R&D Director

Our client is a global technology company with a software engineering operation in Brazil and a direct reporting line into an international structure. The organization is currently consolidating its operation, with a focus on maturity, efficiency and increased capacity. We are looking for an R&D Director to lead the software engineering operation in Brazil, connecting global strategy, local execution, leadership development and the evolution of delivery processes. This role will play a central part in organizing priorities, integrating technical teams and building greater predictability and efficiency across the operation. The position requires an important combination of leadership and technical depth: on one side, a senior team with strong product knowledge and long tenure within the organization; on the other, an operation under pressure from multiple demands, delivery commitments and the need to increase productivity with the same structure. Main Responsibilities Lead the R&D operation in Brazil in an integrated way, connecting the different engineering teams and ensuring stronger alignment between priorities, capacity and delivery commitments; Build credibility and proximity with a senior technical team, bringing an accessible and collaborative leadership style, while being able to sustain technical discussions with specialists; Structure and strengthen the operating management routines, bringing greater clarity to priorities, capacity, delivery tracking and integration across teams; Lead the local AI adoption agenda within the engineering workflow, translating a global direction into practical initiatives focused on efficiency and productivity gains; Develop coordinators and team leaders, strengthening performance management, career development, retention and succession; Act as the interface with internal areas responsible for projects, delivery, support and customer relationships, balancing commitments made with the actual delivery capacity of R&D; Increase the maturity of governance, documentation and knowledge sharing; Manage budget, vendors, outsourcing partners and other resources related to the engineering operation; Represent the Brazilian R&D operation in global forums, with a direct reporting line to international leadership. Requirements Solid experience leading Engineering, Technology or R&D organizations, with direct responsibility for hiring, performance management and career development of teams; Background and career experience in Software Engineering or Systems Architecture, with technical knowledge current enough to sustain discussions with senior specialists; Leadership track record in technology companies, software product environments or development organizations; Experience increasing productivity and delivery capacity through process improvement, governance and operational optimization; Fluent English, with previous experience reporting to leadership based outside Brazil; Experience with agile delivery at scale, capacity and priority management, budget ownership, vendors and outsourcing partners; Availability to work on site in Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, including genuine willingness to relocate to the region when applicable.