R&D Global Director

This position is listed on behalf of a partner company, who manages all applications and next steps. Our partner is looking for an R&D Global Director based in Canada.

As the R&D Global Director, you will lead a globally distributed software development organization, driving engineering excellence and delivering high-quality enterprise software solutions.
You will oversee multiple engineering teams, guiding technical strategy, project execution, and platform modernization while aligning development priorities with business objectives and customer commitments.
Combining deep technical knowledge with strategic leadership, you will strengthen engineering processes, improve delivery predictability, and promote a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.
You will work closely with cross-functional stakeholders across quality assurance, DevOps, IT, and professional services to ensure seamless collaboration and reliable product delivery.
This role offers the opportunity to influence the long-term technology roadmap, modernize complex enterprise platforms, and implement scalable engineering practices.
You will mentor engineering leaders, develop global talent, and foster a high-performing environment built on innovation, technical quality, and operational efficiency.
If you are an experienced technology leader passionate about enterprise software, organizational transformation, and building successful international teams, this position offers an opportunity to make a lasting impact on digital government solutions.

Accountabilities:

• Lead and manage a global Java software development organization, providing strategic direction, operational oversight, and accountability across multiple engineering teams, managers, technical leads, and individual contributors.
• Oversee the design, development, modernization, and delivery of enterprise software solutions, ensuring alignment with customer commitments, business priorities, technical standards, and product roadmaps.
• Establish and execute engineering strategies that balance immediate delivery requirements with long-term platform modernization, architectural improvements, and sustainable technology investments.
• Guide technical architecture and engineering decisions across Java-based enterprise applications, evaluating design approaches, technology trade-offs, system dependencies, and modernization opportunities.
• Drive improvements in engineering productivity, software quality, build stability, release reliability, and delivery predictability through effective processes, standards, automation, and governance.
• Manage multiple concurrent development initiatives, allocating resources effectively, resolving competing priorities, and maintaining transparency around project progress, risks, and delivery commitments.
• Establish and strengthen software engineering practices aligned with Agile methodologies and CMMI Level 2 or higher frameworks, ensuring consistent execution, quality assurance, and process maturity.
• Define and monitor engineering performance indicators to identify bottlenecks, address technical debt, improve development efficiency, and support data-driven decision-making.
• Lead organizational transformation initiatives, introducing modern technologies, improved workflows, and engineering practices while maintaining continuity of ongoing software delivery.
• Foster collaboration across R&D, Professional Services, Quality Assurance, DevOps, IT, and other business functions to ensure coordinated planning, effective communication, and successful product delivery.
• Coach, mentor, and develop engineering managers and technical leaders, strengthening leadership capabilities, clarifying accountability, and building a high-performing global organization.
• Communicate technical strategies, delivery performance, operational challenges, and modernization plans to senior leadership and other stakeholders, translating complex engineering matters into clear business implications.
• Promote a culture of technical excellence, ownership, professional development, continuous learning, and constructive collaboration across geographically distributed teams.
• Ensure that software development practices support the reliability, security, performance, and compliance requirements of enterprise solutions serving public-sector organizations.
• Maintain a strong understanding of evolving software engineering practices and emerging technologies to guide the organization's long-term technical direction.

Requirements:

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• At least 10 years of professional Java software development experience, including substantial leadership or management experience. The original posting specifies a minimum of 5 years in one section and 10 years in another, so candidates should be prepared to demonstrate significant senior-level leadership experience.
• Proven success leading complex software delivery initiatives in large-scale enterprise environments, with responsibility for multiple teams, delivery schedules, quality standards, and technical outcomes.
• Demonstrated experience managing geographically distributed engineering organizations across multiple time zones, cultures, and locations.
• Strong expertise in Java, Spring Framework and related ecosystem technologies, Spring Boot, REST APIs, and enterprise application development.
• Experience with front-end technologies such as JSF/MyFaces, React, or comparable frameworks.
• Solid understanding of relational and NoSQL databases, SQL, and object-relational mapping technologies, including Hibernate and JPA.
• Familiarity with cloud platforms such as AWS, Microsoft Azure, and/or Google Cloud Platform, alongside containerization technologies such as Docker and Kubernetes.
• Strong knowledge of software architecture, enterprise integration patterns, and monolithic, microservices-based, and event-driven architectures.
• Experience with Agile and Scrum methodologies, supported by tools such as Jira, Confluence, and Git.
• Understanding of DevOps practices, continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD), infrastructure automation, source control strategies, automated testing, code reviews, build systems, and release management.
• Familiarity with the IT infrastructure and operational requirements that support complex enterprise application platforms.
• Ability to evaluate architectural approaches, engineering designs, and technology trade-offs while providing technical guidance without needing to act as the primary hands-on developer.
• Experience working with mature enterprise software systems involving legacy technologies, complex dependencies, technical debt, and ongoing modernization initiatives.
• Demonstrated experience managing projects aligned with CMMI Level 2 or higher, or comparable structured software development and process improvement frameworks.
• Proven ability to manage multiple concurrent projects, balance competing priorities, and maintain delivery commitments while supporting long-term product and technology objectives.
• Experience establishing engineering standards, development processes, quality controls, testing strategies, defect management practices, and performance metrics.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to identify systemic engineering challenges, resolve delivery bottlenecks, and implement sustainable improvements.
• Excellent leadership, organizational, and interpersonal skills, including the ability to motivate teams, coach managers, develop talent, and foster accountability.
• Strong executive communication and presentation skills, with the ability to explain complex technical and operational issues to senior stakeholders.
• Proven ability to influence stakeholders, build consensus, resolve cross-functional conflicts, and align engineering decisions with customer expectations and business goals.
• Sound judgment, resilience, adaptability, and effective decision-making in complex, fast-paced environments.
• Experience leading organizational change and securing adoption of new engineering processes, technologies, and working practices.
• A collaborative and inclusive leadership style, with the ability to establish clarity in ambiguous situations and build effective relationships across diverse global teams.

Benefits:

• Remote work flexibility: A remote, full-time opportunity open to candidates across North America, with the role described as globally oriented.
• Leadership and strategic influence: The opportunity to shape engineering strategy, influence architectural direction, and guide the evolution of enterprise software platforms.
• Global collaboration: Work with geographically distributed engineering teams and cross-functional stakeholders across multiple disciplines.
• Professional growth: Opportunities to deepen expertise in enterprise Java architectures, cloud technologies, DevOps, Agile delivery, and engineering transformation.
• Organizational impact: Lead initiatives that improve software quality, operational efficiency, delivery predictability, and long-term platform sustainability.
• Meaningful mission: Contribute to digital government solutions that support transparency, accountability, and effective management of public resources worldwide.
• People development: Build leadership capabilities across the organization by mentoring engineering managers, developing technical talent, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
• Inclusive workplace: Join an employer committed to workforce diversity, equal opportunity, and accommodating candidates' needs throughout the recruitment process in accordance with applicable employment legislation.
• Compensation and additional benefits: Salary, healthcare coverage, bonuses, retirement benefits, and other specific compensation details are not disclosed in the available job posting.