Managing Director

Michael Illert Executive Recruitment; Randstad; Hybrid; EUR 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Performance linked compensation

Optional equity-like participation

Job summary

A leading recruitment agency is seeking a Managing Director for a strategic business unit in the Netherlands. This role entails full accountability for commercial growth, delivery success, and people leadership within an established ecosystem. The ideal candidate will have a strong IT services background, proven sales leadership experience, and the ability to engage with both technical and executive stakeholders. The position offers autonomy, the chance to shape future strategies, and hybrid working options.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in software delivery or managed services.
• Ability to engage technical and executive stakeholders.
• Experience in tendering and enterprise account development.

Responsibilities

• Own the commercial strategy for the business unit.
• Lead complex enterprise sales cycles.
• Oversee delivery across software engineering teams.
• Build and manage a scalable operating rhythm across delivery, governance, and performance.
• Collaborate with peer directors in a cell-based ecosystem to orchestrate capabilities.

Skills

Commercial drive

Sales leadership

Relationship management

IT services knowledge

Tendering

Autonomy

Job description

Our client is a successful and fast growing IT services group. The are looking for a Managing Director to lead and scale one of its strategic business units. The unit operates at the intersection of enterprise software delivery, migration services, and modern delivery models. The business already has a strong client base and a credible track record, and is now ready for its next growth phase under new leadership.

This is a genuine end to end leadership role with full accountability for commercial growth, delivery success, people leadership, and operational governance. You will operate with significant autonomy and act as the legal director, supported by a broader group ecosystem with shared capabilities, processes, and an established reputation in the market.

The Role

As Managing Director, you will take full ownership of the business unit and lead its continued development and expansion. Your responsibilities include:

Commercial leadership and growth

• Own and drive the commercial strategy, including pipeline and key account development
• Lead complex enterprise sales cycles and long lead time engagements
• Translate technical propositions into compelling, business oriented storytelling

Tender and bid leadership

• Take ownership of high value tenders and multi year engagements
• Coordinate internal stakeholders and contributors to deliver winning proposals
• Strengthen bid discipline, governance, and quality

Service delivery and client success

• Oversee delivery across software engineering teams and international migration services
• Ensure consistent delivery quality, client satisfaction, and long term retention
• Build a scalable operating rhythm across delivery, governance, and performance

People and ecosystem leadership

• Lead and develop your own team and internal staffing model
• Orchestrate delivery capabilities across the group’s business units
• Work collaboratively with peer directors in a cell based ecosystem model

Governance and operational responsibility

• Own the P&L and operational performance of the unit
• Ensure strong financial oversight and contractual governance
• Act as BV director with autonomy within agreed budget and governance boundaries

What We Are Looking For

We are looking for a leader who combines commercial drive with delivery maturity, and who enjoys building a business.

You bring

• A strong background in IT services, software delivery, or managed services
• Credibility to engage both technical and executive stakeholders
• Proven experience with sales leadership, enterprise account development, and tendering
• A collaborative, relationship driven style, able to succeed in a multi unit ecosystem
• An entrepreneurial mindset: self starting, accountable, and comfortable with autonomy

You do not need to be a software developer, but you must have enough IT understanding to represent the business credibly and translate technical value into business outcomes.

Why This Opportunity Is Interesting

• You will lead a strategic business unit with real momentum and existing revenue
• You will build on a strong enterprise client base and a group level footprint
• You will have autonomy, ownership, and the chance to shape the unit’s future
• You will be supported by an established ecosystem of delivery and specialist capabilities
• The role can include performance linked compensation and optional equity like participation

Location and Language

The Netherlands is strongly preferred, ideally Randstad for collaboration and stakeholder proximity. Hybrid working is possible. English is the working language. You should be able to read Dutch documentation and contracts when needed.