Head of Software Development | Crawley, UK

Head of Software Development
We are searching for an experienced Head of Software Development
Role Overview
This senior leadership role oversees all internal software development across RSM UK & Ireland. As Head of Software Development, you will directly lead one of our engineering teams, delivering high-quality solutions aligned with the firm\’s strategic goals. Your team is part of a broader group responsible for key in-house platforms, including the RSM client portal, Orbit, Citadel, Insight4GRC, and Tracker. Beyond leading your own team, you will coordinate with other development leads to drive consistency, collaboration, and continuous improvement across the engineering function.
As demand for digital solutions grows, this role will expand in strategic importance, scaling development capacity, evolving delivery models, and introducing new capabilities to meet rising internal and client-facing needs.
Key Responsibilities
Team Management:

• Lead and manage one of RSM\’s established software development teams.
• Provide support and direct line management to development team leads, ensuring effective delivery.
• Help to recruit and retain top engineering talent.
• Foster a culture of continuous learning, professional development, and staff engagement.

Software Engineering Oversight:

• Implement best practices in software development, driving continuous improvement and innovation.
• Ensure all platforms are built with performance and scalability in mind and designed and engineered to handle growth in users and data
• Lead the software engineering response to critical incidents, including working with other teams within National Technology and technology partners to ensure rapid resolution, root cause analysis, and the implementation of preventative measures.
• Oversee and approve change requests, including active participation in Change Advisory Board meetings.

Technology Adoption:

• Drive the appropriate adoption of technologies that align with our engineering principles and deliver measurable improvements in productivity and software quality, including the responsible use of AI.
• Lead the integration of AI-powered agents into RSM\’s digital platforms to create more intelligent, adaptive, and user-centric experiences, enabling capabilities such as predictive insights, automated decision support, dynamic workflows, and real-time contextual guidance.
• Develop a strategic approach to technology adoption within the team proactively assessing emerging tools, frameworks, and platforms for alignment with RSM\’s Digital Strategy
• Ensure architectural alignment by fostering close collaboration with cyber security, architecture, infrastructure and technology partners to maintain coherence across the enterprise landscape,
• Support the firm\’s hybrid cloud strategy by aligning engineering practices with modern architectural principles, including containerisation where appropriate.
• Champion the adoption of secure DevOps (SecDevOps) methodologies to ensure scalable, resilient, and secure software delivery.

Strategic Liaison:

• Collaborate with Microland, our strategic technology partner, to effectively align development capacity with project needs, leveraging both onshore and offshore development resource as required
• Build and maintain strong relationships with key business stakeholders, including product owners, ensuring their requirements are met and expectations exceeded.
• Act as a bridge between the technology team and other departments, facilitating effective communication and collaboration
• Influence enterprise architecture decisions to ensure alignment with long-term digital goals.

Cost Management:

• Lead annual budgeting for software engineering, including salary and performance reviews.
• Manage budgets and financial planning for the software development, optimising expenditures while maintaining high standards.

Leadership and Strategy:

• Contribute to the national technology leadership team by aligning development priorities with RSM\’s corporate and digital strategies, while representing the software engineering team in leadership meetings to provide insights and strategic recommendations that support the firm\’s goals
• Develop and implement strategic plans for the software engineering department (Including people, technology and processes) which will help to deliver RSMs digital strategy
• Responsible for the identification, assessment, and management of risks within software engineering, including risk of delays, technical debt and security vulnerabilities.

Key Qualifications
Experience:

• At least 10 years in a senior software engineering role with substantial people leadership responsibilities.
• Experience scaling engineering teams and delivery models in response to growing business demand.
• Relevant agile certifications such as Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) are desirable.

Education:

• Bachelor\’s degree in Computer Science or a related field.

Industry Knowledge:

• An understanding of the professional services industry and its regulatory environment.

Skills:

• Strong leadership and team management skills.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management abilities.
• Proficiency in modern software development practices and technologies.
• Strong agile project management skills, including hands-on experience with Scrum, Agile frameworks

Why Join Us?
This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in shaping the future of technology at RSM. As our dependency on technology increases, this role offers substantial potential for on-the-job learning and professional growth. You will be at the forefront of driving innovation and ensuring that our digital platforms meet the highest standards of performance, security, and user experience.
Join us and be part of a team that values innovation, collaboration, and excellence. Together, we can make a significant impact on the firm\’s success and drive the future of technology in the professional services industry.
Experienced hire
Permanent
GATWICK
Technology & Digital Advisory

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