At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead and inspire a global team of engineers to deliver innovative product solutions.
- Company: Join ADP, a leader in cloud-based human capital management solutions.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, inclusive culture, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Embrace a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion at ADP.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on millions while driving innovation and collaboration.
- Qualifications: Proven leadership in software engineering and experience managing large teams.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 £ per year.
ADP is hiring a Senior Director, Product Development. Are you inspired by transformation and making an impact on the lives of millions of people every day? Are you empathic to client needs, your team, and internal partners to drive success while making hard calls and bold moves? Are you a technologist first and foremost who approaches every problem wearing that hat while championing development creativity and building diverse, engaged teams? Well, this may be the role for you. Ready to make your mark?
In this role, you will be responsible for the success of the product development teams supporting ADP’s Pi platform and country‑specific policy solutions. This portfolio is focused on developing policies and downstream capabilities that enable ADP to bring Spain, the Netherlands, and Ireland to market, with planned expansion into additional countries. You will lead a globally distributed organization spanning approximately 50 engineers across four engineering managers and key individual contributors.
Working closely with product managers, architects, developers, user experience experts, clients, and business leaders, you will establish the strategic product and technology foundation required to scale internationally while maintaining exceptional product quality. This role includes a dotted‑line partnership with the Pi team in the United States, requiring close collaboration with global stakeholders to align roadmaps, development priorities, and delivery objectives.
You will be responsible for balancing deep country‑specific customization requirements with opportunities for standardization and reuse, maximizing efficiency while ensuring local market needs are met. Your day‑to‑day will focus on product delivery, innovation, and organizational leadership. You will partner with engineers, architects, product managers, and business stakeholders to deliver scalable, elegant solutions that create seamless client experiences.
You will work across Product, Sales, Implementation, Client Services, and Technology teams to ensure successful market launches, operational excellence, and long‑term client satisfaction. Success in this role requires a leader who can build sustainable, high‑performing teams, secure critical institutional knowledge, identify synergies across platforms and ecosystems, and leverage emerging AI technologies to improve quality, increase development velocity, and accelerate delivery.
What You’ll Do- Global Leadership: Lead and inspire a globally distributed organization of approximately 50 engineers across multiple continents through four engineering managers and key individual contributors. Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement while ensuring effective communication across geographies and time zones.
- Product and Platform Ownership: Operate with an ownership mindset, driving the successful delivery of country‑specific policy solutions and platform capabilities. Ensure products remain scalable, maintainable, and aligned with broader enterprise objectives while supporting 24/7 operational excellence.
- Revenue and Market Expansion: Support ADP’s growth strategy by delivering technology solutions that enable successful market entry and expansion. Partner with business leaders to ensure product investments align with revenue opportunities and long‑term business objectives.
- Build Teams That Thrive: Develop, mentor, and retain high‑performing engineering leaders and individual contributors. Establish a sustainable organizational model capable of flexing capacity based on business priorities and project demands. Promote continuous learning and career development while building the next generation of technical leaders.
- Knowledge Management and Sustainability: Drive initiatives to embed critical business and technical knowledge across teams, reducing dependency risks and ensuring continuity. Create processes and structures that preserve organizational expertise and prevent future knowledge gaps.
- Innovation and AI Enablement: Champion the adoption of AI and emerging technologies to improve software quality, enhance developer productivity, accelerate delivery timelines, and optimize operational efficiency across the development lifecycle.
- Communication and Influence: Demonstrate executive presence through effective communication with senior leadership, global stakeholders, clients, and cross‑functional partners. Drive alignment across organizations and successfully lead teams through change and transformation.
- Leadership experience in software engineering, platform development, or related technology disciplines.
- Proven experience leading large, globally distributed technology organizations across multiple continents.
- Experience managing organizations of approximately 50+ engineers through multiple layers of leadership.
- Strong track record balancing localized market requirements with platform standardization and development efficiency.
- Experience working within matrixed organizations and dotted‑line reporting structures across global teams.
- Demonstrated ability to identify and unlock synergies across products, platforms, and ecosystems.
- Exceptional leadership, mentoring, and talent development capabilities.
- Experience building sustainable teams and scalable operating models.
- Expertise in knowledge management, succession planning, and organizational resilience.
- Strong strategic thinking, execution, and stakeholder management skills.
- Experience leveraging AI and modern development technologies to improve quality, productivity, and delivery outcomes.
What are you waiting for? Apply today!
Director, Product Development (EMEA) in Bristol employer: ADP
ADP is an exceptional employer that fosters a culture of collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement, making it an ideal place for professionals looking to make a meaningful impact. With a commitment to employee growth through mentorship and development opportunities, ADP supports its teams in delivering cutting-edge technology solutions while embracing diversity and inclusion. Located in a dynamic environment, employees benefit from a global network, the chance to work with emerging AI technologies, and the satisfaction of contributing to a company that values integrity and excellence.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Director, Product Development (EMEA) in Bristol
✨Join Product Management Meetups
Get involved in local product management meetups or workshops. These events are perfect for meeting industry folks, sharing ideas, and staying updated on trends. Plus, you never know who might be hiring—it's a fantastic way to make connections that could lead to a job at places like ADP!
✨Show Off Your Product Sense
Create case studies or mini-projects showcasing your product management skills, and share them on platforms like Medium or LinkedIn. This not only puts your skills on display but also boosts your visibility in the product community. Imagine how impressed the hiring team at ADP would be by your initiative!
✨Utilise Online Communities
Dive into online product management communities like Product Coalition or Mind the Product. Engage in discussions, ask questions, and share your insights. These platforms are goldmines for networking and finding hidden job opportunities—many companies often scout talent from within these circles.
✨Leverage Your University Network
If you’ve recently graduated or are still in uni, tap into your alumni network for connections in product management. Many universities have their own job boards and affinity resources to help graduates land roles. Don't forget to keep an eye out for job openings at ADP through your school's career services!
We think you need these skills to ace Director, Product Development (EMEA) in Bristol
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Product Passion:When applying for a product management role like Director, Product Development (EMEA), let your passion for developing products shine through in your cover letter. Share specific examples of products you've managed, how you solved user needs, and any successful outcomes you've achieved. This is your chance to showcase your understanding of the product lifecycle!
Highlight Your Cross-Functional Skills:Product management isn't just about understanding the product; it’s about collaborating with different teams! Make sure to emphasise your experience working with developers, designers, and marketers. Use your CV to showcase your ability to bridge gaps between these areas, and include relevant experiences that demonstrate your communication and leadership skills!
Include Your Metrics and Achievements:In a full-time product management application, data speaks volumes! Quantify your achievements wherever possible. Did you increase user retention by a certain percentage? Launch a product ahead of schedule? Include these metrics in your CV to paint a picture of your impact and effectiveness in previous roles.
Tailor Your CV to the Role:Make sure your CV is tailored for the Director, Product Development (EMEA) position at ADP. Use keywords from the job description and ensure your relevant experiences are front and centre. Highlight any certifications or relevant training you’ve completed that will make you stand out as a strong candidate for the role. And remember, we’re excited to see your application on our website!
How to prepare for a job interview at ADP
✨Understand the Product Life Cycle
As a product management candidate, we need to get our head around the complete product life cycle. Be prepared to discuss real-world examples of how you’ve managed product development from ideation to launch. Bring specific insights on tools like JIRA or Trello that can help streamline these processes.
✨Showcase Your Cross-Functional Skills
Product management is all about collaboration. We should be ready to highlight how we’ve worked across teams—think marketing, engineering, and design. Prepare to discuss scenarios where you had to mediate differing opinions and how you got everyone on board with a shared vision.
✨Prepare for Case Studies
In a full-time role, we can expect to encounter case study questions during our interviews. Practise solving hypothetical product problems on the spot, such as prioritising features for a new app or improving user engagement metrics. This will show our analytical thinking and decision-making skills.
✨Know Your Metrics
Let’s face it, numbers are our best friends in product management. We should prepare to discuss key performance indicators (KPIs) and how we've used analytics to inform product decisions. Dive into examples where data has driven our strategy for improvements or justified product changes.
