Graco manufactures and markets premium equipment to move, measure, control, dispense and spray a wide variety of fluid and powder materials. What does that mean? Well, we pump peanut butter into your jar, and the oil in your car. We glue the soles of your shoes, the glass in your windows and the screen on your phone. We spray the finish on your vehicle, coatings on your pills, the paint on your house and texture on your walls. Graco is part of your daily life.

The Manager, Application Development will lead our dynamic team of developers and oversee the design, development, and delivery of software solutions that drive business success. This role is ideal for a leader who can blend strong technical expertise with effective team management and project delivery. The Manager, Application Development will work collaboratively with cross-functional teams, ensuring that our applications are reliable, scalable, and meet business requirements while fostering a culture of innovation and continuous improvement.

What You Will Do at Graco

Project Management and Delivery

• Oversee the software development lifecycle from initial requirements gathering and design through development, testing, deployment, and maintenance.

• Collaborate with project managers, business analysts, and stakeholders to prioritize and scope development projects, ensuring timely and high-quality delivery.

• Implement and refine project management methodologies, including agile and waterfall, to optimize project workflow and team productivity.

Application Development Oversight

• Provide hands-on technical expertise and oversight in the design and development of applications, ensuring best practices and code quality.

• Develop, review, and optimize software architecture to enhance application performance, scalability, and maintainability.

• Guide the integration of new technologies and tools to improve development processes and deliver cutting-edge solutions.

Quality Assurance and Compliance

• Establish and enforce coding standards, testing protocols, and best practices to maintain high code quality.

• Ensure applications meet security and compliance requirements, implementing necessary measures to protect data and user privacy.

• Collaborate with QA teams to identify and resolve defects and ensure robust software releases.

Cross-functional Collaboration

• Work closely with other IT teams, including infrastructure, security, and operations, to align development efforts with organizational goals.

• Partner with product management and business stakeholders to align application features and capabilities with business needs.

• Foster relationships across departments to facilitate knowledge sharing and collaboration.

Team Leadership and Financial Management

• Lead, mentor, manage, and staff a team of application developers ensuring alignment with organizational goals and promoting a culture of excellence.

• Drive team performance by setting clear goals, providing ongoing feedback, and facilitating professional growth opportunities.

• Establish, manage, and be accountable for the annual application development budget, ensuring effective allocation of resources and alignment with organizational strategic objectives.

What You Will Bring to Graco

• Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field. MBA or advanced degree preferred.

• 7+ years of experience in software/application development and maintaining complex applications.

• Excellent leadership skills with the ability to manage and inspire a team; 2+ years of team leadership experience preferred.

• Hands-on experience with COTS on-premise ERP, CRM applications and databases (e.g. Oracle EBS, Sales Force, SAP, Oracle Database, Postgres, NoSQL).

• Proficiency in one or more programming languages (e.g., Java, C#, Python, JavaScript).

• Strong understanding of software architecture, design patterns, and development methodologies.

• Experience with modern development frameworks and cloud services (e.g., OCI, AWS, Azure).

• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to make strategic technical decisions.

• Effective time management and organizational skills, with a proven ability to prioritize and deliver projects on schedule.

Accelerators

• Experience in enterprise-level application development or ERP system implementations.

• Familiarity with DevOps practices, CI/CD pipelines, and version control tools (e.g., Git).

• Experience with microservices architecture and containerization technologies (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes).

• Software project management experience.

• Application of Software development life cycle (SDLC) practices and principles.

• Business analysis and/or Project/Program management experience.

At Graco, you truly make a difference. Your unique talents contribute to our organizational growth and future. Not only do you make a difference, but Graco’s culture empowers employees to create their own career path. Whether you choose to advance within your current department or explore new opportunities in different divisions, you have the ability to build your future. Our managers are here to provide support and guidance as you continue to grow within your career.

Graco has excellent opportunities available to individuals who want to be part of a fast-moving, growing company that is committed to quality, innovation and solving fluid handling problems for our customers. Graco is proud to be named a Best Place to Work by Fortune Magazine in 2016, 2018, 2019, 2021 & 2022. Graco offers attractive compensation, benefits and career development opportunities. Graco’s comprehensive benefits include medical, dental, stock purchase plan, 401(k), tuition reimbursement and more.

Our company uses E-Verify to confirm the employment and eligibility of all newly hired employees. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, please visit www.dhs.gov/E-Verify.