R&D Global Director

Description

As a Development Manager, you will lead our global Java software development organization, providing overall leadership, direction, and accountability across multiple engineering teams. You will manage the design, development, modernization, and timely delivery of high-quality enterprise software solutions, ensuring alignment with customer commitments, business objectives, and technical standards.

This role requires a blend of senior engineering leadership, strategic planning, cross-functional collaboration, and deep operational execution. You will guide geographically distributed teams - including engineering managers, technical leads, and individual contributors - while balancing immediate delivery priorities with long-term engineering and platform modernization.

The ideal candidate will combine hands-on technical understanding with extensive leadership experience in enterprise Java architectures, Agile practices, and CMMI process frameworks. You will drive engineering excellence, foster a culture of accountability and continuous improvement, and engage with global stakeholders to support FreeBalance's strategic technology roadmap.

Main Responsibilities:

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Engineering, or a related technical discipline.

• Minimum of 10 years of professional experience in Java software development, including at least 5 years in a leadership or managerial role.

• Demonstrated success leading complex software delivery initiatives in large-scale enterprise environments.

• Proven experience managing geographically distributed engineering teams and working effectively across multiple time zones and cultures.

• Demonstrated ability to combine hands-on technical understanding with senior-level organizational leadership, strategic planning, and delivery accountability.

• Experience leading engineering process improvements, organizational transformation, or modernization initiatives while maintaining ongoing software delivery.

Technical Expertise

• Strong expertise in Java, Spring, Spring ecosystem projects, Spring Boot, REST APIs, and related technologies.

• Experience with front-end technologies, including JSF/MyFaces, React, or similar frameworks, is required.

• Solid understanding of relational and NoSQL database technologies, SQL, and ORM frameworks such as Hibernate and JPA.

• Familiarity with cloud platforms, including AWS, Azure, and/or GCP, and containerization technologies such as Docker and Kubernetes.

• Proven experience with Agile/Scrum methodologies and tools such as JIRA, Confluence, and Git.

• Hands-on understanding of software architecture, REST APIs, and enterprise integration patterns.

• Strong familiarity with the IT infrastructure typically supporting enterprise application architectures.

• Experience with monolithic, microservices, and event-driven software architectures.

• Knowledge of DevOps practices, CI/CD pipelines, infrastructure automation, and modern software delivery tooling.

• Strong understanding of source control, branching strategies, automated testing, code reviews, build systems, and release management practices.

• Ability to evaluate technical architecture, engineering design decisions, and technology trade-offs without needing to serve as the primary hands-on developer.

• Experience working with mature enterprise software platforms involving complex dependencies, legacy technologies, and ongoing modernization requirements.

Delivery, Quality, and Process Management

• Demonstrated experience managing projects aligned with CMMI Level 2 or higher.

• Proven ability to manage multiple concurrent development projects and competing delivery priorities.

• Experience establishing and improving software engineering processes, development standards, and quality controls.

• Strong understanding of software testing strategies, quality assurance, automated testing, and defect management.

• Experience establishing engineering performance metrics and using data to improve delivery predictability, quality, and productivity.

• Demonstrated ability to identify and address systemic engineering challenges, delivery bottlenecks, and technical debt.

• Experience balancing customer-driven development commitments with product roadmap priorities and longer-term technology investments.

Leadership and Interpersonal Skills

• Excellent problem-solving, organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills.

• Demonstrated ability to lead, motivate, coach, and develop engineering teams.

• Strong executive communication skills, including the ability to present complex technical and operational matters to senior leadership.

• Proven ability to influence stakeholders, build consensus, and resolve competing priorities across organizational boundaries.

• Sound judgment, resilience, adaptability, and the ability to remain effective in complex, fast-paced environments.

• Ability to navigate organizational ambiguity, establish clarity, and drive accountability through constructive collaboration.

• Strong decision-making skills, with the ability to balance technical quality, delivery urgency, customer commitments, and business objectives.

• Experience leading organizational change and gaining adoption of new engineering practices, processes, and technologies.

• Ability to work effectively with geographically distributed teams and diverse stakeholders.

What Success Looks Like

The successful candidate will establish and sustain a high-performing global Development organization that consistently delivers reliable, high-quality enterprise software while advancing engineering maturity and modernization.

Key outcomes include:

• Predictable and transparent software delivery aligned with customer and business commitments.

• Strong engineering leadership, clearly defined accountability, and effective collaboration across global teams.

• Measurable improvements in software quality, development efficiency, build stability, and release reliability.

• Sustainable engineering practices supported by appropriate standards, automation, and governance.

• Effective management of competing priorities, technical debt, and complex enterprise delivery requirements.

• Continued modernization of the technology platform and engineering capabilities without compromising customer delivery.

• Strong partnerships across R&D, Professional Services, QA, DevOps, IT, and other business functions.

• A culture of technical excellence, ownership, professional development, and continuous improvement.

Requirements

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• Minimum of 10 years of professional experience in Java software development, including at least 10 years in a leadership or managerial role.
• Demonstrated success leading complex software delivery initiatives in large-scale enterprise environments.
• Proven experience managing geographically distributed engineering teams and working effectively across multiple time zones and cultures.
• Demonstrated ability to combine hands-on technical understanding with senior-level organizational leadership, strategic planning, and delivery accountability.
• Experience leading engineering process improvements, organizational transformation, or modernization initiatives while maintaining ongoing software delivery.

• Technical Expertise

• Strong expertise in Java, Spring, Spring ecosystem projects, Spring Boot, REST APIs, and related technologies.

• Experience with front-end technologies, including JSF/MyFaces, React, or similar frameworks, is required.

• Solid understanding of relational and NoSQL database technologies, SQL, and ORM frameworks such as Hibernate and JPA.

• Familiarity with cloud platforms, including AWS, Azure, and/or GCP, and containerization technologies such as Docker and Kubernetes.

• Proven experience with Agile/Scrum methodologies and tools such as JIRA, Confluence, and Git.

• Hands-on understanding of software architecture, REST APIs, and enterprise integration patterns.

• Strong familiarity with the IT infrastructure typically supporting enterprise application architectures.

• Experience with monolithic, microservices, and event-driven software architectures.

• Knowledge of DevOps practices, CI/CD pipelines, infrastructure automation, and modern software delivery tooling.

• Strong understanding of source control, branching strategies, automated testing, code reviews, build systems, and release management practices.

• Ability to evaluate technical architecture, engineering design decisions, and technology trade-offs without needing to serve as the primary hands-on developer.

• Experience working with mature enterprise software platforms involving complex dependencies, legacy technologies, and ongoing modernization requirements.

• Delivery, Quality, and Process Management

• Demonstrated experience managing projects aligned with CMMI Level 2 or higher.

• Proven ability to manage multiple concurrent development projects and competing delivery priorities.

• Experience establishing and improving software engineering processes, development standards, and quality controls.

• Strong understanding of software testing strategies, quality assurance, automated testing, and defect management.

• Experience establishing engineering performance metrics and using data to improve delivery predictability, quality, and productivity.

• Demonstrated ability to identify and address systemic engineering challenges, delivery bottlenecks, and technical debt.

• Experience balancing customer-driven development commitments with product roadmap priorities and longer-term technology investments.

• Leadership and Interpersonal Skills

• Excellent problem-solving, organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills.

• Demonstrated ability to lead, motivate, coach, and develop engineering teams.

• Strong executive communication skills, including the ability to present complex technical and operational matters to senior leadership.

• Proven ability to influence stakeholders, build consensus, and resolve competing priorities across organizational boundaries.

• Sound judgment, resilience, adaptability, and the ability to remain effective in complex, fast-paced environments.

• Ability to navigate organizational ambiguity, establish clarity, and drive accountability through constructive collaboration.

• Strong decision-making skills, with the ability to balance technical quality, delivery urgency, customer commitments, and business objectives.

• Experience leading organizational change and gaining adoption of new engineering practices, processes, and technologies.

• Ability to work effectively with geographically distributed teams and diverse stakeholders.

• What Success Looks Like
• The successful candidate will establish and sustain a high-performing global Development organization that consistently delivers reliable, high-quality enterprise software while advancing engineering maturity and modernization.
• Key outcomes include:
• Predictable and transparent software delivery aligned with customer and business commitments.
• Strong engineering leadership, clearly defined accountability, and effective collaboration across global teams.
• Measurable improvements in software quality, development efficiency, build stability, and release reliability.
• Sustainable engineering practices supported by appropriate standards, automation, and governance.
• Effective management of competing priorities, technical debt, and complex enterprise delivery requirements.
• Continued modernization of the technology platform and engineering capabilities without compromising customer delivery.
• Strong partnerships across R&D, Professional Services, QA, DevOps, IT, and other business functions.
• A culture of technical excellence, ownership, professional development, and continuous improvement.

Skills:

FreeBalance solutions support governments around the world in achieving transparency, accountability, and effective management of public resources. The reliability, security, and performance of these solutions directly influence how public sector organizations manage budgets, finances, human resources, procurement, and performance reporting.

As a Development Manager, you will play a critical role in shaping the architectural backbone, leadership structure, and core execution of our product delivery. By leading a dedicated, globally distributed engineering organization and maintaining high technical and process standards, your work will directly ensure that powerful, secure, and compliant capabilities are delivered seamlessly, contributing to customer satisfaction and the continued global evolution of FreeBalance's digital government platform.

We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted. FreeBalance is an inclusive employer dedicated to building a diverse workforce to increase the representation of the designated groups based on each country's legislation. We encourage applications from all qualified candidates and will accommodate applicants' needs under the respective labour law throughout all stages of the recruitment process.

Compensation

Additional Information

We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted. FreeBalance is an inclusive employer dedicated to building a diverse workforce to increase the representation of the designated groups based on each country’s legislation. We encourage applications from all qualified candidates and will accommodate applicants’ needs under the respective labour law throughout all stages of the recruitment process.