Senior Director, Software Engineering & Data

Location: Hybrid – Within commuting distance of Baton Rouge, LA; Houston, TX; Dallas, TX; or Austin, TX

Reports To: Chief Information Officer (CIO)

AWC is a leading provider of automation, controls, and valve solutions across the Gulf Coast and beyond. As a 100% employee-owned company (ESOP), our success is driven by people who take ownership, solve problems, build strong relationships, and continuously improve the way we serve our customers. Our culture is built on Safety, Family, Mutual Respect, Quality, Service, Partnerships, and Rewarding Results.

As AWC continues to grow and invest in technology, we are seeking an experienced Senior Director of Software Engineering & Data to lead our Enterprise Applications organization and help shape the future of how technology supports our business.

This is an exciting opportunity for a strategic, hands-on technology leader who enjoys building high-performing teams, establishing scalable engineering practices, and translating business opportunities into reliable, innovative technology solutions.

In this role, you will provide leadership across software engineering, enterprise applications, data engineering, and our modern data platform. You will partner closely with business leaders, Digital Transformation, Infrastructure and Operations, and ERP leadership to establish clear priorities, strengthen delivery capabilities, and guide AWC through a significant period of technology modernization.

The ideal candidate brings a balance of technical depth, business acumen, and people leadership, with the ability to maintain critical business systems while developing the capabilities, practices, and solutions that will support AWC's future growth.

How you'll make an impact

Lead Software Engineering & Enterprise Applications

• Provide strategic and operational leadership for AWC's Enterprise Applications organization, including software engineering, data engineering, and application delivery.

• Establish a scalable engineering operating model with clear processes for project intake, prioritization, capacity planning, development standards, deployment, and ongoing support.

• Partner with AWC's software architect and engineering teams to guide technical direction, evaluate solution designs, and ensure development practices support long-term reliability and maintainability.

• Balance the ongoing support of established, business-critical applications with the development and implementation of modern technology solutions.

Drive Technology Delivery & Business Value

• Own the software delivery lifecycle from solution design and development through testing, deployment, and production support.

• Partner with business stakeholders and Digital Transformation leadership to evaluate opportunities, establish priorities, and translate business needs into scalable technology solutions.

• Develop portfolio visibility, resource planning, and delivery accountability to ensure engineering capacity is aligned with AWC's highest-value initiatives.

• Establish a structured approach for transitioning business-developed prototypes and innovative solutions into secure, supported production applications.

• Evaluate build-versus-buy decisions and recommend solutions that balance business value, speed, cost, security, and long-term sustainability.

Advance Data Engineering & Analytics Capabilities

• Lead the continued development and maturity of AWC's modern enterprise data platform.

• Establish scalable practices for data engineering, integration, accessibility, quality, and governance.

• Partner with business data owners to strengthen data definitions, accuracy, accountability, and trust across the organization.

• Support enterprise analytics initiatives while enabling business teams to access and use reliable data to make informed decisions.

Support ERP Transformation & Systems Integration

• Collaborate closely with ERP leadership as AWC transitions to a new enterprise resource planning environment.

• Provide engineering leadership for integrations, application modernization, custom development, and system decoupling.

• Support data migration and integration strategies that protect business continuity while enabling future scalability.

• Help determine which capabilities should be supported within the ERP platform versus developed or maintained through enterprise applications.

Champion Innovation, AI & Continuous Improvement

• Advance the practical adoption of AI-assisted software engineering tools and methodologies to improve productivity, development quality, and delivery speed.

• Establish appropriate standards for code review, testing, security, and maintainability as new development practices are introduced.

• Create pathways for innovative ideas and prototypes to become scalable, secure, and sustainable business solutions.

• Identify opportunities to improve engineering efficiency, reduce technical debt, and strengthen system reliability.

Build & Develop High-Performing Teams

• Lead, coach, and develop software engineering and data professionals, creating a culture of accountability, collaboration, continuous learning, and innovation.

• Assess organizational capabilities, identify talent needs, and build development plans that support current and future business requirements.

• Establish clear performance expectations, encourage ownership, and recognize results.

• Foster strong partnerships across technology and business functions while reinforcing AWC's values and commitment to Winning Together.

What you'll bring to the team

Required Qualifications & Experience

• Demonstrated experience leading software engineering organizations, including responsibility for engineering practices, delivery processes, talent development, and performance management.

• Proven ability to establish or transform software engineering operating models, development standards, and team capabilities.

• Strong technical understanding of enterprise applications, software architecture, integration strategies, and modern development practices.

• Experience supporting established legacy applications while simultaneously developing and implementing modern systems.

• Demonstrated ownership of enterprise data platforms, data engineering capabilities, or data products, including data quality and governance.

• Practical experience implementing AI-assisted software development tools and driving adoption across engineering teams while maintaining quality and security standards.

• Experience managing engineering leaders and technical professionals, including hiring, coaching, performance management, and succession planning.

• Strong business acumen with the ability to evaluate priorities, communicate tradeoffs, and align technology investments with organizational objectives.

• Excellent communication, collaboration, and relationship-building skills, with the ability to influence technical and nontechnical stakeholders.

• Ability and willingness to travel regularly to AWC locations.

Preferred Qualifications & Experience

• Experience supporting a major ERP implementation or replacement, particularly systems integration and data migration.

• Background in industrial distribution, manufacturing, automation, energy, or related industries.

• Experience establishing governance and production-readiness practices for applications or prototypes developed outside traditional IT teams.

• Experience leading technology organizations in a mid-sized, growing business environment.

• Demonstrated success introducing modern engineering practices while maintaining operational stability and supporting organizational change.

What success looks like

During your first year, you will have the opportunity to make a meaningful impact by:

• Establishing a transparent engineering portfolio and capacity planning process aligned with business priorities.

• Implementing a consistent and efficient pathway for moving innovative prototypes into secure, supported production environments.

• Delivering measurable business value through new applications and improvements to existing systems.

• Strengthening application reliability, support accountability, and release quality.

• Advancing trusted, governed enterprise data access and analytics capabilities.

• Establishing a clear engineering roadmap supporting AWC's ERP transformation.

• Developing a stronger, more capable engineering organization that effectively leverages modern tools and AI-assisted development practices.

Compensation & Benefits

AWC offers a competitive compensation and benefits package designed to reward performance, support our team members, and provide a meaningful opportunity to share in our company's success.

• Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP)
• 401(K) Match
• Competitive Pay
• Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance Package
• Employer Paid Life Insurance
• Paid Time Off and Holiday Pay
• Career Development Opportunities

Why AWC?

At AWC, we believe our people are our greatest competitive advantage. As an employee-owned company, every team member has an opportunity to make a meaningful impact on our customers, our business, and our future.

We are committed to creating an environment where people are empowered to lead, encouraged to innovate, and supported in their professional growth.

If you are a technology leader who enjoys building strong teams, solving complex business challenges, and creating systems that make a lasting difference, we would welcome the opportunity to speak with you.