VP, Benefits Research

Overview:

WEX is an innovative payments and technology company looking to forge the way in a rapidly changing environment, intending to simplify the business of doing business for our customers, freeing them to spend more time, with less worry, on the things they love. We are journeying to build a consistent world-class user experience across our products and services and leverage customer-driven innovation across all our strategic initiatives. 

Job Profile Summary:

WEX is seeking a visionary leader and technologist to spearhead our next generation of benefits technology as the Vice President of Architecture & Developer Platform. In this role, you will be the driving force behind Benefits Engineering futuristic technology research and the creation of a thriving developer ecosystem. You will lead a small but elite team of architects, pushing the boundaries of what's possible with cutting-edge technologies like AI/ML, serverless computing, modern user experience and blockchain technologies. This role is a unique opportunity to shape the future of the benefits industry by empowering external developers to build innovative products and services on the WEX Benefits platform. This pivotal role demands a strategic thinker who can architect cutting-edge solutions and foster a thriving developer ecosystem. As the VP of Architecture & Developer Platform, you will be responsible for:

• Elevating WEX Benefits Technological Leadership: Define and execute a bold architectural vision that positions WEX Benefits as a technology leader in the benefits industry. Embrace emerging technologies like AI/ML, serverless computing, and blockchain to drive innovation and deliver exceptional value to our customers.

• Building a World-Class Architecture Team: Assemble, mentor, and inspire a high-performing team of architects and engineers. Foster a culture of collaboration, knowledge sharing, and continuous learning, empowering team members to excel and contribute to WEX Benefits success.

• Driving Technology Innovation: Lead the exploration and evaluation of emerging technologies through proof-of-concept projects, pilot programs, and strategic partnerships. Identify and assess the potential impact of these technologies on WEX's business and develop actionable recommendations for their adoption and integration.

• Creating a Developer's Dream Platform: Design, develop, and continuously enhance a robust and scalable developer platform that empowers external developers to build innovative benefits products and services on top of WEX's core infrastructure. Provide comprehensive APIs, SDKs, documentation, and support resources to facilitate seamless integration and accelerate developer success.

• Cultivating a Thriving Developer Ecosystem: Foster a vibrant and engaged developer community through strategic outreach, hackathons, developer conferences, and online forums. Encourage collaboration, knowledge sharing, and open innovation to drive the advancement of the benefits technology ecosystem.

• Partnering for Success: Collaborate closely with product management, engineering, and business stakeholders across the organization to ensure alignment between technology strategy and business objectives. Effectively communicate technical concepts and recommendations to both technical and non-technical audiences, fostering a shared understanding of the architectural vision and roadmap.

• Staying Ahead of the Curve: Maintain a deep understanding of modern software development methodologies, architectures, and technologies. Continuously monitor industry trends and emerging technologies to ensure WEX remains at the forefront of innovation.

• Strategic Leadership and Resource Management: Contribute to the overall strategic planning and execution within the Benefits Technology division, ensuring alignment with budget, resources, and timelines. Effectively manage the architecture team's budget and resources to maximize impact and achieve strategic objectives.

This is an extraordinary opportunity for a seasoned technology leader to make a significant impact on WEX's future. If you are passionate about driving innovation, building high-performing teams, and shaping the future of benefits technology, we encourage you to apply..

Responsibilities:

• Define the Architectural Vision: Develop and drive a comprehensive architectural strategy for WEX's benefits technology platform, ensuring alignment with business objectives and incorporating cutting-edge technologies.

• Lead Technology Innovation: Spearhead the research and evaluation of emerging technologies (AI/ML, serverless, blockchain, etc.) through proof-of-concept projects and pilot programs. Collaborate with product teams and customers to assess potential and drive adoption.

• Champion the Developer Platform: Oversee the design, development, and continuous improvement of a world-class developer platform, providing external developers with the tools and resources (APIs, SDKs, documentation, support) they need to build innovative benefits solutions.

• Cultivate a Developer Ecosystem: Foster a vibrant and engaged community of developers through strategic outreach, hackathons, developer conferences, and online forums. Encourage collaboration and knowledge sharing to drive platform adoption and innovation.

• Build and Inspire a High-Performing Team: Assemble and lead a small but elite team of architects and engineers. Foster a culture of technical excellence, continuous learning, and collaborative problem-solving.

• Ensure Technical Excellence: Stay abreast of industry trends and emerging technologies. Promote the adoption of best practices in software development, including coding standards, modern DevOps practices, and cloud architecture patterns.

• Drive Operational Efficiency: Architect systems for scalability, performance, and reliability, anticipating future needs and challenges in the dynamic benefits landscape.

• Collaborate Across WEX: Partner effectively with stakeholders across the organization, including product management, engineering, operations, and business units, to align technology initiatives with business goals.

• Manage Risk and Ensure Compliance: Identify and mitigate technical risks, ensuring compliance with industry regulations and security standards.

• Own the Architectural Roadmap: Take full ownership of the architectural roadmap, including planning, staffing, budgeting, and resource allocation.

• Communicate Effectively: Regularly interact with executives, major customers, and internal stakeholders, effectively communicating technical concepts and strategic recommendations.

• Deliver Results: Drive the team to deliver on defined key metrics of success, ensuring the timely and successful execution of the architectural vision.

 

Job Requirements:

• Bachelor's or Master’s (preferred) degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field; advanced degree preferred.

• 15+ years of experience in software engineering, with a minimum of 5 years in a senior architecture leadership role.

• Demonstrated experience in defining and executing architectural strategies for large-scale, complex systems, preferably in a SaaS environment.

• Deep understanding of modern software development methodologies, architectures, and technologies (e.g., Agile, DevOps, CI/CD, cloud-native, microservices, event-driven architectures).

• Proven track record of building and managing high-performing technical teams, fostering a culture of innovation and collaboration.

• Strong experience in designing, developing, and launching successful developer platforms and ecosystems.

• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and presentation skills, with the ability to effectively communicate technical concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences.  

• Passion for emerging technologies and their potential to transform the benefits industry.

• Strong business acumen and strategic thinking skills, with the ability to align technology strategy with business objectives.

• Strong understanding of AI/ML technologies and their application in software development.

Bonus Points:

• Experience in the healthcare or benefits industry.

• Experience with open-source technologies and communities.

• Contributions to industry publications or conferences.

Role Competencies:

• Strategic Thinking: Establishes a comprehensive vision that engages and energizes others; focused on short-term and long-term objectives. Collects data, seeks alternative perspectives, and continually evaluates assumptions to guide critical decision-making.

• Execution: Provides clear direction, sets high expectations for team members, promotes accountability, and delivers sustainable results.

• Change Leadership: Embraces innovation, skilled in managing change, and possesses a willingness to experiment and invest in new initiatives. Considers timing, sequencing, and potential disruption carefully.

• Digital/Technology Literacy: Understands and leverages technology and data to maintain competitiveness, improve efficiency, and achieve scalability. Remains informed about emerging technologies in relevant fields and industries.

• Talent Management and Culture Development: Invests time and effort in building a high-performing team; establishes clear goals, manages performance, and fosters an inclusive culture.

• Stakeholder Engagement: Collaborates effectively within a matrix organization and partners closely with internal and external stakeholders.

• Ethical Conduct: Demonstrates high ethical standards in all areas of responsibility; maintains credibility and serves as a role model for the organization.

• Business Knowledge and Partnership: Possesses a deep understanding of the industry and the business; focused on finding solutions for internal clients.

• Functional Expertise: Possesses the technical knowledge and skills necessary to effectively execute responsibilities.

• Global Leadership: Maintains excellence and cohesion in a global organization that spans multiple geographies and jurisdictions.

• Executive Presence: Possesses the personal presence to interact effectively with the Board of Directors, C-Suite executives, investors, partners, customers, and other external third parties.

• WEX Leadership Behaviors: Builds bridges to win, is a talent multiplier, inspires high standards while showing empath, shapes our markets, and adapts to rapid change.

• WEX Values: Demonstration of WEX Values: Puts ingenuity to work, sticks to it, teams up, stays open, is a positive force, and acts with integrity

• Budget and Financial Management: Oversees and manages all components of the Technology budget.

• Prioritization: Establishes clear priorities, removes obstacles to success, supports reprioritization efforts, and empowers leaders to make informed business decisions.

• Decision-Making Skills: Ability to make timely and effective business decisions based on facts and data.

The base pay range represents the anticipated low and high end of the pay range for this position. Actual pay rates will vary and will be based on various factors, such as your qualifications, skills, competencies, and proficiency for the role. Base pay is one component of WEX's total compensation package. Most sales positions are eligible for commission under the terms of an applicable plan. Non-sales roles are typically eligible for a quarterly or annual bonus based on their role and applicable plan. WEX's comprehensive and market competitive benefits are designed to support your personal and professional well-being. Benefits include health, dental and vision insurances, retirement savings plan, paid time off, health savings account, flexible spending accounts, life insurance, disability insurance, tuition reimbursement, and more. For more information, check out the "About Us" section.

Pay Range: $238,000.00 - $317,000.00 Apply