Associate Director – Application Development
- Compensation
- Not disclosed
- Location
- Chennai, Tamil Nadu, IND
- Work setup
- Onsite
- Seniority
- Not specified
- Employment
- Not specified
- Experience
- Not specified
- Category
- Not specified
- Posted
Skills
Must have
- • Proven leadership experience managing large teams (30+) in a GCC or similar setup.
- • Experience in large-scale retail environments supporting high-volume store operations and omnichannel systems.
- • Expertise in Java, Spring Boot, React/Angular, microservices architectures, and SaaS platforms.
- • Strong background in cloud platforms (Azure/GCP), system modernization, and automation
- • Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills with ability to engage directly with business teams.
- • Champion of AI-native engineering practices — demonstrated experience driving adoption of AI tools (GitHub Copilot, AI-assisted testing, intelligent code review) as a force multiplier across enginee
- • AI-driven SDLC mindset: proven ability to embed AI tooling across the software development lifecycle to accelerate delivery, improve quality, and amplify team productivity
Nice to have
- • Experience in large-scale retail environments supporting high-volume store operations and omnichannel systems.
- • Direct experience with POS platforms, payment gateways, print/kiosk systems, or retail services platforms
- • Exposure to merchandising systems
- • Proven track record of modernizing legacy retail systems to cloud-native architectures
- • Experience leading QA automation, CI/CD adoption, and quality engineering practices at scale.
- • Familiarity with AI-driven engineering practices and working with vendors/partners in retail ecosystems
Full description
This role is part of the global IT organization and
will be instrumental in driving the evolution of Staples US Retail technology
capabilities. The leader will oversee teams responsible for development,
support, enhancements, and new initiatives across multiple product PODs
spanning – Print, Transaction & Payment systems, Tech Services,
Merchandising systems, QA & Automation engineering, Data team operations.
The Associate Director will lead and scale the
India-based US Retail GCC engineering team (20-50+ members), ensuring
seamless collaboration with US-based engineering managers, architects, quality
assurance and business stakeholders. This role requires a strong leader with
excellent people leadership skills, technical expertise, delivery management,
and strategic & future thinking focus.
Key ResponsibilitiesStrategic Leadership
- Lead and scale the India-based team (50+ members)
within the GCC.
- Align technology strategy with Retail Systems,
Business & IT objectives.
- Drive modernization of legacy systems and adoption of
scalable, cloud-native platforms.
- Contribute towards budget and financial decisions
related to cloud, vendor and resource costs.
- Use AI and data strategically for accurate decisions
around project ROI.
- Accelerate organizational growth by driving
innovation, advancing new development capabilities, and embedding continuous
improvement programs
Functional Oversight
- Oversee systems supporting:
– **Print
& Copy Systems - **In-store and self-service print workflow platforms.
Order capture, pricing, job orchestration, and fulfillment integration.
High-availability store execution and queue management
– **Transaction
& Payment Systems - **Point-of-Sale (POS) transaction integration &
publishing services. PCI-compliant payment flows across card, gift card, and
alternative tenders. Integration with enterprise payment gateways
– **Retail
Technology Services - **Technology services selling platforms (device
setup, protection plans, warranties). Integration with vendor systems and
service delivery partners.