feature delivery

Architect and oversee full-stack development projects that integrate design, engineering, product development, and implementation across complex enterprise infrastructure

Drive operational excellence and process maturity across growing development teams while building scalable products for large enterprise workforce solutions

Collaborate with executive leadership and project management to translate business priorities into technical roadmaps and automated solutions

Champion continuous improvement culture across development teams and the broader technology organization, fostering innovation and best practices

Present and defend technical approaches and team strategies to senior leadership, demonstrating business impact and technical excellence

Requirements

Education

Bachelor's degree OR equivalent experience

Experience

12+ years of experience in relevant skills gained and developed in the same or similar role with 7+ years of team leadership experience

Required Skills

.net framework versions 4.8 as well as 8 SQL Server full stack development with front-end, scripting, and back-end experience APIs distributed systems design operational scaling and availability application integrations Security, Identity and Access Management Agile methodology microservices stack-.Net Docker Redis REST/JSON AWS/Azure DevOps and automated change management through Jenkins, Ansible, or similar technologies

Sauge AI Market Intelligence

Industry Trends

The HR technology and payroll services industry is experiencing rapid digital transformation as organizations increasingly adopt cloud-based human capital management solutions, creating high demand for senior technical leaders who can architect scalable, secure systems. ADP, being a leader in this space, is positioned at the forefront of this transformation, requiring directors who can navigate complex enterprise integrations and compliance requirements. There is a significant industry shift toward microservices architecture and cloud-native solutions in enterprise software, particularly in HR and payroll systems where security, compliance, and scalability are critical. Organizations are investing heavily in Identity and Access Management capabilities due to increasing cybersecurity threats and regulatory requirements. The hybrid work model has become a permanent fixture in technology organizations, with companies like ADP leading the way in flexible work arrangements. This trend is driving demand for leaders who can effectively manage distributed teams while maintaining high performance and collaborative culture.

Role Significance

Likely managing 30-50+ developers across multiple teams and projects, with responsibility for team leads, senior developers, and potentially other directors or managers. The role involves both direct management and matrix leadership across the broader development organization.

This is a senior executive technology leadership position with significant organizational impact, responsible for strategic technology decisions that affect millions of end users and major enterprise clients. The role combines hands-on technical expertise with executive leadership responsibilities, indicating a position that reports to senior technology leadership or C-level executives.

Key Projects

Leading enterprise-scale Identity and Access Management platform development serving Fortune 500 clients Architecting cloud migration initiatives for legacy HR and payroll systems Implementing microservices transformation of monolithic applications Developing API ecosystems for third-party integrations and partner solutions Building security and compliance frameworks for sensitive payroll and HR data

Success Factors

Demonstrated ability to scale development teams and processes while maintaining high code quality and delivery timelines in fast-paced environments Deep technical expertise combined with strong business acumen to translate complex technical concepts into business value for enterprise clients Proven track record of building and retaining high-performing development teams through inclusive leadership and career development focus Experience navigating complex enterprise software requirements including security, compliance, and integration challenges in regulated industries Ability to balance hands-on technical contribution with strategic leadership responsibilities, particularly in crisis situations or critical technical decisions

Market Demand

Very High - Executive-level technology leaders with deep expertise in .NET, enterprise security, and team leadership are in extremely high demand, particularly in the growing HR technology sector where digital transformation initiatives are accelerating.

Important Skills

Critical Skills

Leadership and team development capabilities are absolutely essential as this role requires building and maintaining high-performing teams while fostering inclusive environments that support career growth and innovation .NET framework expertise (both legacy 4.8 and modern .NET 8) is fundamental to success given ADP's technology stack and the need to balance maintaining existing systems while modernizing architecture Security and Identity Management knowledge is critical due to the sensitive nature of payroll and HR data, regulatory compliance requirements, and the increasing cybersecurity threats facing enterprise software companies Agile methodology mastery is essential for maintaining rapid development cycles while ensuring quality and stakeholder alignment in a fast-paced enterprise environment

Beneficial Skills

Cloud platform expertise in AWS/Azure provides competitive advantage as ADP continues cloud migration and multi-cloud strategies for global service delivery DevOps and automation skills become increasingly valuable as organizations focus on continuous deployment, infrastructure as code, and automated testing to maintain quality at scale Enterprise architecture knowledge helps in making strategic technical decisions that align with long-term business objectives and scalability requirements Understanding of HR and payroll business processes provides context for technical decisions and helps in building solutions that truly address client needs rather than just technical requirements

Unique Aspects

This role uniquely combines deep technical expertise in modern .NET development with executive leadership responsibilities in a mission-critical business environment where system uptime and security directly impact millions of workers' paychecks and benefits

The position offers rare exposure to enterprise-scale challenges in the HR technology space, including complex compliance requirements, multi-tenant architecture, and integration with thousands of different client systems and workflows

ADP's hybrid work model and emphasis on continuous learning create an environment where technical leaders can stay current with emerging technologies while building large-scale, impactful solutions

The role provides opportunity to influence industry standards and practices in HR technology, given ADP's market leadership position and the scale of their client implementations

Career Growth

Typically 3-5 years to progress to VP level, depending on business growth, organizational changes, and individual performance. The global nature of ADP and the critical importance of technology in their business model provides multiple pathways for advancement.

Potential Next Roles

Vice President of Engineering or Technology at ADP or similar HR technology companies Chief Technology Officer at mid-sized enterprise software companies Senior Director or VP roles at major technology companies focusing on enterprise solutions Technology consulting leadership roles specializing in digital transformation for large enterprises

Company Overview

ADP

ADP is a Fortune 500 company and one of the world's largest providers of human capital management solutions, serving over 920,000 clients globally with cloud-based HR, payroll, talent, time, tax and benefits administration. The company has been a pioneer in HR technology for over 70 years and continues to lead digital transformation in the industry.

ADP holds a dominant position in the global HR and payroll services market, competing primarily with companies like Workday, Ultimate Software, and Paychex. The company's scale, established client base, and continuous innovation investments make it a market leader with strong competitive advantages.

The Peterborough location represents ADP's significant UK and European operations, providing access to both domestic and international markets. This positioning offers exposure to diverse regulatory environments and client needs across multiple countries.

ADP emphasizes a collaborative, inclusive culture with strong focus on employee development and belonging. The company has received multiple workplace awards and maintains a reputation for supporting employee growth, work-life balance, and community involvement through their philanthropic initiatives.

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Director Application Development - Job Opportunity at ADP

Benefits

Key Responsibilities

Requirements

Education

Experience

Required Skills

Sauge AI Market Intelligence

Industry Trends

Role Significance

Key Projects

Success Factors

Market Demand

Important Skills

Critical Skills

Beneficial Skills

Unique Aspects

Career Growth

Potential Next Roles

Company Overview

ADP

Data Sources & Analysis Information

Job Listings Data

Sauge AI Market Intelligence