Application Engineering Technical Lead - II in Manchester

The technology team at Vanguard is key to the development and running of the European websites, onboarding and servicing of our professional investors. We work with exciting and leading technologies within a microservice architecture including Angular, Node JS, HTML, JavaScript, Java, CSS and infrastructure on Amazon Web Services (AWS), CI/CD best practices and an incline towards test driven development (TDD). You can expect to have a visible role implementing changes to complex processes that are at the center of Vanguard’s technology strategy.

In this role you will:

• Provide expert level technical direction for complex MarTech projects involving AEM, AEP, Adobe Target, and related integrations.
• Lead design, development, and implementation efforts across multiple platforms.
• Lead services and direction, provide technical expertise and complete complex development, design, implementation, architecture design specification, and maintenance activities.
• Ensure the viability of IT deliverables, recommending development options and approving the team's technical deliverables.
• Conduct testing, including functionality, technical limitations, and security.
• Identify potential solutions and approve technical solutions proposed by team members.
• Elevate complex technical issues to IT experts and resolve technical problems discovered by testers and internal clients.
• Respond to and resolve technical issues in a timely manner, research issues and perform root cause analysis.
• Anticipate technology problems and prevent them.
• Work closely with marketing teams, consultants, and technology partners to deliver scalable solutions.
• Communicate technical implications of business requirements and influence decision-making.
• Define and enforce architectural standards, ensuring solutions align with Vanguard’s technology strategy.
• Maintain governance frameworks and documentation for integrations, workflows, and data models.
• Create and maintain detailed technical documentation, including architecture diagrams, integration guides, and operational procedures.
• Ensure documentation is clear, accurate, and accessible.
• Identify opportunities to enhance marketing technology capabilities through new tools, methodologies, and automation.
• Conduct code reviews, testing, and validation to ensure functionality, security, and compliance with IT and Information Security policies.
• Participate in special projects and perform other duties as assigned.

What it takes:

• Proven related work experience including development experience.
• Undergraduate degree or equivalent combination of training and experience although a graduate degree is preferred.
• Experience with Java, JavaScript, HTML, CSS, SQL and modern frameworks.
• Familiarity with microservice architecture, API design, and integration patterns.
• Knowledge of AWS services and cloud-based deployment models.
• Strong understanding of CI/CD pipelines (GitHub), OOP/SOLID, Agile methodologies, and test-driven development.
• Excellent documentation skills and ability to create clear technical standards.
• Preferred expertise in Adobe Experience Manager (AEM), Adobe Experience Platform (AEP), and Adobe Target.
• Preferred experience in Python programming language.
• Strong analytical, verbal, and written communication skills.
• Ability to lead cross-functional teams and manage multiple priorities effectively.

Special Factors:

• Vanguard is not offering sponsorship for this position.
• This is a hybrid position and would require you to work in the office 3 days per week (Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday).

Why Vanguard?

Vanguard is a different kind of investment company. It was founded in the United States in 1975 on a simple but revolutionary idea: that an investment company should manage its funds solely in the interests of its clients. This is a philosophy that has helped millions of people around the world to achieve their goals with low-cost, uncomplicated investments. It's what we stand for: value to investors.

Inclusion Statement:

Vanguard’s continued commitment to diversity and inclusion is firmly rooted in our culture. Every decision we make to best serve our clients, crew (internally employees are referred to as crew), and communities is guided by one simple statement: “Do the right thing.” We believe that a critical aspect of doing the right thing requires building diverse, inclusive, and highly effective teams of individuals who are as unique as the clients they serve. We empower our crew to contribute their distinct strengths to achieving Vanguard’s core purpose through our values. When all crew members feel valued and included, our ability to collaborate and innovate is amplified, and we are united in delivering on Vanguard's core purpose: to take a stand for all investors, to treat them fairly, and to give them the best chance for investment success.

Our commitment to equal employment opportunity:

Vanguard is an equal opportunity employer. Vanguard is committed to providing all crew members a working environment that is free from discrimination, prejudice and bias. Through this Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy, Vanguard reaffirms its commitment to equal employment opportunity for all applicants and crew members without regard to race, color, national origin or ancestry, religion, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, marital status, veteran or military status. In addition, Vanguard prohibits discrimination based on genetic information, as well as any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. Applicants with disabilities may be entitled to reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act and certain state or local laws. A reasonable accommodation is a change in the way things are normally done which will ensure an equal employment opportunity without imposing undue hardship on Vanguard. Please inform if you need assistance completing this application or to otherwise participate in the application process.

How We Work:

Vanguard has implemented a hybrid working model for the majority of our crew members, designed to capture the benefits of enhanced flexibility while enabling in-person learning, collaboration, and connection. We believe our mission-driven and highly collaborative culture is a critical enabler to support long-term client outcomes and enrich the employee experience.