Vice President- Software Development

For more than 40 years, Accelya has been the industry’s partner for change, simplifying airline financial and commercial processes and empowering the air transport community to take better control of the future. Whether partnering with IATA on industry-wide initiatives or enabling digital transformation to simplify airline processes, Accelya drives the airline industry forward and proudly puts control back in the hands of airlines so they can move further, faster. 

Job Summary: The Vice President of Software Development is a senior leadership role responsible for overseeing the software development lifecycle, ensuring that the organization’s software products are delivered on time, within scope, and meet the highest standards of quality and performance. This position requires a strategic, visionary leader with a strong technical background, the ability to manage and mentor large engineering teams, and a focus on innovation. The VP of Software Development will collaborate with cross-functional leaders to align software initiatives with business goals and drive the overall technical direction of the company. Key Responsibilities: • Leadership & Strategy: Define and execute the vision, strategy, and roadmap for software development across the organization. Lead the development and delivery of innovative, high-quality software solutions that align with business objectives and customer needs. • Team Management & Development: Lead and mentor a team of engineering managers, software developers, and other technical staff. Foster a culture of collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement. Build high-performing teams by recruiting, developing, and retaining top technical talent. • Software Architecture & Design: Ensure the design and architecture of software solutions are scalable, efficient, and aligned with industry best practices. Work closely with the architecture and product teams to make high-level design decisions that enable the long-term success of the organization’s software products. • Product & Technical Roadmap: Collaborate with product management, marketing, and other stakeholders to define the product roadmap and ensure the timely delivery of key product features. Balance business priorities with technical capabilities to ensure that software products meet market demands and customer expectations. • Agile & Development Methodologies: Oversee and optimize the software development process, ensuring that Agile and DevOps methodologies are being effectively used. Implement practices such as continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD), automated testing, and iterative development to increase speed, reduce errors, and improve product quality. • Collaboration with Cross-Functional Teams: Partner with product, operations, and IT teams to ensure that software development efforts align with business goals, customer needs, and market trends. Facilitate communication across teams to ensure alignment on objectives, timelines, and deliverables. • Innovation & Technology Leadership: Stay abreast of emerging technologies, tools, and development practices to ensure that the organization’s software development efforts remain innovative and competitive. Evaluate new technologies and frameworks that could drive improvements in development efficiency, scalability, and product performance. • Quality Assurance & Testing: Ensure that robust testing and quality assurance processes are integrated into the software development lifecycle. Foster a commitment to code quality, security, performance, and scalability. • Performance Metrics & Reporting: Define and track key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the success of software development initiatives. Provide regular updates to the executive team on the progress of software projects, resource allocation, and team performance. • Resource & Budget Management: Manage the software development department’s budget, resources, and personnel. Prioritize software development initiatives based on business needs, team capacity, and project deadlines. Ensure that resources are allocated efficiently and effectively across projects. • Risk Management: Identify, assess, and mitigate risks related to software development, including technical challenges, resource constraints, and delivery delays. Implement risk management strategies to ensure projects are delivered on time and meet quality standards. Required Skills and Qualifications: • Education: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Technology, or a related field (or equivalent experience). • Experience: 15+ years of experience in software development, with at least 7+ years in a senior leadership role such as Director, VP, or Head of Software Development. • Technical Expertise: Deep technical expertise in software development, architecture, and design. Proven experience with modern software development methodologies, such as Agile, DevOps, and CI/CD. Strong experience with programming languages (e.g., Java, C++, Python, JavaScript) and frameworks (e.g., React, Angular, Spring). • Leadership & People Management: Proven ability to lead and inspire high-performance development teams. Strong leadership skills with experience managing large teams and complex software development projects. • Project & Product Management: Experience in managing large-scale, complex software development projects from concept through delivery. Ability to align development efforts with business goals and to manage product development lifecycles. • Collaboration & Communication: Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams and communicate complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders. • Problem-Solving & Decision Making: Excellent problem-solving and decision-making skills. Ability to evaluate trade-offs, balance short-term needs with long-term goals, and drive technical decision-making in the best interest of the company. • Scalability & Performance: Experience building scalable, reliable, and high-performance software systems. Ability to drive technical solutions that meet the needs of a rapidly growing business. • Security & Compliance: Understanding of secure software development practices and compliance requirements related to software delivery (e.g., GDPR, HIPAA, PCI-DSS). Desired Skills: • Cloud Technologies: Experience with cloud-based technologies and architectures (e.g., AWS, Azure, GCP). • Data-Driven Development: Knowledge of data engineering and data-driven product development. • Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning: Familiarity with AI/ML technologies and their application in software products. • Business Acumen: Understanding of the intersection of technology and business, with the ability to align technical strategies with broader company goals.

What does the future of the air transport industry look like to you? Whether you’re an industry veteran or someone with experience from other industries, we want to make your ambitions a reality!