IT Director, Digital Technologies

About Us We’re not like other insurance companies.
From our specialty products to our business model, our culture to our results — we’re different.
Different is who we are, and how we work, interact, deliver and succeed together.
Creating a different and better insurance experience doesn’t just happen.
It takes focus and a shared passion for going beyond the expected to forge relationships and deliver care that makes a difference.
This approach rises from and is supported by our talented, ethical and smart team of employee owners united around a single purpose: to work alongside our customers and partners when they need us, in unexpected ways, with exceptional results.
Apply today to make a difference with us.
RLI is a Glassdoor Best Places to Work company with a strong, successful background.
For decades, our financial track record has been stellar — a testament to our culture and validation of our reputation as an excellent underwriting company.
Our insurance subsidiaries are rated A+ “Superior” by AM Best company and A “Strong” by Standard & Poor’s.
Check out our strong financial track record here.
As IT Director, Digital, you will be accountable for designing, building and then continuously evolving our customer experience technology solutions that make it intuitive for our customers, agents, and partners to do business with us on a 24x7 basis.
As a business leader, you will bring a cross functional team to deliver ecommerce solutions that drive our revenues.
As an IT leader, you will help test, institutionalize, and then retire technologies in our organization that has adopted a cloud first mentality.
You will use your ambidextrous skills to co-forge business growth for our varied insurance products while creating personal growth for you and your team.
Position Purpose Under general direction, an IT Director is responsible for establishing, leading and communicating strategic and operational direction that delivers business value in alignment with IT and Business strategy for one or more IT areas, platforms and/or complex enterprise systems and processes.
Develops and implements strategies to increase quality, reduce cost and complexity, increase efficiency, and is accountable for decisions associated with various project delivery activities.
Coaches and develops IT professionals to improve performance and prepare for career advancement, makes employment decisions, manages performance, compensation, and reward planning.
Principal Duties & Responsibilities Lead and drive large transformational efforts to improve customer experience through digital solutions.
Assess and reimagine processes to create transformational experiences through digital assets.
Identify specific business opportunities to address business needs or problems and help build effective solutions.
In close partnership with key business stakeholders, provide direct input into long term technology and digital roadmap for RLI.
Lead the exploration and implementation of emerging technologies to enhance the digital experience, such as AI-driven insights, portals, mobile applications, and data analytics.
Ensure that all digital initiatives comply with relevant industry regulations and cybersecurity standards, working closely with compliance and security teams to mitigate risks.
Oversee the development and maintenance of digital platforms, including websites, customer and broker portals, and API-driven integrations, cloud solutions, internal and external collaboration tools ensuring they align with industry best practices and compliance requirements.
Develops business area direction and plans, integrating with Business and IT vision and strategy.
Defines department level goals and metrics using industry knowledge to ensure Company goals are met.
Maintains business relationships with architects and organizational leaders to understand current and emerging business needs.
Provides guidance to direct reports in the delivery of complex projects.
Proactively monitors and manages delivery of projects and programs, removing barriers to delivery and ensuring quality outcomes.
Prepares and delivers comprehensive communications related to project and program activities.
Ensures that talent development and staffing activities are effectively meeting the current and future needs of organization.
Serve as a transformational leader by creating a mindset of innovation in digital teams to serve the evolving needs of the RLI customer and product groups.
Develops, coaches, and motivates others to improve performance and initiates action that prepares senior leaders for future roles.
Education & Experience Requires a bachelor’s degree in an Information Technology or Business discipline or a related field and 5-8 years of experience leading/managing professionals or project delivery.
In lieu of education, 8 or more years of experience is required.
Experience leading project delivery methodologies: waterfall, agile preferred.
Prior P&C insurance experience preferred.
Knowledge, Skills, & Competencies Proven experience in a leadership role within the digital space, preferably in the commercial insurance or financial services industry.
Experience delivering digital solutions that have a direct impact on external and internal customer experience.
Experience in leading and building a change culture with stakeholder management, Operational readiness & buy-in with strong communication.
Excellent problem solving and critical thinking ability with strong understanding of Agile methods Experience building and presenting complex cost benefit analysis to obtain buy in from senior leaders for company investment.
Ability to lead organizations with broad scope, coalescing disparate individual functions into organizational and technical solutions that exceed business needs.
Proven leadership and management skills with the ability to direct and oversee the work of others.
Broad knowledge of IT and systems architecture, which involves understanding the interrelationships of software development, systems engineering, project management, data management, network management, architecture, computer operations.
Ability to effectively work with all levels of IT and business management, contributing to, and influencing quality outcomes.
Critical thinking skills and the ability to balance the long-term "big picture" and short-term implications of decisions.
Experience using quantitative and qualitative analytical skill to solve problems.
Exceptional interpersonal and negotiation skills and abilities to influence others.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills along with formal presentation skills to present a wide range of information to a variety of audiences, internal or external.
Proven ability to develop senior level IT professionals and managers.
Personal & Professional Growth RLI encourages its employees to pursue professional development work in insurance and job-related areas.
We make a commitment to employees to provide educational opportunities that help them enhance their skills and further their career advancement.
RLI fosters a true learning culture and encourages professional growth through insurance courses, in-house training and other educational programs.
RLI covers the cost for most programs and employees typically earn a bonus upon successful completion of approved courses and certifications.
Our personal and professional growth benefits include: Nationwide employment opportunities Training & certification opportunities Tuition reimbursement Education bonuses Diversity & Inclusion Our goal is to attract, develop and retain the best employee talent from diverse backgrounds while promoting an environment where all viewpoints are valued and individuals feel respected, are treated fairly, and have an opportunity to excel in their chosen careers.
We actively support, and participate in, initiatives led by the American Property Casualty Insurance Association that aim to increase diversity in the insurance industry.
Cultivating an exceptional and diverse workforce to deliver excellent customer service reinforces our culture and is a key to achieving superior business results.
RLI is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, citizenship, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.
Total Rewards At RLI, we're all owners.
We hire the best and the brightest employees and allow them to share in the company's success through our Total Rewards.
With the Employee Stock Ownership plan at its core, the Total Rewards program includes all compensation, benefits and perks that come with being an RLI employee.
Financial Incentives Employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) 401(k) — automatic 3% company contribution Annual discretionary 401k and ESOP profit-sharing contribution (up to 15% of base salary) Annual bonus plans Work & Life Paid time off (PTO) and holidays Paid volunteer time off (VTO) to support our communities Parental and family care leave Flexible & hybrid work arrangements Fitness center discounts and free virtual fitness platform Employee assistance program Health & Wellness Comprehensive medical, dental and vision benefits Flexible spending and health savings accounts 2x Base Salary for Group Life and AD&D insurance Voluntary life insurance for purchase Critical Illness & Accident insurance Short-term and long-term disability benefits