Head IT Application Development

About Chain IQ

Chain IQ is an Independent Global Indirect Procurement company providing strategic, tactical, and operational procurement services. Headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland Chain IQ operates from 6 main centers and 14 offices worldwide.

Our team of experts work to transform procurement within an organization utilizing our market knowledge and insights supported by innovative technology to drive procurement efficiencies. 

We apply the latest risk, sustainability, and social responsibility practices to strengthen procurement resilience. Chain IQ’s approach to ESG supports ethical operations, business standards and bio-diversity whilst minimizing environmental impact.

As the Head of Application Development, you will be responsible for leading the complete Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC) and ensuring the delivery of secure, scalable, and client-aligned digital solutions across Chain IQ’s procurement platforms. This role demands strong leadership in enterprise software engineering, including AI/GenAI enablement, data platform development, and system integration. You will manage internal and external delivery teams, ensure compliance with security and governance standards, and support the evolution of Chain IQ’s multi-client digital ecosystem. The position requires a balance of technical depth and operational leadership, with a focus on delivering robust, reliable, and audit-ready applications.

 Key responsibilities:

1. Software Delivery Leadership and Governance

• Lead and govern all phases of the SDLC: planning, design, development, testing, deployment, and ongoing improvements.
• Define, standardize, and enforce secure coding, testing, release, and documentation practices across teams.
• Ensure application delivery aligns with defined business outcomes, technical architecture, and quality standards.
• Champion Agile and DevSecOps methodologies for delivery efficiency, code quality, and maintainability.

1. AI and GenAI Development

• Lead the development of GenAI-powered applications that drive automation, decision support, and user engagement across Chain IQ’s platforms.
• Implement conversational agentic solutions, enable workflow orchestration, and embed predictive and contextual analytics into business processes.
• Ensure AI implementations follow responsible AI design principles and comply with enterprise security and compliance standards.
• Apply AI governance frameworks (e.g., ISO/IEC 42001, NIST AI RMF, OWASP LLM Top 10) in the development lifecycle.

1. Data Platform Engineering

• Oversee the design and implementation of scalable data pipelines and analytics solutions using Azure Data Factory, Microsoft Fabric, and related Azure services.
• Ensure data security, quality, lineage, and access control across development and production environments.
• Support use cases in spend analytics, supplier intelligence, and category insights through structured data engineering.

1. Enterprise Application Integration

• Define and implement secure integration patterns using APIs, ESBs, and event-driven architectures to connect with ERP, CRM, and third-party SaaS systems.
• Standardize API development, lifecycle management, and interface documentation across platforms.
• Support interoperability across client-specific and platform-level components in a multi-tenant architecture.

1. Security, Compliance, and Quality Assurance

• Embed security-by-design principles including threat modeling, SAST/DAST, API security testing, and code scanning.
• Ensure all application development meets requirements under GDPR, ISO 27001, SOC 2, OWASP, and NIST standards.
• Enforce role-based access control (RBAC), encryption protocols (TLS 1.2+, AES-256), and identity/access governance.
• Collaborate with InfoSec and Compliance to ensure continuous audit readiness and incident prevention.

1. Technical Leadership and Innovation Enablement

• Review and validate application architecture and technical solution design across projects and platforms.
• Identify emerging technologies relevant to Chain IQ’s digital roadmap and lead hands-on evaluation and prototyping.
• Contribute to platform-wide improvements by promoting reusability, modularity, and standardization.

1. Team Management and Capability Development

• Manage and mentor a distributed team of developers, data engineers, and solution architects.
• Define role-based competencies and ensure continuous development of technical skills in cloud, AI, and integration technologies.
• Ensure resource allocation and delivery capacity align with program demands and client-specific implementation schedules.
• Promote a high-performance culture focused on accountability, quality, and delivery excellence.

1. Documentation and Evaluation

• Oversee the creation of development documentation, including architecture diagrams, delivery roadmaps, and implementation plans.
• Review technical designs and deployment plans to ensure alignment with requirements, coding standards, and platform architecture.
• Define and apply evaluation criteria to assess vendor and partner proposals for technical fit, scalability, and compliance.

1. Collaboration and Communication

• Represent the application development function in cross-functional forums, aligning delivery priorities with business and technology objectives.
• Collaborate with architecture, product, and infrastructure teams to ensure seamless integratihip and external partners.on and end-to-end solution delivery.
• Communicate development strategies, risks, and technical decisions clearly to stakeholders, including senior leadership and external partners.

Requirements:

We are looking for candidates with:

• 15+ years of experience in enterprise software development, including 5+ years in a senior leadership or delivery management role.
• Proven ability to lead distributed development teams across multiple projects, platforms, and business domains.
• Strategic mindset with a track record of aligning technical delivery to business outcomes, particularly within multi-client platforms and indirect procurement contexts.
• Strong grasp of enterprise architecture principles and experience facilitating discovery workshops and collaborative solution design sessions with business and IT stakeholders.
• Hands-on expertise in Microsoft Azure (App Services, Azure DevOps, Data Factory, Azure Foundry), with a strong understanding of cloud-native development, DevSecOps, and secure SDLC practices.
• Demonstrated experience in the AI/ML and GenAI lifecycle, including conversational AI, workflow intelligence, and analytics-driven automation.
• Familiarity with low-code platforms (preferably OutSystems) and component-based development.
• Strong working knowledge of compliance frameworks such as GDPR, SOC 2, ISO 27001, OWASP, and NIST.
• Excellent communication, stakeholder engagement, and presentation skills, with the ability to influence at all levels.
• Demonstrated ability to integrate emerging technologies into complex business processes such as workflow automation, analytics, lifecycle management, and third-party integrations.
• Passion for innovation, continuous learning, and building high-performance, quality-driven teams.
• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in computer science, Software Engineering, Information Systems, or a related field.

Certifications such as Azure Solutions Architect Expert, TOGAF, or those in AI/ML, data science, or cloud solution development are preferred.

If you are a technology leader who thrives on solving complex challenges through research, innovation, and design thinking—and who values quality, hands-on execution, mentoring, and close collaboration with the business—this role offers the opportunity to shape our next-generation enterprise platforms. We are seeking a leader who brings deep expertise, fosters knowledge sharing, and drives structured, high-quality delivery across a multi-client technology landscape.

We are Great Place To Work® certified in Switzerland, the United States, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Romania, Poland and China.

We proudly offer a first-class benefits package to all employees, so come and join Chain IQ and become part of an innovative, inspiring, and high-performing team of entrepreneurs, who are globally connected and locally anchored.

Please let us know if you require any assistance during the recruitment process so that we can work with you to meet your needs.

Furthermore, please be advised that if you submit an application to us for this position, your application and personal details will be processed in accordance with our Data Privacy Notice for Job Candidates.

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