Director Application Development - Corporate Systems

Vichara is a Financial Services focused products and services firm headquartered in NY and building systems for some of the largest i-banks and hedge funds in the world.

Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor a team of developers building applications for finance, trading, research, and risk.

• Partner with finance, operations, and compliance stakeholders to translate requirements into scalable solutions.

• Oversee architecture, code quality, and system performance; enforce SDLC best practices.

• Drive modernization initiatives, including microservices, CI/CD pipelines, and containerization.

• Manage delivery roadmaps, priorities, and vendor/third-party integrations.

• Ensure compliance, audit-readiness, and secure coding practices.

• The Head of Finance Information Technology (Finance IT) is a senior leadership role responsible for aligning financial systems, data platforms, and technology strategies with the organization’s finance function. This leader ensures that the company’s financial operations are supported by robust, secure, and scalable IT systems, driving efficiency, compliance, and innovation across the enterprise.

  Essential DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Define and execute the Finance IT strategy in alignment with corporate objectives and finance transformation initiatives.
• Partner with the CFO, CIO, and executive leadership to identify opportunities where technology can optimize financial processes and decision-making.

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• Lead digital transformation initiatives in the finance function, including automation, analytics, and ERP modernization.
• Oversee the design, implementation, and maintenance of core finance systems (e.g., ERP, Treasury, Tax, Procurement, FP&A platforms, Performance Analytics & Reporting).
• Ensure integration between finance systems and other enterprise platforms (HR, CRM, Data Warehouse, BI tools).
• Evaluate and adopt emerging technologies (e.g., AI-driven analytics, RPA, cloud-based finance solutions) to improve efficiency.
• Ensure financial systems comply with regulatory requirements (SOX, GDPR, data privacy, audit standards).
• Implement strong IT controls, cybersecurity safeguards, and data governance frameworks within finance platforms.
• Manage system access controls, segregation of duties, and risk mitigation strategies.
• Build and lead a high-performing Finance IT team, fostering a culture of innovation, accountability, and collaboration.
• Partner with finance stakeholders to understand business needs and translate them into technical solutions.
• Manage relationships with external vendors, consultants, and technology providers.
• Drive continuous improvement of financial processes through automation, standardization, and system enhancements.
• Deliver accurate, timely, and reliable financial data and reporting capabilities to support strategic decision-making.
• Establish KPIs and monitor performance of Finance IT systems and projects.

SKILLS/KNOWLEDGE/ABILITIES:

Proven track record of managing large-scale finance IT programs and teams. Strong knowledge of financial processes (accounting, tax, treasury, FP&A, procurement) and associated technologies.

EDUCATION and EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Information Technology, Computer Science, or related field; Master’s or MBA is helpful.
• 15+ years of experience in finance technology leadership, ERP/finance system implementations, or digital finance transformation.
• 5+ years of application development experience in investment management/alternative investments industry.
• Expertise in ERP platforms (SAP, Oracle, Workday, or similar) and financial reporting tools.
• Demonstrated experience in IT governance, compliance, and risk management.
• Exceptional leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
• Strong knowledge of and experience supporting and collaborating with treasury, accounting, accounts payable, middle office, deal operations, performance analytics, and financial reporting teams.
• Strong understanding of LLMs/AI and their applicability to alternative investments industry.
• Solid understanding and knowledge of modern software development frameworks and methodologies
• Experience utilizing cloud-based productivity tools and application management and deployment methodologies.
• Possesses strong software architecture, design, and development skills.
• Experience utilizing CI/CD (continuous integration/continuous deployment) software development methodology.
• Strong knowledge and experience with software development and project management tools such as JIRA, Confluence, GitHub, IDEs, Bitbucket, Redgate, MS SQL Management Studio, PyCharm, etc.
• Experience working with large databases, data lakes, and data warehouses.
• Experience architecting, managing, developing and maintaining multi-tier, web-based applications.
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Compensation -   330K pa

Benefits:

• Extended health care
• Dental care
• Life insurance