IT Director – Modernization

Associated Wholesale Grocers

IT Director leading modernization initiatives at AWG, overseeing a team to transition legacy applications to modern cloud architecture. Focused on strategic IT projects that enhance business operations.

Posted 7/8/2026full-timeKansas City • Kansas • 🇺🇸 United StatesLeadWebsite

Tech Stack

Tools & technologies

AzureCloudJavaMicroservicesSDLCSpringSpring BootSpringBoot

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Formulate and execute a multi-year modernization roadmap, aligning the transition from legacy systems to Azure/Java Spring Boot within the broader scope of organization business goals and initiatives.
Define the architectural and technical vision for the cloud-native environment, driving the adoption of microservices, modern CI/CD patterns, and data migration strategies.
Act as a strategic advisor to executive leadership, translating complex technical modernization milestones, risks, and dependencies into business-oriented updates.
Direct team leaders and contributors to ensure predictable, high-quality delivery of modernized applications.
Establish standards across the software development lifecycle (SDLC), ensuring robust testing frameworks, automated deployments, and code quality in the new Java ecosystem.
Mitigate delivery risk by identifying technical debt, data integrity gaps, and legacy dependencies early, ensuring zero disruption to core business operations during cutovers.
Own the operational stability and performance of transitioned applications and Azure’s cloud environment and develop teammates to recognize and resolve issues.
Implement robust ITIL-aligned service management practices to handle incident, problem, and change management effectively across hybrid environments.
Define and monitor strict SLAs for system uptime, application performance, and cloud resource utilization, driving a culture of continuous operational improvement.
Manage departmental capital and operational budgets.
Manage vendor relationships and statements of work (SOWs), effectively leveraging onshore, offshore, and third-party system integrators to maximize ROI and delivery velocity.
Optimize total cost of ownership (TCO) in Azure, driving practices to ensure the new Java Spring Boot applications are architected for cost-efficiency.

Requirements

What you’ll need

Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Information Systems, related technical degree and/or equivalent technical expertise or experience
10+ years of proven progressive performance in IT, with strong Development and Solution Delivery foundation.
5+ years management experience, including business relationship management and vendor/contract management
Proven track record of transitioning legacy applications to modern cloud-native architectures.
Technical literacy in Microsoft Azure ecosystem and modern services architecture utilizing Jave and Spring Boot.
Demonstrated experience in vendor management and strategic resource planning
Stakeholder management and communication skills, with the ability to bidirectionally translate technical roadmaps and business value.

Benefits

Comp & perks

Medical, Dental, & Vision Insurance
Health Savings Account
Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account
Paid Vacation, Holiday, and Sick Time
401(k) with 4% match along with 3 other contributions
Tuition Reimbursement
Basic & Supplemental Life and AD&D
Employee Assistance Program
Short-Term and Long-Term Disability
Wellness Program
Yearly Holiday Bonus

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills & Tools

Cloud-Native ArchitectureCI/CD PatternsData Migration StrategiesSoftware Development Lifecycle (SDLC)Automated DeploymentsTechnical Debt MitigationService Level Agreements (SLAs)Operational Budget ManagementCost OptimizationIncident Management

Soft Skills

Strategic AdvisoryTeam LeadershipBusiness Relationship ManagementCommunication Skills

Certifications

Bachelor’s Degree in Computer ScienceInformation Systems