Director, Software Development

FORTNA partners with the world’s leading brands to transform omnichannel and parcel distribution operations. Known world-wide for enabling companies to keep pace with digital disruption and growth objectives, we design and deliver solutions, powered by intelligent software, to optimize fast, accurate and cost-effective order fulfillment and last mile delivery. Our people, innovative approach and proprietary algorithms and tools ensure optimal operations design and material and information flow. We deliver exceptional value every day to our customers with comprehensive services and products including network strategy, distribution center operational design and implementation, material handling automated equipment, robotics and a comprehensive suite of lifecycle services.

At FORTNA, we believe in fostering a workplace that isn't just a job but a movement – a collective effort to redefine success and transform challenges into opportunities. "Join the Movement" encapsulates our commitment to a workplace culture that thrives on collaboration, celebrates diversity, and empowers every individual to contribute to something greater than themselves. Our Team. Our Passion. Our Approach.

The Director, Software Development is a strategic and operational leader responsible for driving the full scope of software delivery, innovation, and execution across Fortna’s software portfolio. This role oversees globally distributed Agile development teams, ensuring high-quality, on-time delivery of software products that meet client needs and align with Fortna’s business objectives. The Director will foster a culture of technical excellence, collaboration, and continuous improvement, while supporting R&D initiatives and managing departmental goals, budgets, and talent development.

Responsibilities:

Leadership & Strategy

• Develop and execute strategies that support global software development and innovation.

• Provide strategic direction, goals, and process improvements aligned with CSTO leadership.

• Lead cross-functional Agile teams across geographies to deliver scalable, high-quality software.

• Guide and mentor other Directors and team leads to foster leadership effectiveness.

• Represent the software department with integrity and maintain strong cross-functional relationships.

Operational & Technical Oversight

• Develop and maintain a scalable microservices architecture aligned with business and technical goals.
  Define API contracts, service boundaries, and communication patterns (e.g., REST, gRPC, event-driven).

• Evaluate and recommend tools, frameworks, and technologies that improve scalability, maintainability, and performance. Lead architecture reviews and provide technical guidance to development teams.

• Design and optimize cloud-native solutions leveraging platforms such as AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud.
  Define containerization and orchestration strategies (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes, ECS).

• Oversee daily operations of software engineering and product development teams.

• Ensure coordination, collaboration, and code reuse across distributed teams and subsystems.

• Support project planning, implementation, and delivery in partnership with Software Project Management.

• Maintain high-quality software design and documentation standards.

• Ensure seamless integration of microservices through API gateways, service discovery, and messaging systems (e.g., Kafka, RabbitMQ).
  Oversee data consistency, resilience, and transactional integrity across distributed systems.

• Support software QA and infrastructure teams in testing, deployment, and packaging.

• Lead onsite and remote support for WES/WCS implementations and troubleshooting.

Innovation & R&D

• Provide input into software strategy and emerging technologies.

• Support R&D initiatives through resource selection and technical guidance.

• Drive continuous improvement and adoption of industry best practices.

Talent Development

• Build and grow a high-performing software team through training, mentoring, and supervision.

• Organize technical training sessions and promote skill development across teams.

• Foster a collaborative and inclusive team culture.

Required Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field (Master’s preferred).

• 10+ years of experience in software product development, preferably in WCS, WES, MHS, or supply chain.

• 3+ years of direct experience with WES or WMS with automation.

• Proven success in launching high-quality software products.

• Strong technical background in SDLC, OOAD, and technologies such as C/C++, Java, SQL, XML, ActiveMQ.

• Experience with open-source operating systems and development tools.

• Excellent communication skills with executive presence.

• Strong interpersonal, organizational, and problem-solving skills.

• Ability to influence cross-functional teams without formal authority.

• Prior supervisory experience required.

• Willingness to travel up to 50% (domestic and minimal international).