Head of R&D; NG

Head of R&D - NG911

Software R&D and Product Management Manager

Peskind Executive Search has been retained by a leading provider of Emergency 911 technology solutions to identify a highly accomplished Software R&D and Product Management Manager
. This confidential role will oversee the innovation, development, and lifecycle management of mission‑critical software supporting Emergency 911 services.

The ideal candidate will bring deep expertise in IP‑based telecommunications software—spanning both back‑end routing systems and front‑end user interfaces—and will have a proven ability to lead product strategy from concept through deployment. This is a high‑impact leadership position requiring a balance of technical acumen, product management discipline, and the ability to guide cross‑functional, multi‑national teams in delivering next‑generation public safety solutions.

• Define and execute the R&D roadmap for Emergency 911 software products, ensuring alignment with NENA i3 and related standards.

• Track emerging technologies in public safety communications (NG911, IP‑based call routing, GIS integration) and incorporate advancements into product strategy.

• Lead end‑to‑end product lifecycle activities: market analysis, requirements development, roadmap planning, prioritization, release management, and post‑deployment support.

• Engage with key stakeholders—including PSAPs, telecom carriers, and government agencies—to translate operational needs into actionable product features.

• Develop business cases, pricing models, and go‑to‑market strategies for new software solutions.

• Lead multi‑disciplinary engineering teams through design, prototyping, and delivery of resilient, scalable, and standards‑compliant software.

• Oversee interoperability testing and ensure products meet NENA and related regulatory certifications.

• Advance modern development methodologies, including Agile practices, Dev Ops, and CI/CD automation.

• Champion the integration of AI‑powered tools for software development, code review, and automated testing to accelerate engineering velocity.

• Promote the use of AI‑driven test generation, regression automation, and defect prediction to enhance software robustness and security.

• Partner with Data & AI teams to evaluate emerging AI technologies and embed them into development workflows.

• Cultivate a culture of innovation by piloting and scaling AI‑enabled engineering practices across teams.

• Build strong relationships with industry bodies, standards groups, and technology partners to stay ahead of evolving regulatory and technical requirements.

• Ensure all solutions comply with federal, state, and local regulations governing emergency communications.

• Drive innovation in areas such as location accuracy, multimedia call handling (text, video, data), and cloud‑native NG911 solutions.

• Establish rigorous QA practices to ensure reliability in mission‑critical environments where system performance is paramount.

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Telecommunications, or a related discipline.

• 8+ years of experience in software product development, including at least 3 years in product management or R&D leadership.

• Demonstrated success delivering compliant, mission‑critical software solutions.

• Exceptional leadership, communication, and stakeholder engagement capabilities.

• Strong knowledge of Emergency 911 systems, NENA i3 standards, and public safety communications.

• Experience with GIS, SIP protocols, and IP‑based call routing.

• Familiarity with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) and microservices architectures.

• Ability to balance innovation, compliance, and customer needs.

• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills.