Head of Software Engineering

Built on meritocracy, our unique company culture rewards self-starters and those who are committed to doing what is best for our customers. Brown & Brown is seeking a Head of Software Engineering to join our growing team in Plano, TX. We are seeking a talented and experienced Head of Software Engineering to join the Bridge Specialty Group IT organization.

Reporting to the Divisional CIO, this role will own the delivery, quality, and technical execution of our .NET, Azure-hosted application portfolio. The Head of Software Engineering will lead multiple development teams and the QA/Testing function (manual and automated), building high-quality, scalable software while championing Agile/Scrum delivery practices, modern AI-assisted engineering tools, and the development of AI-driven and agentic solutions. This role works closely with the Head of IT Architecture, Product Owners, Enterprise Architecture, Cloud Platform, Security, and business stakeholders to translate architectural direction and business priorities into well‑engineered, reliably delivered software.

How You Will Contribute:

Engineering Leadership & Team Management

Lead, coach, and grow multiple .NET development teams, building a culture of technical excellence, accountability, and continuous improvement. Own the QA/Testing function, including both manual testing and automated test engineering, ensuring quality is built into the delivery lifecycle rather than bolted on at the end. Set clear performance expectations, provide regular feedback, and manage staffing, hiring, and workload allocation across teams. Partner with the Head of IT Architecture to align engineering execution with architectural standards, technology roadmaps, and enterprise direction. Mentor engineering managers, technical leads, and senior engineers, developing bench strength and succession within the organization.

Software Delivery & Agile Practice

Champion Agile/Scrum practices across all development teams, ensuring consistent application of sprint planning, backlog grooming, estimation, retrospectives, and delivery metrics. Partner with Product Owners and Scrum Masters to maintain healthy, well‑prioritized backlogs and predictable release cadences. Establish and monitor engineering delivery metrics (velocity, quality, cycle time, defect rates) and use them to drive continuous improvement. Remove impediments and manage cross‑team dependencies to keep delivery on track. Ensure teams follow sound software engineering practices, including code reviews, branching strategy, and release management.

.NET & Azure Application Engineering

Guide the design, development, and maintenance of .NET applications and services hosted on Microsoft Azure. Ensure engineering teams follow modern software engineering standards for maintainability, scalability, performance, and security. Partner with the Head of IT Architecture and Enterprise Architecture on application architecture, technical design reviews, and modernization roadmaps. Support CI/CD pipelines, Infrastructure as Code, and DevSecOps practices in partnership with the Cloud Platform Engineering team. Oversee technical debt management and prioritize remediation alongside new feature delivery.

AI Enablement & Innovation

Drive adoption of AI-assisted development tools such as Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, and comparable solutions across the SDLC to accelerate coding, code review, testing, and documentation. Establish standards, guardrails, and best practices for the safe, secure, and effective use of AI coding assistants within development and QA workflows. Lead the design and delivery of AI-driven and agentic solutions that integrate into existing platforms (e.g., intelligent automation, autonomous workflow agents, AI-powered features for internal and customer-facing applications). Maintain working familiarity with AI tools, models, and integration patterns, and evaluate how they can be applied to existing platforms and the development process itself. Partner with the Head of IT Architecture and business stakeholders to pilot and scale AI-driven enhancements and agentic solutions responsibly and securely. Educate and upskill engineering and QA teams on practical use of AI in the software development lifecycle, including AI-assisted coding, testing, code review, and agentic development patterns. Track measurable gains in developer productivity and delivery velocity resulting from AI tool adoption.

Application Security & Data Protection

Establish and enforce secure coding standards across all development teams, aligned with OWASP and industry best practices. Integrate Static Application Security Testing (SAST) and Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) into CI/CD pipelines, ensuring vulnerabilities are identified and remediated prior to release. Define and oversee standards for the secure handling, storage, transmission, and masking of PII and PCI data across applications and integrations. Partner with Security and Compliance teams to ensure applications meet regulatory, audit, and data privacy requirements (e.g., PCI-DSS, state privacy laws). Drive remediation of security findings, dependency vulnerabilities, and audit gaps within defined SLAs. Promote a security-first culture across engineering and QA, including secure code review practices and developer security training.

Skills & Experience to be Successful:

Bachelor's degree (or higher) in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent experience.

15+ years of progressive experience in software engineering, including significant experience leading multiple development teams and/or a QA/testing function.

Strong hands‑on background with .NET application development and Microsoft Azure-hosted systems.

Proven experience leading both manual and automated testing/QA functions.

Demonstrated familiarity with Agile/Scrum processes, including sprint planning, backlog management, and Agile delivery metrics.

Working familiarity with AI technologies and demonstrated ability to identify, build, and integrate AI capabilities into existing software platforms, including AI-driven and agentic solutions.

Experience using or rolling out AI-assisted development tools such as Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, or similar solutions to accelerate coding, testing, and other SDLC activities.

Strong people leadership skills, including hiring, coaching, performance management, and team development.

Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to work across technical and business teams.

Experience partnering with architecture, security, and cloud platform teams on enterprise‑aligned solutions.

Strong understanding of secure coding practices, SAST/DAST tooling, and secure CI/CD pipeline integration.

Experience handling PII/PCI data requirements, including secure storage, transmission, masking, and regulatory compliance considerations.

Experience owning production support and incident management for business‑critical applications, including on‑call processes and root‑cause analysis.

Preferred:

• Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related discipline.
• Experience in the insurance or financial services industry.
• Experience with CI/CD pipelines, Infrastructure as Code, and DevSecOps practices.
• Experience with modern AI/ML tooling, generative AI platforms, agentic frameworks, or AI-assisted development and testing tools.
• Azure certifications (e.g., Azure Solutions Architect, Azure Developer) or Scrum/Agile certifications (e.g., CSM, PSM).
• Experience integrating acquired businesses or platforms following mergers and acquisitions.

Teammate Benefits & Total Well-Being

We go beyond standard benefits, focusing on the total well‑being of our teammates, including:

• Health Benefits: Medical/Rx, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, Disability Insurance
• Financial Benefits: ESPP, 401k, Student Loan Assistance, Tuition Reimbursement
• Mental Health & Wellness: Free Mental Health & Enhanced Advocacy Services

Beyond Benefits: Paid Time Off, Holidays, Preferred Partner Discounts and more. Not reflective of all benefits. Enrollment waiting periods or eligibility criteria may apply to certain benefits. Benefit details and offerings may vary for subsidiary entities or in specific geographic locations.

The Power To Be Yourself

As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we are committed to fostering an inclusive environment comprised of people from all backgrounds, with a variety of experiences and perspectives, guided by our Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging (DIB) motto, "The Power to Be Yourself". We think of ourselves as a team, so we have teammates - not employees. We strive to attract people who are competitive, driven, and disciplined. Built on meritocracy, our unique company culture rewards self-starters and those who are committed to doing what is best for our customers. Founded in 1939 as a small, two-partner firm, Brown & Brown (NYSE: BRO) and our team of companies have grown into one of the world’s largest insurance brokerages while staying true to our foundation of trust, resilience, and delivering results. With a team that is as connected locally as it is globally, our high-performing, highly collaborative team delivers innovative risk and insurance solutions. We look for individuals who embrace our culture, thrive in a collaborative environment, are driven to grow and succeed, and are committed to always doing what is right. With a unique culture built on integrity, superior capabilities and grit, we value teamwork, trust and courage. We think of ourselves as a team, so we have teammates - not employees, and leaders - not managers. Everything we do is about the greater "WE"—never "me." While diverse in abilities and experience, we are all connected through our core values, a commitment to our local communities and a shared mission—always doing what is best for our customers.