Software Development Manager

Organizations don't innovate; people do.

As part of our digital transformation business, you’ll help clients unlock innovation, embrace the future, and change communities for good.

Who are we looking for?

We are seeking an experienced Software Development Manager to lead GHD's global delivery of workflow, automation, and internal software solutions. This role is responsible for managing a compact global team of internal and third-party development squads, ensuring approved work is effectively planned, delivered, released, and supported at enterprise scale.

You will oversee team performance, delivery capacity, and implementation consistency while driving best practices across software development, CI/CD, cloud platforms, data integration, and operational excellence. The role plays a key part in building a scalable, predictable delivery model across Microsoft Azure, Power Platform, and Microsoft Fabric.

The role can be based in our Waterloo or Toronto office.

Be part of the dynamic culture! Our workplace thrives on a hybrid model, combining in-office collaboration and flexibility. Join us in the office, three days a week, to contribute, connect, and excel in our vibrant environment.

Working with an energetic and high-performing team, this position offers a variety of work and will see you involved in:

Delivery Leadership

• Lead a compact global delivery organization of 3 to 5 internal development squads, plus third-party developer squads where work is delivered through agreed statements of work.
• Manage squad performance through internal team leads and vendor delivery leads, with attention to throughput, predictability, cycle time, quality, and support readiness.
• Define a delivery model that can scale without relying on informal escalation paths or individual heroics.
• Set operating rhythms for planning, execution reviews, release readiness, delivery reporting, and escalation management.

Implementation Planning & Delivery Control

• Convert formally identified demand into implementable delivery plans with clear scope, assumptions, dependencies, and support expectations.
• Balance approved work against squad capacity, platform constraints, production support, third-party delivery commitments, and active delivery priorities.
• Make implementation sequencing, delivery trade-offs, and SOW execution risks visible to partner groups and stakeholders.
• Maintain a clear view of delivery status, risks, blockers, release readiness, and third-party delivery progress across the squad portfolio.

Engineering Quality & Release Readiness

• Oversee implementation from technical discovery through build, release, adoption, and transition into support.
• Standardize how internal and third-party squads clarify requirements, estimate work, design solutions, test changes, and prepare releases.
• Build quality controls into the delivery workflow, including review, testing, documentation, operational readiness, and release acceptance.
• Define and track delivery metrics such as throughput, cycle time, escaped defects, rework, predictability, support load, and release reliability.

Platform, Architecture & Delivery Standards

• Ensure delivery aligns with approved platform, architecture, data, security, and engineering standards.
• Set expectations for standard tooling and delivery patterns, including Jira, GitHub or Azure DevOps, CI/CD pipelines, Azure services, Power Platform, and Microsoft Fabric where applicable.
• Partner with Architecture and Platform leads to apply consistent design patterns across workflow, automation, and internal software solutions.
• Escalate exceptions where delivery requirements conflict with standards, platform constraints, security expectations, architecture guidance, or long-term maintainability.

Vendor & Stakeholder Delivery Management

• Help shape third-party statements of work so scope, assumptions, deliverables, acceptance expectations, and support responsibilities are clear.
• Manage third-party developer squads against agreed SOWs, including progress, risks, blockers, quality expectations, and delivery commitments.
• Maintain working relationships with service lines, Platform teams, Architecture, Support, Delivery Transformation, delivery squads, and third-party delivery partners.
• Communicate delivery status, risks, constraints, and decision points in a way that is clear to both technical and business audiences.

What you will bring to the Team:

Essential

• Experience managing multiple software delivery squads through team leads, including internal teams and third-party development squads working against statements of work.
• Strong software development background, with practical experience in modern languages such as Python or Node.js and enough technical depth to guide delivery decisions.
• Hands-on experience across the software delivery lifecycle, including requirements clarification, design, development, testing, release management, and operational support.
• Practical experience with CI/CD tooling, GitHub Actions or Azure DevOps Pipelines, cloud deployment on Microsoft Azure, and delivery tracking in Jira.
• Experience with Microsoft Power Platform, including Power Automate and Power Apps, and a working understanding of Microsoft Fabric.
• A clear point of view on engineering quality, including review discipline, testing standards, defect reduction, release readiness, and supportability.
• Experience with build-versus-buy analysis and third-party delivery planning, including technical fit, SOW scope, implementation effort, support model, cost, and long-term maintainability.
• Strong communication and leadership skills, including the ability to operate in ambiguity, clarify technical and business constraints, align stakeholders, and keep squads accountable for outcomes.

Preferred

• Experience delivering automation or workflow solutions at enterprise scale.
• Experience operating in globally distributed delivery environments.
• Exposure to enterprise architecture standards and platform-led delivery models.
• Experience working across both low-code and custom software delivery models.

The salary range for this position is: $120000 to $160000

The posted salary range represents the expected hiring range for GHD locations in its major city centres. Ranges may vary for positions in other locations. At GHD, base salary is determined by your skills, experience, qualifications, and work location. We are committed to offering competitive compensation and adhering to all relevant pay transparency legislation.

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in recruiting is just getting started and may be used during the process to improve efficiency and fairness. Your application may be reviewed by both AI and our hiring team. While AI supports some steps through the process, all final hiring decisions are made by humans

This position is for an existing vacancy.

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As a diverse and inclusive organization, we encourage individual achievement and recognize the strength of a diverse workforce. GHD is an equal opportunity employer. Upon request, GHD will provide reasonable accommodation for applicants with disabilities throughout the recruitment and selection process