Position Summary: As the Head of Research and Development (R&D) for Telecom Product Modernization at our client's software company, you will be a key driver in shaping the future of our OSS and BSS products and services. Leveraging your expertise in cloud-native, serverless, and containerized technologies, coupled with a hands-on approach, you will lead the transformation of our offerings. Your profound experience in the telecom industry, specifically in OSS/BSS, Point of Sale, Roaming, Interconnect, and related domains, will empower you to guide a dynamic team of researchers, engineers, and developers. As the P&L owner, you will take charge of managing the R&D department, overseeing both commercial and technical aspects, including product management and software engineering. Collaborating closely with Professional Services, Managed Services, and Sales & Marketing, you will align strategies and influence the evolution of our client's Business Unit products. As a member of the Senior Leadership Team, you will report directly to the CEO, leading a department of six professionals. Responsibilities:Develop and execute a strategic roadmap for product modernization that aligns with our client's goals, vision, and objectives.Recruit, develop, and retain a high-caliber R&D team with strong architectural and project management skills, ensuring timely, on-budget, and high-quality delivery.Lead a cross-functional R&D team in designing, developing, and deploying innovative telecom solutions, utilizing cloud-native, serverless, and containerized technologies.Establish robust architecture capabilities for scalability, performance, reliability, redundancy, and quality of each product.Collaborate with internal stakeholders to translate business requirements into technical solutions that drive competitive advantage and customer value.Identify new feature/function capabilities for the product roadmap, collaborating with customers and internal stakeholders for prioritization and commercialization.Manage product investments to align with targets and ensure customer-funded development, while adhering to budget constraints.Provide technical leadership and mentorship, fostering a culture of continuous learning and technical excellence.Lead by example through hands-on involvement in designing, coding, testing, and debugging software solutions, adhering to modern development methodologies.Stay informed about emerging technologies, industry trends, and regulatory changes within the telecom sector to inform product development and strategy.Invest in Sustaining Engineering to reduce technical debt, ensure product certifications, and address issues or bugs, preventing re-occurrence.Manage the end-to-end product development lifecycle, ensuring quality and timely delivery.Collaborate with cross-functional teams to define product roadmaps, feature sets, and delivery schedules meeting customer needs.Oversee compliance with industry standards, security protocols, and quality assurance processes in product development.Continuously assess and monitor R&D performance, proactively taking steps to improve efficiency.Foster collaborative partnerships with external vendors, partners, and clients to enhance product offerings.Conduct negotiation and supply chain management of embedded 3rd-party software components.Develop and maintain an auditable streamlined agile and standards-compliant R&D process and team using internal staff and external partners.Develop and maintain a price book and dimensioning calculator.Provide sales (RFPs, proposals, QBRs) and marketing (content/campaign development) support.Offer quarterly analysis of ongoing product performance (R&D ratio/trend, quality, other). Operations:Define and drive the technological vision for the Business in collaboration with the CEO.Articulate and execute the R&D and Product strategy.Make architecture decisions to ensure a strong, stable, and scalable product.Evaluate technological advancements and innovative solutions for continuous product improvement.Utilize technology to create higher-value funded product advancement features.Attend management meetings, annual events, and other activities directed by the CEO. Portfolio Contribution:Support portfolio R&D Commercialization and IP Bootcamps with lessons learned use cases.Provide technology support for M&A Due Diligence if called upon. Qualifications:Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field.Experience with various cloud platforms, such as AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud Platform.Proven experience in migrating on-premises applications to the cloud.Strong understanding of the challenges and best practices of cloud migration.8+ years of experience in software development with a deep understanding of cloud-native, serverless, message queues, and containerized technologies.Hands-on expertise with Microsoft SQL Server, C++, C#, .Net, Node JS, Socket.io, Angular, TypeScript, Chart JS, Git, and Azure DevOps.Experience in the telecom industry, focusing on OSS/BSS, Point of Sale, Customer Care, Service Fulfillment, Collections, Trouble Ticketing, Provisioning, Mediation, Self-Care, Roaming, Interconnect, and related domains.Strong leadership skills, with the ability to lead, motivate, and mentor technical teams.Leadership and people management experience with a high-performing team.Exceptional problem-solving and critical-thinking abilities, with a passion for driving innovation.Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, collaborating effectively across teams and with stakeholders.Experience in product management and leading cross-functional initiatives is a plus.Proven experience as a P&L leader in a software company.Proven track record of successfully delivering projects on time and within budget.Ability to manage internal and external stakeholders through clear and concise written and verbal communication.Knowledge of industry standards, regulations, and compliance requirements in the telecom sector.International responsibility and experience.Industry domain knowledge.Understanding of Agile software development methodologies.Strong analytical skills in combination with a strategic, action-oriented mindset.High energy, sense of urgency, and curiosity, with the ability to investigate and learn new domains and technologies.Ability to travel occasionally.
