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Director Application Development - Job Opportunity at ADP

Peterborough, GB
Full-time
Executive
Posted: August 6, 2025
Hybrid
£120,000 - £160,000 per year based on director-level technology leadership role in UK market, considering ADP's enterprise software market position and the extensive technical and leadership requirements

Benefits

Comprehensive global cloud-based HCM solutions development experience providing exposure to cutting-edge enterprise software
Inclusive workplace culture with commitment to diversity, equity, and belonging initiatives that enhance professional development
Recognition and awards program demonstrating company's market leadership and employee value proposition
Philanthropic foundation support offering community engagement opportunities and personal fulfillment
Hybrid work arrangement providing flexibility while maintaining collaborative team environment
Career development opportunities in a dynamic, fast-paced environment with continuous learning culture
Access to latest technologies and tools for professional skill enhancement
Collaborative environment with business leaders and cross-functional teams expanding professional networks

Key Responsibilities

Lead strategic application development initiatives in an Agile environment, directly impacting millions of users daily through transformative product delivery
Drive architectural decisions for distributed systems, APIs, and application integrations that support large enterprise workforce enablement
Establish and maintain operational excellence and process maturity standards across growing development teams
Spearhead Security, Identity and Access Management implementations ensuring enterprise-grade system resilience
Foster continuous improvement culture within development teams and broader portfolio community
Collaborate with executive leadership and project management to translate business priorities into technical automation solutions
Present and defend technical approaches to senior leadership, influencing strategic technology decisions
Mentor and develop high-performing engineering teams, creating inclusive environments where talent thrives
Maintain technical excellence through hands-on coding involvement while scaling team capabilities
Drive innovation adoption by evaluating and incorporating emerging technologies into product development

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 seven or more years of team leadership

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, and application integrations Security, Identity and Access Management Agile methodology microservices stack-.Net, Docker, Redis, REST/JSON, and SQL, AWS/Azure DevOps and automated change management through Jenkins, Ansible, or similar technologies
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Sauge AI Market Intelligence

Industry Trends

Enterprise software development is experiencing unprecedented demand for cloud-native, microservices-based architectures as organizations accelerate digital transformation initiatives. The shift toward API-first development and distributed systems has become critical for scalability and competitive advantage. Identity and Access Management has emerged as a strategic priority following increased cybersecurity threats and regulatory compliance requirements. Organizations are investing heavily in zero-trust security models and modern authentication frameworks. The hybrid work model has fundamentally changed workforce management technology requirements, driving demand for sophisticated HCM platforms that can support distributed teams while maintaining security and compliance standards. DevOps and automated deployment pipelines have become essential for enterprise software delivery, with organizations requiring leaders who can implement CI/CD practices and infrastructure-as-code methodologies.

Role Significance

Likely managing 15-25+ engineers across multiple scrum teams, with indirect influence over broader development community and cross-functional stakeholders including product management, business leadership, and infrastructure teams.
Executive-level position with significant organizational impact, responsible for strategic technology decisions that affect enterprise-scale products serving millions of users. This role combines technical leadership with business strategy execution, requiring both deep technical expertise and executive presence.

Key Projects

Enterprise-scale microservices architecture implementations supporting thousands of concurrent users Security and identity management system overhauls affecting millions of user accounts Cloud migration initiatives transitioning legacy systems to modern AWS/Azure infrastructure API platform development enabling third-party integrations and ecosystem expansion DevOps transformation projects implementing automated deployment and monitoring capabilities

Success Factors

Demonstrated ability to balance technical excellence with business outcomes, showing measurable impact on product delivery timelines, quality metrics, and team productivity. Success requires translating complex technical concepts into business value propositions. Exceptional people leadership capabilities evidenced by team retention, career development success stories, and ability to attract top talent. The role demands creating inclusive environments where diverse technical teams can thrive and innovate. Strategic thinking combined with hands-on technical involvement, maintaining credibility through code contributions while driving architectural decisions that scale across enterprise platforms. Stakeholder management skills enabling effective collaboration with business leaders, product managers, and external clients to prioritize development efforts and manage competing demands. Continuous learning mindset with proven track record of technology adoption and innovation implementation, staying ahead of industry trends while managing technical debt and system modernization.

Market Demand

Very high demand driven by digital transformation acceleration, cybersecurity focus, and the critical need for experienced leaders who can bridge technical excellence with business strategy execution

Important Skills

Critical Skills

Distributed systems architecture expertise is absolutely essential given ADP's scale and the need to support millions of concurrent users across global markets. This includes understanding of microservices patterns, data consistency, and fault tolerance mechanisms that ensure system reliability. Security and Identity Management knowledge has become mission-critical as workforce technology handles increasingly sensitive personal and financial data. Deep understanding of authentication protocols, authorization frameworks, and compliance requirements directly impacts business viability. Team leadership and people development capabilities are fundamental to success, as the role requires building and scaling high-performing engineering teams in competitive talent markets. The ability to attract, develop, and retain top engineering talent directly correlates with product delivery success. Full-stack development proficiency including .NET ecosystem mastery ensures technical credibility and enables effective architectural decision-making. Understanding both legacy framework constraints and modern development capabilities is essential for system evolution planning.

Beneficial Skills

Cloud platform expertise in AWS/Azure provides strategic advantage as organizations continue infrastructure modernization initiatives and seek leaders who can guide complex migration projects DevOps and automation skills enable implementation of best practices that improve delivery velocity and system reliability, critical factors in competitive enterprise software markets Product management collaboration experience enhances ability to translate business requirements into technical solutions while managing scope and timeline constraints Agile methodology expertise at scale helps optimize team productivity and delivery predictability in complex, multi-team development environments

Unique Aspects

Rare opportunity to impact workforce technology used by millions of employees globally, with direct influence on how people experience work and career development
Combination of legacy system modernization and greenfield development, providing diverse technical challenges and architecture evolution experience
Strategic focus on Security and IAM provides cutting-edge experience in one of technology's fastest-growing domains
Hybrid role balancing hands-on technical contribution with executive-level strategic decision making
Access to enterprise-scale distributed systems challenges that few organizations can provide

Career Growth

3-5 years for progression to VP level, depending on organizational growth and demonstrated impact on business outcomes. CTO transitions typically require 5-7 years of director-level experience with proven P&L responsibility.

Potential Next Roles

Vice President of Engineering or Technology leading broader organizational transformation initiatives Chief Technology Officer positions at mid-market companies or technology startups Principal/Distinguished Engineer roles focusing on enterprise architecture and platform strategy Consulting or advisory positions leveraging deep HCM and enterprise software expertise

Company Overview

ADP

ADP stands as one of the world's largest human capital management technology providers, serving over 900,000 clients globally with comprehensive payroll, HR, and workforce management solutions. The company has established itself as an essential infrastructure provider for businesses ranging from small enterprises to Fortune 500 corporations.

Market leader in HCM software with strong competitive positioning against Workday, Oracle, and SAP. ADP's extensive client base and recurring revenue model provide stability while driving continuous innovation investment in cloud platforms and AI-powered workforce analytics.
The Peterborough location represents ADP's significant UK and European operations, serving as a key development hub for global product initiatives. This positioning offers exposure to international markets while maintaining connection to North American headquarters strategy.
Fast-paced, results-oriented environment that emphasizes innovation and client impact. The company culture balances entrepreneurial energy with enterprise-scale process maturity, offering opportunities for both creative problem-solving and systematic execution.
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