Head of R&D Operations

About the role

We are seeking a senior individual contributor to drive organizational effectiveness across our R&D organization, which includes Product, Design, Engineering, and QA. Partnering directly with the CTO, you will ensure that our systems for building, prioritising, and executing are strong, scalable, and transparent.

Key responsibilities

• Design and run performance processes such as quarterly reviews and annual cycles in partnership with the R&D HR Business Partner.
• Maintain consistent quality of feedback, expectations, and career development across teams.
• Provide structured insight to CTO and R&D leadership on top performers, emerging leaders, underperformance, promotion readiness, and organisational gaps.
• Keep a real‑time view of organisational health across Product, Design, Engineering, and QA, identifying bottlenecks and proposing solutions.
• Partner with product, design and engineering leaders on headcount planning, hiring prioritisation, and skill‑gap analysis.
• Design and continuously improve planning cycles, cross‑team coordination, and decision‑making forums.
• Act as a connective layer ensuring clear communication of priorities and smooth workflow across teams.

Required profile

• 8‑12+ years of experience in Product, Engineering, Technical Program Management, or R&D Operations.
• Former engineering leader, product leader, or senior Technical Program Manager who has moved into broader organisational roles.
• Strong understanding of modern SaaS product and engineering organisations.
• Proven ability to influence senior technical and product leaders without formal authority.
• High emotional intelligence and structured thinking to turn ambiguity into clear systems.

Required skills

• Hands‑on experience with AI tools