Manager - Software Engineering

Description About NLC Insurance Companies NLC Insurance Companies is a mutual property and casualty insurer serving policyholders and independent agents throughout New England. NLC combines established insurance expertise with continued investment in technology, process improvement, and employee development. Position Summary The Manager of Software Engineering leads NLC’s onshore and offshore software engineering team and is accountable for team development, delivery, quality, and platform performance. This role oversees the Guidewire platform from an application engineering perspective, including production support and escalation, and provides technical direction across the Guidewire ecosystem and its integrations. The Manager serves as NLC’s engineering authority for Guidewire while building technical expertise and capabilities across the team. Essential Duties And Responsibilities Lead and develop the engineering team by setting expectations, documenting goals, conducting quarterly check-ins, coaching employees, addressing performance concerns, and participating in hiring.Establish and enforce development standards, testing practices, code reviews, documentation expectations, and quality benchmarks. Use defect, rework, and delivery trends to identify and address areas for improvement.Oversee the Guidewire platform from an application engineering perspective, including production support standards, support rotations, and escalation procedures.Serve as the escalation point for production issues that exceed the scope of the support rotation or require cross-team coordination and decision-making.Provide architectural direction and technical governance for Guidewire and its integrations, establish standards and patterns, manage technical debt, and maintain appropriate team skill coverage and certifications.Manage offshore and vendor-delivered engineering work, establishing expectations and measurable standards for quality, productivity, and handoffs.Communicate project and operational status, risks, dependencies, and required decisions to IT leadership and business stakeholders.Align engineering capacity with priorities established through the intake and portfolio management processes.Collaborate with Technical Services, PMO, Business Analysis, QA, and Network Security to deliver and support technology solutions.Provide technical recommendations on platform strategy, including Guidewire Cloud evaluation, emerging Guidewire capabilities, and AI-assisted development.Contribute to the annual IT budget and provide input on engineering vendor contracts, statements of work, and tooling decisions.Build team capabilities through mentoring, knowledge transfer, and the Engineering Practice program to reduce reliance on individual resources for Guidewire expertise.Perform other duties as assigned. After-hours availability is required for planned releases and production issues. Work Environment and Availability This is a full-time position based in NLC’s Norwich, Connecticut office and is eligible for NLC’s approved hybrid-work arrangement. Work-location and hybrid-schedule requirements are based on business needs and are subject to change. After-hours participation is required for planned releases, implementations, and significant production events. Equal Employment Opportunity NLC Insurance Companies is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or veteran status. The responsibilities described above represent the general nature and level of work performed in this position and are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties or qualifications. Responsibilities may be adjusted based on business needs and the employee’s qualifications and experience. Requirements Required Qualifications Five or more years of Guidewire InsuranceSuite development experience, including Gosu and Java, with in-depth PolicyCenter configuration and integration experience.Three or more years of experience leading software engineers, including offshore or vendor resources, with accountability for delivery and performance.Guidewire PolicyCenter certification.Property and casualty insurance experience, with an emphasis on personal lines and business owners lines of business.Experience with Agile delivery methodologies and tools, including Git, Jenkins, Jira, and related development tools.Working knowledge of web services, XML, and SQL.Demonstrated ability to communicate project status, risks, and technical direction effectively to leadership and business stakeholders. Preferred Qualifications Guidewire Ace certification or ClaimCenter and BillingCenter certifications.Experience with Guidewire Cloud.Experience developing or supporting consumer-facing and agent-facing portals.Experience with AI-assisted development tools and practices.Bachelor’s degree in computer science, information systems, or a related field. Additional Requirements Ability to work in a full-time position based in Norwich, Connecticut, under NLC’s approved hybrid-work arrangement.Availability to participate in after-hours releases, implementations, and significant production events.