Director, Software Development

Job Description

Job Description

About the Company:

Bell and Howell delivers technology-driven Automation Services and Automation Solutions that help businesses optimize performance, reduce downtime, and improve customer experiences.

Our Automation Services bring a dedicated team of expert mechatronic service engineers completely covering North America and backed by our Integrated 360™ advanced technology enabling remote repair, diagnostics, automated SmartOps Dispatch™ and 24/7/365 technical assistance for our clients. We provide a comprehensive and certified level of support for thousands of diversified clients.

Our Automated Solutions product portfolio consists of next-generation equipment delivering best-in-class performance enhancing workflow efficiency and elevating customer experiences across multiple markets including retail, pharmaceuticals, packaging, mail production, ecommerce and manufacturing – all backed by the best service in the industry.

Location: Durham, NC (On-Site)

Summary

The Director, Software Development leads Bell and Howell’s software development organization and is accountable for the delivery of secure, reliable, scalable, and market-driven software products. The position establishes engineering strategy, development standards, workforce plans, and delivery priorities in partnership with Product Management and other business leaders. The Director leads multiple software development teams, manages resources and budgets, develops technical talent, and ensures software products are delivered on time, within budget, and in alignment with customer, quality, security, and business requirements.

Job Responsibilities:

Strategy and Product Partnership

• Establish the long-term software engineering vision, technical strategy, and capability roadmap in alignment with company objectives.
• Partner with Product Management to shape product strategy, prioritize product and technical backlogs, and translate business and customer requirements into executable delivery plans.
• Evaluate emerging technologies and recommend investments that improve product capability, scalability, reliability, security, and development efficiency.
• Collaborate with Sales, Marketing, Service, Operations, and other functions to support product positioning, go-to-market readiness, and technically feasible customer solutions.

Software Delivery and Execution

• Direct multiple software development teams and disciplines toward the successful delivery of complex software products, platforms, integrations, and releases.
• Establish delivery plans, priorities, milestones, staffing models, and governance to support on-time and within-budget completion of software initiatives.
• Monitor portfolio performance, risks, dependencies, resource requirements, and delivery commitments; take timely corrective action when needed.
• Ensure clear requirements, architecture decisions, testing strategies, release criteria, operational readiness, and post-release support plans are established for major initiatives.
• Balance new product development, customer commitments, technical debt, maintenance, reliability, and cybersecurity priorities.

Engineering Excellence and Technology Leadership

• Establish and maintain software development standards, architecture principles, coding practices, documentation expectations, and quality controls.
• Promote modern engineering practices, including cloud-based architecture, APIs and enterprise integrations, DevOps and CI/CD, automated testing, observability, secure software development, and Agile product delivery.
• Ensure software solutions are designed for performance, scalability, maintainability, reliability, data protection, and compliance with applicable company standards.
• Partner with Architecture, Infrastructure, Security, Data, Quality, and Product teams to ensure solutions are integrated, supportable, and aligned with enterprise technology strategy.
• Drive continuous improvement in development methods, tools, workflow, release quality, and operational support.

People Leadership and Organizational Development

• Lead, manage, and develop software engineers, technical leads, managers, and geographically dispersed or third-party development resources, as assigned.
• Establish clear performance expectations, provide ongoing coaching and feedback, complete performance reviews, and support succession and career development.
• Make or support hiring, promotion, compensation, performance management, training, and organizational design decisions in accordance with company policy.
• Build workforce capability in areas of strategic importance and maintain appropriate staffing, skills, and leadership capacity to meet current and future business needs.
• Foster a collaborative, accountable, inclusive, and high-performing engineering culture.

Business, Customer, Financial, and Vendor Management

• Prepare and manage operating and capital budgets, staffing forecasts, project estimates, status reports, and investment recommendations.
• Represent Software Development in interactions with executives, business leaders, customers, vendors, and strategic partners.
• Support customer discussions by providing technically sound, timely, and feasible responses to business needs and product requirements.
• Manage external development partners and technology vendors, including scope, performance, quality, cost, risk, and contractual deliverables.
• Maintain awareness of customer needs, market trends, competitive developments, and business priorities that may affect the software portfolio.

Supervisory Requirements:

Provides direct and indirect leadership to software engineers, technical leads, managers, and/or third-party development resources, depending on organizational structure. Responsibilities include workforce planning, hiring, onboarding, goal setting, performance management, coaching, development, succession planning, and recommendations regarding compensation and employment actions.

Key Relationships:

• Internal 80%: Software Development, Product Management, Technology, Data and Analytics, Cybersecurity, Infrastructure, Quality, Sales, Marketing, Service, Operations, Finance, Legal, Human Resources, and executive leadership.
• External 20%: Customers, technology vendors, software-development partners, consultants, and other strategic business partners.

Education and Experience:

BS degree in an appropriate technical discipline, with advanced technical education required and MS degree desired; 7-10 years experience managing a technical software development function, with at least 5 years of responsibility for developing a total solution and interacting with other key business functions within the organization.

Competencies (Skills, Knowledge and Abilities):

• Strong software engineering leadership, strategic planning, organizational design, and talent-development capabilities.
• In-depth knowledge of modern software-development lifecycle practices, architecture, testing, release management, production support, security, and quality assurance.
• Working knowledge of cloud platforms, distributed systems, APIs and integrations, DevOps and CI/CD, automated testing, observability, data protection, and secure development practices.
• Ability to translate business and customer needs into clear technical direction, priorities, investment decisions, and delivery plans.
• Strong portfolio, program, project, risk, resource, and financial-management skills.
• Ability to establish priorities, manage competing demands, resolve complex issues, and make sound decisions with incomplete or changing information.
• Strong communication and presentation skills with the ability to influence technical and non-technical employees, customers, executives, and business leaders.
• Ability to lead geographically dispersed and cross-functional teams and build effective relationships across organizational boundaries.
• Strong customer focus, business acumen, negotiation skills, and conflict-resolution capabilities.
• Ability to identify, evaluate, and responsibly apply emerging technologies, including automation and artificial intelligence, where appropriate.

Mental/Physical Requirements:

• Requires reading; math; conducting research; measuring; analyzing, evaluating, and drawing conclusions; developing and implementing plans, strategies, procedures, solutions; directing others to accomplish job results; evaluating performance of programs and personnel.

Physical

• Requires walking; using hands to finger and feel (up to 1/3 of time)
• Requires sitting (up to 2/3 of time)
• Requires talking and hearing (up to 3/3 of time)
• Requires close vision
• Some (up to 25 days/year) out-of-town travel required
• Work is performed in a controlled office and manufacturing environment.

Other Duties:

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Bell and Howell is an Equal Opportunity Employer. It is company policy to administer employment based solely on an individual’s qualifications, ability and performance without regard to race, color, religion, gender identity, sex (including pregnancy, lactation, childbirth or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, age, national origin or ancestry, physical or mental disability, genetic information (including testing and characteristics), veteran status, uniformed servicemember status, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law.