Software Development Director

Our client is a forward-thinking solutions provider specializing in digital transformation for the water and wastewater industry. Their mission is to help utilities, municipalities, and industrial operators harness the power of cloud technology, IoT, AI/ML, and Hybrid Digital Twins to optimize operations, ensure compliance, and achieve sustainability and ESG goals.

With a strong foundation in world-leading research, SaaS innovation, and water sector expertise, our client develops platforms that unify the entire water cycle - from smart distribution and leak detection to wastewater treatment optimization, compliance automation, and ESG reporting.

The client is a well-financed start-up, and the Software Development Director will be responsible for growing a small team of full-stack developers + others.

What sets our client apart is their ability to combine:

• Domain expertise in water and wastewater operations
• Manufacturing Systems Technology leadership in SaaS, data analytics, and predictive modeling
• Customer focus - building solutions that reduce OPEX, improve regulatory outcomes, and empower operators with actionable insights
• By bridging the gap between utilities, regulators, and communities, our client is committed to shaping the future of water management through scalable, resilient, and intelligent digital solutions

Position Overview

We are seeking a forward-thinking Director of Software Development with expertise in Python, Django, SaaS platforms, real-time industrial systems, IoT, Hybrid Twins, and deployment across edge, cloud, and on-prem environments. This leader will drive innovation, ensure the quality and timely delivery of software, and guide engineering teams in building high-performance, modular, and scalable solutions. The role requires both strong leadership and hands-on coding knowledge to set technical direction and uphold engineering excellence.

Key Responsibilities

• Leadership and Strategy: Define and execute the software development roadmap with a focus on SaaS, IoT, Hybrid Twins, and industrial real-time systems.
• Architectural modernization: Lead architectural modernization efforts using Modular Monolith principles, ensuring scalability and maintainability.
• Align development practices with business needs for edge cloud, hybrid cloud, and on-prem deployments.
• Build and sustain a culture of accountability, innovation, and engineering discipline.

Technical Oversight

• Ensure code quality, maintainability, and adherence to engineering best practices across all projects.
• Oversee the architecture and development of Python/Django-based platforms.
• Provide technical guidance and hands-on support when needed, including reviewing designs and code.
• Drive adoption of secure coding standards, automated testing, CI/CD pipelines, and peer code reviews.
• Champion system reliability, scalability, and security in real-time, latency-sensitive industrial environments.

Delivery and Execution

• Take responsibility for on-time, on-budget delivery of high-quality software products.
• Track project progress, remove blockers, and ensure clear ownership across teams.
• Balance technical debt reduction with new feature development.
• Guarantee deployment readiness for SaaS, edge, and on-prem solutions.

People and Performance Management

• Recruit, mentor, and retain top engineering talent with strong coding and system design skills.
• Develop team members' technical and leadership capabilities through coaching and career growth plans.
• Promote a culture of engineering craftsmanship, accountability, and continuous improvement.

Stakeholder Collaboration

• Collaborate with Product, Operations, and Industrial Engineering to align requirements and priorities.
• Partner with executive leadership to ensure technology investments drive business outcomes.
• Engage with clients to understand needs for on-prem, hybrid, and SaaS solutions.
• Manage vendor relationships and technology partnerships.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related field.
• 10+ years of experience in software engineering, with at least 5 years in technical leadership.
• Strong hands-on background in Python, Django, and modern software architecture.
• Proven experience delivering real-time industrial systems, IoT platforms, SaaS applications, and Hybrid Twin solutions.
• Demonstrated success in ensuring code quality, on-time delivery, and technical excellence.
• Familiarity with Modular Monolith, microservices, cloud-native, edge computing, and on-prem architectures.
• Excellent communication, leadership, and problem-solving skills.

Key Competencies

• Deep coding knowledge and architectural expertise in Python/Django and scalable system design.
• Strong accountability for software quality and timely delivery.
• Visionary leadership in SaaS, IoT, Hybrid Twins, and industrial digitalization.
• Ability to balance technical rigor with business agility.
• Inspirational leader who can align teams on execution and quality.

Success Metrics

• Consistent on-time delivery of high-quality software releases.
• High code quality standards measured through testing, reviews, and defect rates.
• Scalable, reliable deployments across SaaS, edge cloud, and on-prem environments.
• Increased efficiency and uptime in industrial systems enabled by IoT and Hybrid Twins.
• Strong engineering team engagement, retention, and growth.