Vice President, Enterprise Applications & Engineering

The VP, Enterprise Applications & Engineering provides executive leadership across ACR Technology Services’ core engineering functions, including Application Development, API & Integration Delivery, ERP & EDI Systems, Microsoft Application Development, and Automation, AI & Data Integration. Reporting directly to the CIO, this role is accountable for defining and driving the enterprise engineering strategy, architectural standards, and multi-year technology roadmap that enables ACR to operate reliably, scale efficiently, and compete effectively.

This role leads a multi-layered organization of managers and senior engineers, partnering directly with the CIO and business leaders to translate enterprise priorities into cohesive, executable plans. The VP ensures delivery accountability across all engineering domains, governs enterprise platforms, and drives cross-functional alignment between technology and business outcomes.

Success in this role requires the ability to lead at both the strategic and organizational level - setting direction, building high-performing teams, managing complexity across multiple domains, and making informed architectural decisions that balance innovation with operational stability. This leader must earn credibility across both technical and business communities while maintaining execution momentum across a broad, distributed organization., * Define and own the enterprise engineering strategy across Application Development, API & Integration Delivery, ERP & EDI Systems, Microsoft Application Development, and Automation, AI & Data Integration - setting long-term technology direction, architectural standards, and delivery models that enable ACR to scale reliably and efficiently.

• Lead a multi-layered organization of managers and senior engineers, partnering directly with the CIO and business leaders to translate enterprise priorities into cohesive, executable roadmaps - driving cross-functional alignment, engineering excellence, and measurable business outcomes across all platforms.
• Own and evolve the enterprise application and platform architecture, balancing innovation with operational stability and ensuring all solutions are scalable, secure, and aligned with long-term business needs.
• Oversee custom ERP development and EDI integration delivery (S2K, SAP, Infor, or similar), ensuring solutions are built to scale, technically sound, and aligned with supply chain, finance, and order management requirements.
• Drive adoption of emerging technologies - including AI, automation, and next-generation integration patterns - translating innovation opportunities into practical, enterprise-ready capabilities.
• Oversee vendor relationships, external partner delivery, and resource planning across all engineering functions, ensuring cost efficiency, quality outcomes, and alignment with organizational priorities.
• Drive cross-functional collaboration with infrastructure, data, QA, and business operations teams to eliminate execution silos, reduce delivery risk, and ensure all technology solutions are supportable and operationally ready.
• Own engineering budget and capital planning in partnership with the CIO and Finance, ensuring strategic investment decisions are defensible, prioritized, and aligned to enterprise value.
• Develop and retain engineering leaders across the organization through coaching, expanded ownership, and intentional talent development.
• Ability to travel up to 25% across ACR facilities.
• Other duties as assigned.

• Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree or equivalent advanced experience preferred
• 15+ years of progressive IT leadership experience, with a strong foundation in software engineering, application development, or enterprise architecture
• 5+ years in a senior leadership role with direct management of multiple teams, managers, and engineering domains
• Experience leading custom development on ERP platforms (e.g., S2K, SAP, Infor, or comparable), including EDI integration and enterprise system customization, data integration (ETL/SSIS/pipelines), and automation technologies including AI-driven solutions
• Demonstrated experience leading enterprise-wide technology strategy and roadmap planning across multiple concurrent platforms
• Experience in Manufacturing, Distribution, or comparable industry environments strongly preferred
• Proven ability to lead through influence across functional and senior leadership teams, with a track record of building trust at the executive level
• Financial acumen to partner with the CIO and Finance on IT portfolio budget oversight and capital planning
• Strong vendor and partner management experience, including contract oversight and delivery accountability
• Executive-level verbal and written communication skills, including ELT-level reporting and cross-functional facilitation

Other major competencies:

• Strategic mindset. Translates enterprise goals into long-term technology direction. Balances architectural vision with pragmatic delivery without losing sight of business outcomes.
• Engineering credibility. Brings sufficient technical depth to earn the trust of engineers and architects, ask the right questions, and make sound decisions across diverse technology domains.
• Organizational leader. Builds and develops high-performing teams, drives accountability at all levels, and creates a culture of ownership and continuous improvement.
• Business partnership. Frames technology decisions in terms of business value. Partners effectively with operational and functional leaders to drive outcomes, not just outputs.