Head of R&D

Valsoft Corporation; Basingstoke; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading aviation software company in the UK is seeking an accomplished R&D Leader to oversee its research and development initiatives. This position involves leading cross-functional teams, shaping the product roadmap, and fostering innovation within the aviation technology division. The ideal candidate will have over 8 years of software development experience, with strong technical and leadership skills. The role offers hybrid working options and opportunities for global collaboration, alongside competitive benefits within a growth-oriented environment.

Benefits

Competitive benefits

Global collaboration with top-tier teams

Hybrid or remote working flexibility

Qualifications

• 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.
• Fluency in English; other European languages (especially French or German) are an advantage.

Responsibilities

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

Skills

Software development

Technical leadership

Communication skills

Project management

Education

Bachelor's or master's degree in computer science, Engineering, or related field

Tools

Cloud architectures

APIs

CI/CD pipelines

Job description

Job Overview

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. This is a leadership position suited for someone who combines deep technical knowledge with strong management and communication skills – someone passionate about building the next generation of aviation software technologies.

Key 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.
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Qualifications

• Bachelor's or master's degree in computer science, Engineering, or 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.

Preferred and Additional Qualifications

• 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.

Head of R&D

We are looking for an experienced and innovative Head of R&D to join our Aviation Group in the EMEA region.

Company Overview

About The Aviation Division Our Aviation group delivers mission-critical software solutions that empower airlines, airports, and aviation service providers to operate efficiently and safely. From maintenance planning and flight operations to compliance and resource management, our products enable customers to optimize performance, reduce costs, and ensure regulatory compliance. As part of a global network of specialized software companies, our aviation teams operate with entrepreneurial agility while benefiting from shared expertise, innovation, and best practices across the wider Valsoft group.

About Valsoft Corp Established in Canada in 2015, Valsoft has grown to a global portfolio of 118+ companies, acquiring and developing vertical market software companies, enabling each business to deliver the best mission-critical solutions for customers in their respective industries. A key tenet of Valsoft's philosophy is to invest in well-established businesses and foster an entrepreneurial environment that moulds companies into leaders in their respective industries.

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Benefits and Opportunities

• 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.
• Ready to join a collaborative and innovative team where you can make an immediate impact?