Head of Digital Development

at  HOWDENS JOINERY CO

Howdens are looking to appoint a Head of Digital Development to define the strategic direction of Digital Development drive our ambition to deliver world class, on-demand, digital experiences that engage and connect our entrepreneurial local depots and their customers. Based in our office in Raunds, Northamptonshire with some home working and travel required to our other sites, you will support the business in developing and maintaining applications underpinning our depot network, website, and omni-channel ambitions.
As a key member of the Digital Senior Team reporting to the Digital Director, you’ll collaborate closely with the Digital and IS teams, business owners, and third-party development teams. Leading a team of 50+ and managing a significant digital budget, strong leadership skills are paramount. We seek an exceptional leader who can inspire, communicate effectively, and is results-driven, focusing on achieving our organisational objectives while fostering collaboration and leading technology discussions. Building strong relationships with team members, stakeholders, and development partners is vital. A skilled communicator, you’ll energise others about delivering world-class web technical delivery.

WHAT YOU WILL DO IN YOUR ROLE AS A HEAD OF DIGITAL DEVELOPMENT

• Lead the team to deliver high quality reliable products and services that meet or exceed customer expectations.
• Oversee the software engineering teams and advocate for the implementation of processes and standards to ensure coherence across projects and programmes.
• Build strong relationships, drive innovation and a continuous improvement mindset, championing the concept of expert, stable teams.
• Strengthen and maintain relationships with development partners and have overall accountability for engagement and contracts.
• Reinforce the priority and direction of the digital roadmap and strategy alongside the senior leadership team.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to define, design, and deliver features.
• Guide and coach team members to foster their professional growth.
• Remain current with emerging trends and technologies in the field of software engineering.

WHAT WILL YOU NEED TO QUALIFY FOR THIS HEAD OF DIGITAL DEVELOPMENT ROLE?

• Previous experience of working in a Director or Head of Software development within a multi-channel organisation.
• Demonstrated experience in successfully leading and shaping a Digital development function including budget management.
• Previous experience of leading and managing a large team.
• Expertise in software development processes, agile methodologies, and coaching techniques
• Experience in managing development partner relationships and contracts.
• A track record of effectively communicating and contributing to organisational vision.
• Articulate with strong communication, influencing and coaching skills.
• Adaptable to changing demands and priorities.
• Passionate about emerging technologies and their strategic application in achieving organisational objectives.
• Strong analytical and strategic thinking capabilities
• Ability to translate complex technical information to a diverse group with high variations in digital and commercial knowledge.
• Commercially focused.
• Degree educated in a computer science related discipline is desirable.