The Applications Development Group Manager / Digital Design Service Pillar Lead is a senior management level position responsible for accomplishing results through the management of a team or department in an effort to establish and implement new or revised application systems and programs in coordination with the Technology Team. The overall objective of this role is to drive applications systems analysis and programming activities.
The Digital Design Service Pillar Lead is a senior leadership position responsible for establishing, governing, and continuously evolving the digital design and engineering capabilities that power Citi's Oracle Ledger, Accounting, and Controls Technology applications. This role combines strategic vision with hands-on delivery leadership, driving a multi-disciplinary team of UX designers, UI developers, backend and full-stack engineers, and AI/ML engineers to deliver modern, resilient, and intelligent financial technology solutions.
The successful candidate will define and own the pillar's capability roadmap across five core domains: Enhanced User Experience (UX), Architectural & System Design Governance, Dashboard Analytics & Insights, AI Integration, and Accelerated Development & Operational Resilience. They will act as a senior technology leader, influencing engineering culture, championing innovation, and ensuring delivery outcomes are aligned to Finance Technology's strategic objectives.
Responsibilities
- Lead the Digital Design Service Pillar, setting the strategic direction and delivery roadmap across all five capability domains for Oracle Ledger, Accounting, and Controls Technology applications, including budget accountability, resource planning, and risk management.
- Define and govern application methodologies, architecture standards, and design guidelines across the full SDLC — from UX and system design through to development, performance and security testing, deployment, and monitoring.
- Build and lead a high-performing UX capability encompassing user research, design systems, accessibility, and inclusive design, embedding feedback and iteration loops into the product development lifecycle and measuring the strategic business impact of UX investment.
- Establish and govern the application architecture strategy for the pillar, including tech stack selection, architecture patterns, performance benchmarks, SLAs, quality assurance & testing frameworks and data governance policies, ensuring all solutions adhere to Citi's enterprise architecture blueprint and security standards.
- Lead the design and delivery of analytics and insights capabilities, governing data extraction, visualisation standards, and feedback mechanisms to enable data-driven decision-making across Finance Technology and business stakeholders.
- Drive the strategic adoption and integration of AI, Generative AI, and Agentic AI technologies across Oracle Ledger, Accounting, and Controls applications, identifying high-value use cases for automation and process optimisation, and establishing AI ethics and governance frameworks to ensure responsible, compliant deployment.
- Champion the adoption of AI-assisted development tooling — including Agentic AI platforms, autonomous coding tools (e.g., Devin.AI), and developer co-pilots (e.g., GitHub Copilot, Microsoft Copilot) — to accelerate engineering velocity and elevate developer experience across the pillar.
- Define and drive modern development practices across the pillar, including code reusability, SDLC automation, and technical debt management, tracking efficiency metrics and developer experience indicators to maximise engineering output.
- Lead, mentor, and develop a multi-disciplinary team spanning UX Design, UI Development, Backend Engineering, Full-Stack Engineering, and AI/ML Engineering, fostering a collaborative, inclusive, and high-performance engineering culture.
- Consult with end users and business stakeholders to identify system function specifications, translate complex requirements into scalable technology solutions, and incorporate AI and modernisation possibilities into strategic discussions.
- Influence and negotiate with senior leaders across Finance Technology and business functions, acting as the primary technology voice for the pillar and communicating progress, risks, and outcomes with clarity and transparency.
- Appropriately assess risk when business decisions are made, driving compliance with applicable laws, rules, and regulations, adhering to Citi Policy, and escalating control issues with transparency — particularly in relation to responsible AI, data governance, and financial application integrity.
Qualifications
- 10+ years of relevant experience in Applications Development, Systems Analysis, or Technology Leadership, with a proven track record of leading large-scale modernisation and delivery programmes in financial services or complex enterprise environments.
- Demonstrated experience building and leading multi-disciplinary engineering teams spanning UX, UI, backend, full-stack, and AI/ML engineering, with strong people development, coaching, and performance optimization strategies, robust testing methodologies.
- Deep knowledge of application architecture patterns (microservices, event-driven, API-first), enterprise system design, and cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, or Azure), with hands-on familiarity with container-based infrastructure (Kubernetes, Docker, OpenShift).
- Strong understanding of UX design principles, design systems, user research methodologies, and accessibility standards, alongside proficiency in modern frontend technologies (React JS, TypeScript) and UI development practices.
- Proficiency across multiple programming languages and frameworks (Python, Java, TypeScript; Spring Boot, FastAPI, Node.js) and experience with SQL and NoSQL databases (Oracle, MongoDB) and integration platforms (Kafka, JMS/MQ).
- Practical understanding of AI/ML and Generative AI technologies — including LLMs, Agentic AI frameworks, and RAG implementations — combined with hands-on experience leveraging AI-assisted development tools such as autonomous coding platforms (e.g., Devin.AI), developer co-pilots (e.g., Copilot), and agentic workflow orchestration frameworks.
- Experience governing responsible AI deployment, including AI ethics frameworks, model risk management, explainability, and guardrails development in regulated financial services environments.
- Experience designing and delivering analytics and dashboard capabilities, including data pipeline development, data governance, and BI/visualisation tools.
- Strong knowledge of CI/CD pipelines, DevSecOps practices, and SDLC automation tools (Jenkins, Harness, Gradle), with experience in Agile/Scrum delivery methodologies.
- Background in Oracle Ledger, Accounting, or Controls Technology applications, or equivalent financial technology platforms, is highly desirable.
- Exceptional communication, stakeholder management, and relationship-building skills, with the ability to articulate complex technical concepts to senior executives and non-technical audiences alike.
- Growth mindset with a passion for innovation, pragmatic problem-solving, and a commitment to inclusion, diversity, and continuous learning.
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or a related field is required; Master's degree preferred
- Experience in applications development
- Experience in management
- Experience managing global technology teams
- Working knowledge of industry practices and standards
- Consistently demonstrates clear and concise written and verbal communication
Education:
- Bachelor’s degree/University degree or equivalent experience
- Master’s degree preferred
------------------------------------------------------
Job Family Group:
Technology
------------------------------------------------------
Job Family:
Applications Development
------------------------------------------------------
Time Type:
Full time
------------------------------------------------------
Most Relevant Skills
Please see the requirements listed above.
------------------------------------------------------
Other Relevant Skills
For complementary skills, please see above and/or contact the recruiter.
------------------------------------------------------
Citi is an equal opportunity employer, and qualified candidates will receive consideration without regard to their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other characteristic protected by law.
If you are a person with a disability and need a reasonable accommodation to use our search tools and/or apply for a career opportunity review Accessibility at Citi.
View Citi’s EEO Policy Statement and the Know Your Rights poster.