Director of Application Engineering at First American

Santa Ana, California, United States

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Not SpecifiedCompensation

Senior (5 to 8 years), Expert & Leadership (9+ years)Experience Level

Full TimeJob Type

UnknownVisa

Technology, Financial ServicesIndustries

Requirements

Strategic leadership in application sustainment and modernization for 200-250 enterprise and proprietary apps in AWS
Ability to partner with Platform and Operations Directors to align build vs. run ownership models and drive automation-based efficiency gains
Experience developing and managing quarterly objectives (OKRs) aligned to cost, compliance, and availability targets
Leadership in engineering participation for app intake, migration readiness, and sustainment transitions
Representation of application development at enterprise governance and audit reviews
Oversight of engineering managers and developers embedded within sustainment and modernization pods
Expertise in CI/CD pipelines, version control, and secure deployment frameworks (e.g., GitHub Actions, Terraform, Liquibase)
Knowledge of codebase quality and standardization across legacy and modern app stacks (e.g., AngularJS, ReactJS, Python, .NET, C#, COTS customizations)
Experience championing reusable modules, IaC patterns, and modernization accelerators (e.g., containerization, API gateways)
Alignment to compliance control library (e.g., code signing, vulnerability scanning, TLS 1.2+)
Partnership with Platform Director on Terraform/IaC integration, AWS architecture, and patch readiness
Collaboration with Ops Director on incident triage, observability (e.g., Kibana/StatusCast/XMatters), and defect management
Collaboration with Governance Director for code and configuration audit readiness
Contribution to unified dashboards for executive metrics and SLA compliance reporting
Management of 3–4 Engineering Managers and 5–6 onshore application sustainment pods, partnering with offshore leadership/teams
Establishment of technical mentorship programs and career paths for engineers and pod leads
Driving culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and automation-first mindset
Support for upskilling to drive removal of application SMEs

Responsibilities

Provide strategic and operational leadership over all application engineering and modernization functions within Sentinels
Oversee multiple pods responsible for sustaining proprietary and legacy applications, ensuring secure CI/CD pipelines, driving modernization readiness, and embedding developers within sustainment teams to reduce risk and improve velocity
Collaborate closely with peers across Platform & Cloud Infrastructure, Operations & Support, Service Delivery & Governance, and internal partners in Foundational Services, Cloud and Server Engineering to deliver a unified, SLA-driven managed service experience
Define and execute the application sustainment and modernization strategy for 200-250 enterprise and proprietary apps in AWS
Partner with Platform and Operations Directors to align build vs. run ownership models and drive automation-based efficiency gains
Develop and manage quarterly objectives (OKRs) for application engineering aligned to Sentinels’ cost, compliance, and availability targets
Lead engineering participation in app intake, migration readiness, and sustainment transitions
Represent application development at enterprise governance and audit reviews
Lead engineering managers and developers embedded within sustainment and modernization pods
Oversee CI/CD pipelines, version control, and secure deployment frameworks (GitHub Actions, Terraform, Liquibase, etc.)
Drive codebase quality and standardization across legacy and modern app stacks (AngularJS, ReactJS, Python, .NET, C#, COTS customizations, etc.)
Champion reusable modules, IaC patterns, and modernization accelerators (containerization, API gateways, etc.)
Maintain alignment to compliance control library (e.g., code signing, vulnerability scanning, TLS 1.2+)
Partner with the Platform Director on Terraform/IaC integration, AWS architecture, and patch readiness
Work with the Ops Director on incident triage, observability (Kibana/StatusCast/XMatters), and defect management
Collaborate with the Governance Director to ensure code and configuration audit readiness
Contribute to unified dashboards for executive metrics and SLA compliance reporting
Manage 3–4 Engineering Managers and 5–6 onshore application sustainment pods and partner closely with offshore leadership/teams
Establish technical mentorship programs and career paths for engineers and pod leads
Drive culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and automation-first mindset
Support upskilling to drive removal of application SMEs

Skills

Key technologies and capabilities for this role

CI/CDApplication ModernizationLegacy SystemsPlatform EngineeringCloud InfrastructureSLA ManagementDevOpsSecure HostingTeam LeadershipStrategic Planning

Questions & Answers

Common questions about this position

Is this position remote-friendly?

Yes, remote work is welcome for this role.

What is the salary or compensation for the Director of Application Engineering role?

This information is not specified in the job description.

What technical skills and technologies are required for this position?

The role requires oversight of CI/CD pipelines using GitHub Actions, Terraform, and Liquibase, along with experience in app stacks including AngularJS, ReactJS, Python, .NET, C#, and COTS customizations.

What is the company culture like at First American?

First American has a people-first culture that fosters an inclusive environment where employees feel welcome, supported, and empowered to innovate, earning accolades like the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For for ten years.

What makes a strong candidate for this Director of Application Engineering role?

A strong candidate will have experience providing strategic leadership for application sustainment and modernization of 200-250 enterprise apps in AWS, leading engineering managers and developers, and partnering across platform, operations, and cloud teams.

First American

Provides title insurance and real estate services

About First American

First American provides title insurance, specialty insurance, and various real estate-related services. Their title insurance protects homebuyers and property owners from potential ownership disputes and financial losses related to real estate transactions. The company offers a platform called myFirstAm®, which allows users to access property information, manage orders, and streamline the closing process from any device. Unlike many competitors, First American has a vast database of property data, with over 5.5 billion document images, making it a leading provider of real estate data solutions. The company's goal is to facilitate smooth real estate transactions while ensuring that clients' investments are protected.

Santa Ana, CaliforniaHeadquarters

1889Year Founded

$800.2MTotal Funding

VENTURE_UNKNOWNCompany Stage

Financial Services, Real EstateIndustries

10,001+Employees

Benefits

401k matching

Health, vision, dental insurance

Professional development

Risks

Data breach allegations could harm First American's reputation and lead to legal issues.

Integration of Mother Lode may face challenges and financial risks.

Dependence on digital transformation poses risks if technology advances rapidly.

Differentiation

First American offers comprehensive title insurance and settlement services nationwide.

The company provides a vast database of over 5.5 billion document images.

First American's digital platform, myFirstAm®, enhances real estate transaction efficiency.

Upsides

Acquisition of Mother Lode expands First American's market share in California.

Docutech purchase boosts First American's digital mortgage revenue by 38%.

Growing fintech trends align with First American's digital transformation strategy.

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