At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead global engineering teams to develop innovative software for woodworking, stone, and composite industries.
- Company: Join Hexagon, a leader in digital manufacturing transformation.
- Benefits: Remote work flexibility, competitive salary, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Be part of a dynamic environment focused on engineering excellence and innovation.
- Why this job: Shape the future of industrial software and drive impactful change.
- Qualifications: 10+ years in software engineering with leadership experience in global teams.
The predicted salary is between 58349 - 71315 £ per year.
Location: UK, EU, or US East Coast
At Hexagon, we're transforming the future of digital manufacturing through innovative software solutions that empower customers worldwide. As R&D Director – Wood, Stone & Composite Software (WSC), you will lead the global engineering organisation responsible for the development, modernisation, and delivery of our software portfolio serving the woodworking, stone fabrication, and composite manufacturing industries.
In this strategic leadership role, you will drive engineering excellence, product modernisation, and organisational growth across the WSC software portfolio. Working closely with Product Management, Architecture, and Operations, you will lead high-performing global engineering teams while ensuring predictable delivery, exceptional product quality, and customer success.
As a member of the Production Software R&D Leadership Team, you will help shape divisional strategy, lead through change, navigate ambiguity, and contribute to the ongoing transformation of our Production Software division. This is a remote leadership role managing globally distributed teams and can be based in the UK, EU, or the US East Coast.
Your Responsibilities
- Strategic & Organisational Leadership
- Define and execute the engineering strategy for the WSC portfolio in alignment with Production Software objectives.
- Lead, develop, and inspire a global engineering organisation comprising managers, technical leaders, and software engineers.
- Build organisational capability through talent development, succession planning, and leadership coaching.
- Establish a culture focused on ownership, customer value, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
- Lead teams effectively through organisational, technical, and business transformation.
- Own the execution and delivery of product roadmaps, strategic initiatives, and customer commitments.
- Drive predictable delivery, operational excellence, and engineering productivity.
- Establish clear performance indicators focused on delivery, quality, customer satisfaction, and organisational health.
- Manage risks, dependencies, resource allocation, and execution priorities across the portfolio.
- Engineering Excellence & Modern Development Practices
- Champion a strong engineering culture built upon Test-Driven Development (TDD), Automated testing, Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery (CI/CD), and modern software engineering practices.
- Promote data-driven decision-making using engineering and quality metrics.
- Drive the continuous reduction of technical debt while preserving delivery commitments.
- Ensure all significant architectural decisions are developed in close collaboration with the Production Software Architecture organisation.
- Coordinate architecture evolution with the Director of Architecture and relevant Component Teams.
- Drive the adoption of shared components, reusable services, and common technical frameworks.
- Promote an Inner Source model across engineering teams to encourage collaboration, transparency, and shared ownership.
- Continuously identify opportunities for code mutualisation and the reduction of duplicated investments across the portfolio.
- Cross-Functional Collaboration & Engineering Transformation
- Partner closely with Product Management, Architecture, Quality Engineering, Cloud Operations, Customer Support, and Professional Services.
- Ensure effective coordination with Operations teams to support deployment, operational readiness, and customer success.
- Support strategic customer engagements and critical escalations requiring senior engineering leadership.
- Actively contribute to the evolution of the Production Software Software Factory, including Jira and Azure DevOps adoption, Engineering governance, Delivery governance, Development processes, Quality practices, Engineering metrics, and DevOps maturity.
- Drive the adoption of enterprise engineering standards and best practices within the WSC organisation.
What you’ll bring
- 10+ years of software engineering experience, including 5+ years leading managers and multiple engineering teams.
- Proven experience leading global software development organisations and managing distributed teams across multiple geographies.
- Demonstrated success in driving large-scale modernisation and transformation initiatives.
- Strategic thinking with a strong focus on execution.
- Experience leading organisational change and transformation.
- Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills.
- Ability to operate effectively in ambiguous and evolving environments.
- Proven track record of developing leaders and building high-performing teams.
- Strong understanding of modern software engineering and product development practices.
- Experience with scalable software architectures, APIs, DevOps, and software quality engineering.
- Strong advocate of Test-Driven Development (TDD), CI/CD, API-First design, Inner Source, and platform-based development.
- Knowledge of CAD/CAM, manufacturing software, industrial automation, or engineering software is highly desirable.
What Success Looks Like
- Deliver predictable execution against strategic objectives.
- Build a high-performing, engaged, and accountable engineering organisation.
- Accelerate product modernisation while maintaining customer commitments.
- Increase the reuse of shared components and the adoption of Inner Source practices.
- Improve engineering quality, productivity, and customer satisfaction.
- Successfully lead teams through change while creating clarity in uncertain environments.
- Become a recognised leader driving engineering excellence across the Production Software division.
If you're an experienced engineering leader who thrives on building high-performing teams, driving modernisation, and shaping the future of industrial software, we'd love to hear from you.
R&D Director - Wood, Stone & Composite Software (f/m/d) in London employer: Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence
Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work culture that fosters innovation and collaboration among its global teams. With a strong focus on employee growth and development, the company provides ample opportunities for professional advancement while championing a data-driven approach to product modernisation and customer success in the woodworking, stone fabrication, and composite manufacturing sectors. Working remotely allows for flexibility and work-life balance, making it an attractive choice for those seeking meaningful and rewarding employment.
Contact Details:
Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence Recruitment Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land R&D Director - Wood, Stone & Composite Software (f/m/d) in London
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We think you need these skills to ace R&D Director - Wood, Stone & Composite Software (f/m/d) in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show off your coding skills:When applying for a software engineering role, it's super important to showcase your coding skills. Make sure your CV includes your tech stack, any relevant programming languages you’re comfortable with, and examples of projects you've worked on. If you have a GitHub profile, link it up! We love to see code in action.
Tailor your portfolio:For a full-time role, we’d expect to see some solid examples of your work in your portfolio. Make sure to include at least two or three projects that highlight your problem-solving skills and your ability to work with different technologies. Focus on the projects that are most relevant to the position at Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence and how your skills align with the role. Show us your passion for software development. We dig enthusiastic candidates who understand the value of collaboration and continuous learning!
Be clear and concise:When it comes to writing your CV and cover letter, clarity is key. Avoid jargon that could confuse us and stick to simple, direct language. Highlight your achievements with quantifiable results where possible, and keep everything easy to read. A well-organised application goes a long way!
How to prepare for a job interview at Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence
✨Brush Up on Your Coding Skills
For a full-time software engineering role, it's crucial that we stay sharp with our coding abilities. Expect technical questions that might involve solving problems on the spot or discussing algorithms. Practise on platforms like LeetCode or HackerRank to get comfortable with the types of questions that often come up.
✨Know Your Tools and Frameworks
Make sure we’re well-acquainted with the tools and technologies listed in the job description. Familiarise ourselves with any specific frameworks or programming languages mentioned. If Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence uses React or Node.js, for instance, be ready to discuss how we’ve used them in previous projects or coursework.
✨Showcase Your Projects
Bring along a portfolio that highlights our best work. This could be code samples, GitHub repositories, or any side projects we’ve built. Make sure we can talk through our thought process for each project, especially the challenges we faced and how we solved them—this shows our problem-solving skills in action.
✨Prepare for Behavioural Questions
While technical skills are key, full-time positions also require cultural fit. Be ready to discuss our previous experiences and how we handle teamwork, conflict, and deadlines. Brush up on the STAR method—Situation, Task, Action, Result—to clearly articulate our past experiences when discussing how we've contributed to a team.