Head of R&D

Valsoft Corporation; Basildon; Hybrid; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading aviation technology firm in Basildon is seeking an accomplished R&D Leader to oversee research and development initiatives across the EMEA region. The successful candidate will manage cross-functional teams, drive innovation in software architecture, and shape the product roadmap. Ideal candidates will have over 8 years of software development experience, strong leadership, and a background in aviation software. This strategic role offers competitive benefits with hybrid or remote working flexibility.

Benefits

Strategic leadership role

Opportunity to shape aviation software solutions

Global collaboration with top-tier teams

Competitive benefits

Growth-oriented environment

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in software development, with at least 3 years in technical leadership or R&D management.
• Strong background in enterprise software development, preferably in aviation or logistics.
• Experience implementing Agile, Scrum, or Lean methodologies at scale.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage R&D teams across multiple EMEA locations.
• Drive innovation and technical excellence in software architecture.
• Collaborate with Product Management to define the product roadmap.

Skills

Software development

Technical leadership

Cloud architectures

Communication skills

Project management

Agile methodologies

AI in software development

Education

Bachelor’s or master’s degree in computer science, engineering, or a related field

Tools

DevOps

CI/CD pipelines

SaaS architectures

Job description

We are seeking an accomplished R&D Leader to oversee the strategic and operational direction of research and development initiatives within our Aviation software division across the EMEA region. The successful candidate will lead cross‑functional engineering and product teams to drive innovation, quality, and scalability across a portfolio of aviation software solutions. You will play a pivotal role in shaping the product roadmap, optimizing R&D processes, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement and technical excellence.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage R&D teams across multiple EMEA locations, ensuring alignment with business goals, product strategy, and engineering priorities.
• Drive innovation and technical excellence in software architecture, product delivery, and engineering execution.
• Collaborate with Product Management to define the product roadmap and long‑term technology vision, ensuring engineering and product decisions are aligned.
• Oversee the full software development lifecycle (SDLC) and product delivery lifecycle, ensuring timelines, budgets, technical quality, and product outcomes are met.
• Establish and monitor key performance metrics (KPIs) for both engineering performance (quality, velocity, reliability) and product impact (adoption, delivery success).
• Promote best practices in agile product development, engineering workflows, testing, and release management.
• Partner with cross‑functional leaders (Operations, Sales, Support, Product) to ensure seamless delivery of customer‑focused product and platform solutions.
• Identify emerging technologies and trends relevant to aviation software and apply them strategically across both product and engineering.
• Build, mentor, and develop high‑performing engineering teams, fostering a culture of collaboration and innovation, accountability, and collaboration.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in computer science, engineering, or a related field.
• 8+ years of experience in software development, with at least 3 years in technical leadership or R&D management.
• Proven track record of leading distributed software engineering teams.
• Strong background in enterprise software development (preferably in aviation, logistics, or mission‑critical systems).
• Deep understanding of cloud architectures, APIs, and modern development frameworks.
• Strong communication, leadership, and decision‑making skills.
• Excellent organizational and project management abilities.
• Ability to translate complex technical concepts into business value.
• Fluency in English; other European languages (especially French or German) are an advantage.
• Experience using AI in software development and delivering AI‑first products.
• Prior experience in the aviation or aerospace software sector.
• Knowledge of DevOps, CI/CD pipelines, and scalable SaaS architectures.
• Experience implementing Agile, Scrum, or Lean methodologies at scale.
• Demonstrated success in driving innovation and delivering measurable results.

Benefits

• Strategic leadership role within a growing international aviation technology division.
• Opportunity to shape next‑generation aviation software solutions.
• Global collaboration with top‑tier technical and business teams.
• Competitive benefits and growth‑oriented environment.
• Hybrid or remote working flexibility across EMEA.