Vice President of R&D

Harris Computer is seeking a Vice President of R&D to lead strategic and technical initiatives for both legacy and modern platforms. Responsibilities include defining the R&D roadmap, overseeing development, mentoring teams, and managing budgets. The role requires extensive experience in enterprise software R&D, particularly with technologies like Oracle Forms, Spring Boot, and Docker. The position is based in Sullivan's Island, SC, and is a full-time opportunity.
Strategic & Technical Leadership
• Define and execute the R&D roadmap to support the long-term maintenance of the legacy platform and the aggressive growth of the modern cloud-native solution.
• Align product architecture and engineering priorities with business goals, client needs, and platform lifecycle considerations.
• Promote software engineering best practices across cloud-native development, microservices architecture, secure integrations, and Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery operations.

Legacy & Modern Platform Oversight
• Oversee ongoing maintenance and enhancement of the Oracle Forms-based system, managing complex, third-party interfaces and regulatory requirements.
• Lead development of the modern OMS using Spring Boot, Angular, and PostgreSQL with scalable deployments via Docker and Kubernetes.
• Guide the implementation of enterprise integration frameworks (RabbitMQ, Apache Camunda) and analytics/reporting solutions (JasperReports, Bold BI).

Team Development & Culture
• Lead, mentor, and inspire a high-performing R&D organization of software engineers, architects, QA professionals, and product managers.
• Foster a culture of ownership, continuous learning, and cross-functional collaboration.

Program & Delivery Management
• Implement Agile delivery best practices to drive efficient development cycles and predictable outcomes.
• Ensure delivery of R&D initiatives on time, within scope, and aligned with financial objectives.

Cross-Functional & Client Collaboration
• Partner closely with Support, Operations, Sales, and Customer Success teams to ensure development efforts align with customer feedback and strategic priorities.
• Maintain transparent communication across departments and with key external stakeholders.

Innovation & Continuous Improvement
• Champion the adoption of modern tools, frameworks, and methodologies.
• Explore and implement emerging technologies, including AI/ML, for potential application in areas like predictive analytics, automation, reporting, and decision support.

Budgeting & Resource Optimization
• Manage the R&D budget with a strong focus on ROI.
• Balance resource allocation across legacy support and innovation-driven development.

Key Qualifications
• 10+ years of progressive leadership experience in enterprise software R&D, including legacy system management and modern application development.
• Technical expertise in Oracle Forms, Java Spring Boot, Angular, PostgreSQL, RabbitMQ, Docker, Kubernetes, Apache Camunda, JasperReports, and business intelligence tools.
• Experience deploying and maintaining applications across cloud and hybrid infrastructures (Azure, AWS, on-prem).
• Proven ability to lead distributed and cross-functional teams in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong communication and strategic planning skills with executive presence and stakeholder engagement experience.

Preferred Qualifications
• Background in justice, public safety, or government-sector software.
• Familiarity with regulated or compliance-heavy environments.
• Experience managing R&D P&L or departmental budgets.
• Scrum Master, PMP, or related certifications.