Application Lifecycle Manager

About the Role

We are looking for a seasoned Application Lifecycle Manager to oversee the full spectrum of application portfolio management, from planning through deployment to eventual retirement. This role demands leadership in implementing governance frameworks, modernization paths, and strategic technology planning to ensure that applications meet business aims and technology standards.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and execute ALM strategies, governance frameworks, standards, policies, and roadmaps aligned with business and technology objectives.
• Control the complete lifecycle of enterprise applications, including requirements gathering, development, deployment, operation, enhancement, modernization, and retirement phases.
• Collaborate broadly with cross-functional teams in software engineering, architecture, DevOps, cybersecurity, data, product management, finance, procurement, and executive leadership.
• Maintain a comprehensive application portfolio including business applications, integrations, SaaS, legacy systems, custom applications, and supporting technologies.
• Define and track KPIs like application availability, performance, technical debt, incident rates, security, support costs, user satisfaction, modernization progress, and ROI.
• Create application roadmaps addressing upgrades, migrations, modernizations, cloud adoption, replacements, consolidations, and retirements.
• Perform detailed assessments of application health, technical debt, business value, dependencies, risks, and maturity.
• Drive rationalization programs to identify redundant, high-risk, or costly applications and deliberate modernization, consolidation, or retirement strategies.
• Coordinate releases, patches, configuration changes, testing, deployment preparation, and operational handovers.
• Implement governance processes addressing ownership, compliance, security, data governance, change control, documentation, licensing, vendor management, and lifecycle decisions.
• Work closely with cybersecurity teams on vulnerabilities, identity & access management, secure development practices, penetration testing, and remediation.
• Optimize hosting environments, cloud infrastructure, CI/CD pipelines, observability, resilience, disaster recovery, backup, scalability, and operational performance with infrastructure and DevOps teams.
• Manage relationships with service providers, vendors, integrators, consultants, including contracts, SLAs, licensing, performance reviews, and escalations.
• Oversee budgets, licensing, cloud spend, support contracts, modernization initiatives, consulting services, and total cost ownership.
• Prepare business cases for modernization, cloud migration, automation, consolidation, and strategic technology investments.
• Ensure compliance with UAE regulations regarding cybersecurity, data protection, technology standards, audits, and governance.
• Develop strategies for application continuity and resilience including disaster recovery, business continuity, recovery objectives, and operational risk management.
• Lead digital transformation utilizing AI-assisted monitoring, predictive incident management, automated testing, intelligent code analysis, application analytics, AIOps, and lifecycle automation.
• Leverage tools including ServiceNow, Jira, Azure DevOps, GitHub, GitLab, Microsoft 365, Power BI, Tableau, AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, Kubernetes, Terraform, CI/CD platforms, observability tools, CMDB, IT service management, and application portfolio platforms.
• Establish documentation standards covering architecture, dependencies, ownership, operations, security, data flows, and lifecycle status.
• Generate executive reports and dashboards on application portfolio health, modernization, technology risk, costs, vendor performance, and strategic recommendations.
• Lead and mentor application managers, technical leads, analysts, engineers, service management specialists and cross-functional teams fostering innovation, accountability, security, and continuous improvement.

Candidate Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, IT, Software Engineering, Information Systems, Business Technology, or related field.
• Master's degree in IT, Computer Science, Business Administration, or Technology Management is a strong advantage.
• Preferred professional certifications include ITIL, PMP, COBIT, TOGAF, AWS, Microsoft Azure, or related technology management credentials.
• A minimum of 5 years’ experience in application management, software lifecycle, IT service management or related fields.
• At least 2 years managing application portfolios, lifecycle programs, modernization efforts, or multidisciplinary teams preferred.
• Proficient understanding of ALM, enterprise architecture, software development, DevOps, cloud, cybersecurity, ITSM, application rationalization, technical debt, and governance.
• Hands-on experience with ServiceNow, Jira, Azure DevOps, GitHub, GitLab, Microsoft 365, Power BI, Tableau, AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, Kubernetes, Terraform, CI/CD, observability and asset management systems.
• Familiarity with AI-driven application monitoring, AIOps, automated testing, predictive incident management, intelligent code analysis, cloud optimization, and lifecycle automation preferred.
• Strong leadership, analytical, communication, stakeholder management, vendor, project, financial, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Capability to assess application portfolios from technical, financial, security, compliance, and business value perspectives.
• Deep knowledge of application security, data protection, resilience, disaster recovery, change/configuration management, quality assurance, and technology risk.
• Ability to juggle multiple initiatives balancing business needs, technical debt, security, operational continuity, budgets, vendors, users, modernization, and strategy.
• Experience working effectively with remote, distributed teams across various technology and business functions; occasional travel for workshops, meetings, audits, and milestones as required.

What We Provide

• Entirely remote work setup with flexible collaboration across global teams in diverse technology and business areas.
• Competitive pay structure incorporating performance incentives.
• Comprehensive health and wellness benefits.
• Opportunities for professional advancement and technology leadership growth.
• Access to cutting-edge AI-driven application management tools, AIOps, predictive analytics, cloud modernization, automation, and DevSecOps platforms.
• A collaborative culture dedicated to technology excellence, innovation, security, operational resilience, business alignment, and ongoing improvement.
• A chance to impact enterprise application strategy by enhancing value, lowering technical debt, boosting resilience, and accelerating digital transformation.