Allocate and R&D Summary:
Allocate Software has been designing innovative products to optimise complex organisations since 1991. We have taken expertise from a number of industries and applied this to the specific issues and complexity of healthcare. Today we focus on delivering software tools to help healthcare institutions manage their staff safely and efficiently so that they can deliver exceptional care to all their patients. We have customers in 11 countries, with 800,000 people deployed using our software in over 800 organisations.
Our R&D function is a global function comprising in excess of 200 people with development centres across the United Kingdom, Macedonia, Sweden and Australia. R&D globally represents approx. one third of Allocate’s total headcount and has seen significant investment in recent years. Skopje is one of our primary development centres and a key pillar in our current and future strategy for engineering excellence. It currently houses in excess of 100 R&D staff members, with continued growth expected in the future.
Role Summary:
Our Engineering Directors lead teams made up of multiple multidisciplinary development squads, responsible for a core area of the Allocate Human Capital Management stack. They are accountable for delivering all software projects performed by the team on time and budget and to the expected levels of quality, with a specific focus on engineering excellence and software development practices.
The role reports to the Head of Engineering and covers the following areas of responsibility:
• Ensure all teams are well motivated and understand what is expected of them.
• Work closely and effectively with functional leads (Quality, DevOps, TechOps, Architecture) to drive a high-class engineering culture.
• Develop strong working relationships with key internal stakeholders including (but not limited to) Product Management, Country General Managers and Support within each market
• Ensure teams are aligned with strategic business objectives, and that requirements from Product Management and support are achievable and understood
• Play and active role in the Skopje management team, supporting the continued growth in the location as a key development centre, and the cultural and social aspects of the location to attract and support high-calibre teams.
• Implement good internal management practices within the team ensuring good communication and collaboration exists between squads and with other teams
• Proactively manage risk within projects, escalating where necessary and regularly report status
• Line manage and coach Engineering Managers, Product Owners and Tech Leads - with the focus of maintaining an engaged and high performing team
• Promote high standards of engineering excellence and champion good software engineering practices within the team and the department.
• Ensure all team members have clear and measurable objectives tied to R&D’s strategic plan coupled with personal development plans
• Recommend promotions and pay reviews and identify training needs
• Provide necessary input and senior management support to the Head of Engineering and CTO to maintain R&D management team effectiveness and overall department delivery
• Participate and drive recruitment activities where applicable
• Play an active role in the R&D budget setting process and overall resource planning
Key Performance Measures
• Product delivery in line with project timelines, cost and quality
• Employee engagement (specifically within the team and R&D more broadly)
• Customer satisfaction through product quality measures and external NPS
Core Competencies
• Team Leading – Able to lead, manage the performance of and motivate a team effectively.
• Leading Change - Positive about change, adapting rapidly to changing circumstances and encouraging flexibility in others. Identifies and implements improvements to service delivery, engaging people in the change process and encouraging them to contribute ideas. Finds more cost-effective ways to do things, taking an innovative approach to solving problems and considers alternatives.
• Problem Solving and Decision Making – Gathers, verifies and assesses all appropriate and available information to gain an accurate understanding of situations. Considers a range of possible options, evaluating evidence and seeking advice where appropriate. Makes clear, timely, justifiable decisions, reviewing these as necessary. Balances risks, costs and benefits, thinking about the wider impact of decisions. Exercises discretion and applies professional judgement, ensuring actions and decisions are proportionate and in the interest of the relevant stakeholders.
• Commercial and Business Awareness – Able to balance the financial, quality, people and customer expectation related risks typical within healthcare IT and associated with Allocate solutions in particular.
• Communication – Effective communication skills suitable for the management of and liaison with colleagues within the team and senior management, both on a one to one and one to many basis. Demonstrate effective communication, both orally and in writing, with colleagues and customers including producing reports, preparing, organising and delivering presentations using appropriate tools and techniques, and taking a leading role in meetings and discussions.
• Planning and Organising – Effective at determining a course of action by breaking it down into smaller steps and by planning and resourcing each of these, making allowance for potential problems. Must manage the field of responsibility within allocated budgets and be able to plan and forecast future budgets based on business priorities.
• Building Relationships – Able to develop effective relationships with Allocate colleagues and customers. Able to respond appropriately to feedback.
• Influencing skills – Ability to influence both within the customer success team and the wider Allocate team.
• Understanding Allocate – Aware of Allocate strategies, policies and procedures. Aware of how the organisation operates.
• Influencing and Impact – Act in a professional manner and exhibit the required behaviour that should act as an example to other employees. Needs to delegate tasks, responsibilities and authorities effectively. Effective at identifying goals and objectives and motivating and leading others towards their achievement. Able to network throughout the wider Allocate business and the user community.
• Innovation, Flexibility and Adaptability – Undertake tasks with a positive attitude and respond well to management and customer requests. Must be prepared to meet business goals and respond well to change.
Skills, Knowledge and Experience
• Strong skills and demonstrable experience in product development and software engineering.
• Demonstrable experience managing large multi-discipline teams upwards of 20 indirect reports
• Minimum of bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience in software engineering, computer science or mathematics
• Strong experience in developing SaaS products
• Experience working in cloud environments, such as AWS and Azure and good understanding of the benefits and challenges around developing products in this environment
• Strong experience working in an Agile (especially SCRUM) environment
• Excellent interpersonal skills: able to recruit, motivate and lead a team, as well as communicate effectively with non-technical people
• Excellent project management and leadership skills
• Positive, enthusiastic outlook
• Good organisational and time management skills.
• Strong attention to detail
What we can offer you
• Comfortable, friendly, professional and supportive work environment
• Private health insurance
• Opportunity to gain invaluable experience in all aspects of events within a fast-paced global dynamic organization
• Opportunity to gain international business experience, working for world high class companies
• Possibility for personal and professional growth within a stable environment with ongoing training and support
• Social and sport benefits
• Business travels to the UK
• Work from home – several times per month