Head of Subsection HSB IT Prod Support

We are adding to our diverse team of experts and are looking to hire those who are committed to building a culture that enables the creation of innovative solutions for our business units and clients.

The Company

As a member of Munich Re's operations, we offer the financial strength and stability that comes with being part of the world's preeminent insurance and reinsurance brand. Our risk experts work together to assemble the right mix of products and services to help our clients stay competitive – from traditional reinsurance coverage to niche and specialty reinsurance and insurance products.

The Opportunity

We are seeking a seasoned and strategic IT Manager to lead our Production Support offering. This critical leadership role is responsible for the stability, reliability, and continuous improvement of all production software applications across our diverse business landscape. The ideal candidate will be a hands-on leader with a proven track record of managing large-scale application support teams, ensuring operational excellence, and driving strategic initiatives.

You will be in charge of all aspects of software support, including the management of day-to-day incidents, the delivery of small enhancements, and the maintenance of software currency. This role requires a blend of deep technical expertise, exceptional leadership, and strong vendor management skills to ensure our production environment is robust, secure, and perfectly aligned with business needs.

You will also be providing functional leadership for the IT organization for HSB Canada.  This includes both Run and Transformation efforts and partnering with the Canadian business division. 

This person will be responsible for the creation and continuous evolution of the respective application roadmaps and strategies, ensuring IT solutions are fully aligned with the overall business's goals, key stakeholders and customer expectations. In partnership with the supporting IT cross-capability teams, they will use advanced technology to deliver innovative and cost-effective solutions that maximize customer value. You will embrace standard methodologies, including agile, and place a high value on the various application development and support practices such as application performance efficiencies, process improvement, and test-driven development.

Key Responsibilities

• Leadership & Strategy:
  • Lead and mentor a global team of production support analysts, engineers, and specialists, fostering a culture of high performance, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
  • Develop and execute a comprehensive strategy for production support that aligns with business objectives, focusing on stability, scalability, and user satisfaction.
  • Define and manage service level agreements (SLAs), key performance indicators (KPIs), and operational metrics to ensure the highest level of service delivery.
  • Managing product teams support HSB Canada application portfolios (strategic and legacy applications)
  • Work with IT Security and Risk to ensure solutions implemented across the US are in security compliance, ensure identified vulnerabilities are addressed in a timely manner
  • Collaborate across GSI IT teams of Solutions Architecture, Data and Project Management to ensure effective software delivery for all GSI development needs
  • Provide technical leadership and oversight into all major development projects within the entity
  • Partner with applicable Business units to align technology roadmaps supporting the business strategic direction
• Incident & Problem Management:
  • Oversee the entire lifecycle of production incidents, from initial detection and triage to root cause analysis (RCA) and resolution, ensuring minimal business impact.
  • Implement and refine incident management processes, driving down resolution times and preventing recurrence through robust problem management.
  • Serve as the primary escalation point for critical production issues, coordinating cross-functional teams to ensure swift and effective resolution.
• Enhancements & Software Currency:
  • Manage the intake, prioritization, and execution of small enhancements and bug fixes, utilizing Agile/Kanban methodologies to deliver value iteratively.
  • Develop and maintain a strategic roadmap for software currency, overseeing upgrades, patching, and version control to mitigate risks and ensure compliance.
  • Collaborate with development, infrastructure, and business teams to ensure a seamless transition of new features and applications into the production environment.
• Resource & Vendor Management:
  • Manage team capacity, resource allocation, and budget for the production support function, ensuring optimal use of personnel and financial resources.
  • Develop and maintain strong relationships with software vendors, third-party support providers, and managed service partners.
  • Partnering with IT vendor management, lead vendor contract negotiations, performance reviews, and service escalations to ensure accountability and maximize value.
• Process Improvement & Governance:
  • Champion the adoption of best practices and Agile/Kanban principles within the production support framework.
  • Drive automation initiatives to improve efficiency, reduce manual effort, and enhance system monitoring and alerting capabilities.
  • Ensure all support activities adhere to company policies, industry regulations, and security standards.
• Communication Strategy
  • Work closely with Product Owners to prioritize the production support backlog, balancing urgent incidents, small enhancements, and long-term system improvements.
  • Provide clear, concise, and timely updates to business stakeholders and executive leadership regarding issue resolution, risks, and impacts.
  • Facilitate transparent communication across IT, vendors, and business groups, ensuring alignment on priorities and expectations.
  • Translate complex technical issues into business-friendly language to support informed decision-making and executive visibility.

Successful candidates will possess the following skills/capabilities:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field. Master's degree is a plus.
• 10+ years of progressive experience in IT production/application support, with at least 5 years in a leadership or management role within a large, complex organization.
• Proven experience as an IT Product Manager or in a similar capacity, with a strong understanding of the product lifecycle from a support perspective.
• Technical Skills:
  • Solid understanding of multi-tiered application architecture, databases (e.g., SQL Server, Oracle), and web services (REST, SOAP).
  • Experience with enterprise monitoring tools (e.g., Datadog, Splunk, Dynatrace).
  • Familiarity with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) and CI/CD pipelines.
• Resource Management: Demonstrated experience managing budgets, forecasting, and leading both onshore and offshore teams.
• Agile/Kanban: In-depth knowledge and practical experience implementing and managing support workflows using Agile and Kanban methodologies.
• Vendor Management: Exceptional vendor management and negotiation skills with a proven history of managing SLAs and holding third-party providers accountable.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and leadership skills, with the ability to influence and collaborate with stakeholders at all levels.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities, with a data-driven approach to decision-making.

• Fluent spoken and written English
• Willingness to travel internationally

Preferred Qualifications

• ITIL v3/v4 Certification.
• Agile, Scrum, or Kanban certifications.
• Experience in the corporate insurance sector.
• Experience managing support for both custom-developed and Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) software