VP Software
Optos, Dunfermline, Scotland, United Kingdom
When a five‑year‑old boy was blinded after a regular eye exam failed to spot a retinal detachment, his father made it his life’s work to help eye care professionals by revolutionising retinal imaging. Optos (now part of Nikon) was founded in 1992 with the goal of developing patient‑friendly, ultra‑widefield retinal imaging devices that allow clinicians to capture a digital image of up to 82% (200°) of the retina in a single capture. Today, millions of patients worldwide benefit from optomap® imaging and from our devices that integrate optical coherence tomography for early detection and management of retinal diseases.
We are currently seeking an exceptional VP of Software to lead, scale, and evolve our global software organisation within R&D, delivering next‑generation medical imaging products and services. You will set and communicate a compelling technology vision and strategy aligned with Optos’ business objectives and bring extensive technical leadership from regulated software environments.
What you will be doing
Reporting to Optos CTO and managing a team of 50 engineers, architects, testers, and DevOps professionals, you will:
* Vision & Strategy: Develop, communicate and execute a forward‑looking technology vision that supports business goals.
* Regulatory Leadership: Ensure all software development activities comply with international medical device regulations and standards (e.g., IEC 62304, FDA, MDR).
* Portfolio & Programme Leadership: Provide strategic leadership for the R&D software portfolio, overseeing successful delivery of concurrent development programmes.
* Budget & Resource Management: Own and manage the software development budget, resource allocation and vendor relationships.
* Team Development: Scale, organise and manage the team, recruiting, mentoring and providing structured career development programmes.
* Stakeholder Engagement: Act as the primary liaison between the software organisation and product, service, operations and key customers.
* Quality & Customer Experience: Drive product quality, reliability and customer satisfaction through monitoring, analysis and rapid resolution of performance issues.
* Culture & Inclusion: Promote a diverse, inclusive and collaborative team culture.
* Metrics & Reporting: Establish, track and report on KPIs related to delivery, quality and customer impact.
* Security & Data Privacy: Champion best practices in software security and data privacy throughout the development lifecycle.
* Innovation & Technology Trends: Maintain and disseminate emerging technology knowledge; evaluate and adopt relevant technologies (e.g., AI).
* Agile & Cross‑functional Leadership: Lead the adoption and continuous improvement of Agile, Lean and other modern development practices.
Who you are
* Proven senior management experience in scaling and managing software engineering organisations within complex, regulated environments.
* Demonstrated success in building and deploying high‑performance applications at scale.
* Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering or related field, or equivalent experience.
* Extensive experience in product development within a regulated domain (medical devices, instrumentation, etc.).
* Track record of hiring, mentoring and career development of high‑performing teams.
* Experience with Agile methodologies (SAFe, Scrum, Lean, etc.) and cross‑functional programme leadership.
* Strong analytical, presentation and communication skills.
* Commitment to quality, process improvement and innovation.
* Knowledge of software security and data privacy best practices.
Seniority level: Executive
Employment type: Full‑time
Job function: Engineering, Management, and Information Technology
Industries: Medical Equipment Manufacturing
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