Chief Operating Officer - Software Company

New head of role available to join a well-established software company based in Glasgow. As the business enters a new phase of growth, this role will be instrumental in leading and expanding the software business, ensuring its commercial success and strategic alignment with the wider Group. You will be responsible for driving organisational performance, expanding market reach through strong partnerships, and spearheading the launch of new products. Additionally, this role will involve developing and nurturing deep relationships with senior customer stakeholders to ensure continued success and growth in the market.

The company has been operating for nearly 30 years, developing software solutions for a well-known industry and has been re-imagined over the last 2 years. With around 15 technical staff, they have recently been through some positive change, modernising both the technical environment and ways of working. You will be joining at a time where they have just started the release of a new product, which is a SaaS offering that utilises AI, on top of their existing product offering.

The company offers a high level of autonomy alongside excellent career progression and promotion potential, as demonstrated by the growth of current staff. They have modernised their approach in recent years, embarking on an exciting Agile journey, introducing new technologies, and even rewriting their overall strategy. While they are still evolving in their Agile practices, they are proud of the progress made over the past 18 months. Unlike many companies facing challenges in today’s economic climate, this organisation remains in a strong, stable position with a growing portfolio of UK and global clients, as well as a robust sales pipeline.

They believe in employing great staff and have a number of key principles they live by: communication, collectiveness, and transparency. They want to ensure they hire the right personalities and individuals who really want to continue the success of the organisation. This will be a key role in helping to do so.

Although the company is based out of central Glasgow, this role is very much hybrid and only required to be in the office a few times a week/month. The main reasons to travel in would be for town halls, team meetings, or potentially meeting with clients – basically the important stuff. Therefore, they can consider anyone really from across the central belt and potentially further afield.

As the Head of you will be responsible for leading and growing the software division, overseeing a team of approximately 15 technical professionals. Your focus will be on driving the growth and commercial success of the software business, ensuring its strategic alignment with the wider Group, and potentially expanding into new markets. You will manage the P&L, annual budgets, and forecasts, ensuring the financial health of the division.

You will collaborate closely with the Head of Product and Software Technical Lead to define and execute the product strategy and roadmap, ensuring they align with market demands. In addition, you will work with senior leadership and board-level stakeholders to drive continuous improvement across the business and products. The role will require you to build and nurture strong relationships with key customers and strategic partners, ensuring both customer retention and the expansion of market reach.

Key to your success will be your ability to support business development activities, including crafting proposals, responding to RFPs, and enabling partners to effectively sell products. You will also work with the parent company on joint bids and go-to-market strategies. Additionally, you will monitor KPIs, track performance, and ensure transparency in your reporting to the wider Group.

With a focus on leadership and financial management, you will be responsible for resource allocation, managing profitability, and assessing new market opportunities. Your experience in the software, SaaS, or technology sector will be essential, along with a strong understanding of product management, sales strategies, and stakeholder management.

Experience leading a software or technology business or department, having managed a team of 10+ technology individuals, and a SaaS or product business background would be highly beneficial. Strong commercial and financial acumen, with experience managing P&L, budgets, and forecasting, as well as the ability to build and maintain strong relationships with senior customer stakeholders, are crucial.

This is an opportunity for an experienced leader to make a significant impact in a growing software business. As head of you will play a pivotal role in driving the division’s growth, shaping product strategy, and overseeing its financial success. You will have the autonomy to lead, innovate, and work alongside senior leadership to shape the future of the company, all while building strong relationships with key partners and customers.

If this sounds interesting, please apply and call Murray Simpson.