Talent.com
Director of Research and Development

Director of Research and Development

Valsoft CorpAshburn, VA, United States
30+ days ago
Job type
  • Full-time
Job description

We're looking for a Director of Research & Development to lead the modernization and expansion of our software products for the alternative financial services industry. This is a hands-on leadership role that merges software engineering expertise with forward-thinking AI integration and rapid product innovation.

As Director of R&D, you will manage a talented engineering team and collaborate closely with our Product Manager and Operations teams. You’ll take ownership of delivering modern, scalable software—while embedding cutting-edge AI technologies into our workflows, user experience, and development process.

What You'll Do

Full-Stack Leadership

  • Take technical ownership across the entire stack : APIs, databases, cloud infrastructure, CI / CD, frontend apps, and internal tools.
  • Promote best practices in testing, observability, documentation , and code quality .
  • Ensure platform reliability and performance across services, products, and AI components.

Team Management & Mentorship

  • Lead and grow a cross-functional engineering team with a strong culture of innovation, delivery, and continuous learning.
  • Mentor developers in AI-assisted development tools (e.g., GitHub Copilot, Cursor) and encourage experimentation to increase team productivity.
  • Support individual and team performance through feedback, pairing, code reviews, and professional development.

    • AI-Driven Innovation & Product Development

  • Design, build, and deploy AI-powered features across the platform—including agent-based workflows, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), predictive tools, and automated decision systems.
  • Drive the rapid prototyping of new features, turning ideas into working proof-of-concepts in days and production-ready tools in weeks.
  • Apply LLMs and AI orchestration frameworks (e.g., LangChain, LlamaIndex) to real-world problems like compliance automation, document analysis, and fraud prevention.
  • Lead platform modernization by refactoring legacy components and building scalable cloud-native services.

    • Cross-Functional Execution

  • Work in close partnership with Product Management and Operations to align development work with customer needs and business priorities.
  • Communicate technical vision and architectural decisions across departments.
  • Bring a pragmatic approach to balancing innovation, speed, and technical debt

    • What You Bring

  • 5+ years of experience leading software engineering or R&D teams, ideally in SaaS or fintech environments.
  • Proven success delivering production-ready, customer-facing software across the full stack—from backend services to web frontends.
  • Strong architectural skills and comfort with modern cloud platforms (AWS, Azure) and DevOps workflows.
  • Experience applying AI or automation tools to enhance product features or streamline development workflows.
  • Familiarity with emerging AI / LLM frameworks (e.g., LangChain, LlamaIndex) and enthusiasm for exploring how they can support product innovation.
  • A track record of rapid iteration : launching prototypes quickly, gathering feedback, and refining based on real-world use.
  • A leadership style grounded in mentorship, collaboration, and elevating team performance.
  • Strong communication and project management skills—able to align cross-functional stakeholders and keep teams focused

    • Bonus Points

  • Experience revamping or re-platforming legacy systems into modern microservice or serverless architectures.
  • Understanding of compliance and regulatory demands in financial software or MSBs .
  • Background in intelligent automation, ML ops, or AI infrastructure.

    • Why This Role Matters

    This role is central to how we design, build, and scale our software platform. As Director of R&D, you’ll lead the engineering team responsible for delivering the features, systems, and tools that power our products and support our customers. Your work will directly influence product quality, development velocity, and the overall experience we deliver to the financial services industry.

    From modernizing core systems to guiding the next phase of platform growth, your leadership will shape the future of our technology and the success of the teams behind it.

    #J-18808-Ljbffr

    Create a job alert for this search

    Director Of Research • Ashburn, VA, United States

    Related jobs
    • Promoted
    Director of Innovation Delivery

    Director of Innovation Delivery

    VirtualVocationsFairfax, Virginia, United States
    Full-time
    A company is looking for a Director of Innovation Delivery.Key Responsibilities Lead and manage cross-functional squads for product development Design and implement AI systems, ensuring safe ope...Show moreLast updated: 2 days ago
    • Promoted
    Director of Learning and Development

    Director of Learning and Development

    OrchestraWashington, DC, US
    Full-time
    Director of Learning & Development.Orchestra is a new communications company that helps brands and organizations reach audiences in a more effective and precise way. Its growing team of 700+ storyte...Show moreLast updated: 30+ days ago
    • Promoted
    Director Prospect Development

    Director Prospect Development

    Virginia Department of Human Resource ManagementFairfax, VA, US
    Full-time
    As an integral member of the University Advancement team, the Director of Prospect Development is responsible for implementing a comprehensive program of research including the identification and q...Show moreLast updated: 30+ days ago
    • Promoted
    Senior Director of AI

    Senior Director of AI

    VirtualVocationsFairfax, Virginia, United States
    Full-time
    A company is looking for a Senior Director, Artificial Intelligence.Key Responsibilities Develop and execute the enterprise AI strategy and governance framework Identify and incubate innovative ...Show moreLast updated: 2 days ago
    • Promoted
    Director of Research

    Director of Research

    Clearance JobsWashington, DC, US
    Full-time
    Nakupuna Consulting is looking to hire a Director of Research to support a DoD client within the Office of the Secretary of Defense, in executing the research and analytical support requirements of...Show moreLast updated: 19 days ago
    • Promoted
    Senior Research Director

    Senior Research Director

    The Hackett GroupWashington, DC, US
    Full-time
    Focus on the core content of the job post, removing all extra metadata, navigation mentions, and redundant headers.Keep the high signal to noise ratio, making the content beautiful and condensed.Show moreLast updated: 30+ days ago
    • Promoted
    Director of Development, University Strategic Initiatives

    Director of Development, University Strategic Initiatives

    American UniversityWashington, DC, United States
    Full-time
    TheDirector of Development, University Strategic Initiatives is a member of the University Strategic Initiatives Advancement team that is responsible for developing and implementing a comprehensive...Show moreLast updated: 17 days ago
    • Promoted
    Senior Director of Development, SOC

    Senior Director of Development, SOC

    American UniversityWashington, DC, US
    Full-time
    Senior Director Of Development For The School Of Communications.American University is a student-centered research institution located in Washington, DC, with highly-ranked schools and colleges, in...Show moreLast updated: 30+ days ago
    • Promoted
    Executive Director, MD Research & Education Network (MDREN)

    Executive Director, MD Research & Education Network (MDREN)

    University System of Maryland OfficeHyattsville, MD, US
    Full-time
    Executive Director For Maryland Research & Education Network.The Executive Director for the Maryland Research & Education Network (MDREN) provides strategic planning, direction, and leadership for ...Show moreLast updated: 30+ days ago
    • Promoted
    Director of Research

    Director of Research

    Nakupuna CompaniesWashington, DC, US
    Full-time
    Nakupuna Consulting is looking to hire a Director of Research to support a DoD client within the Office of the Secretary of Defense, in executing the research and analytical support requirements of...Show moreLast updated: 18 days ago
    • Promoted
    Director of Development, SOE and CAS

    Director of Development, SOE and CAS

    American UniversityWashington, DC, US
    Full-time
    American University is a student-centered research institution located in Washington, DC, with highly-ranked schools and colleges, internationally-renowned faculty, and a reputation for creating me...Show moreLast updated: 30+ days ago
    • Promoted
    Director of Development Operations and Donor Experience

    Director of Development Operations and Donor Experience

    Project HOPEWashington, DC, US
    Full-time
    Director Of Development Operations And Donor Experience, Development And Communications.Project HOPE is an international NGO of more than 800 engaged employees and hundreds of volunteers who work i...Show moreLast updated: 30+ days ago
    • Promoted
    Senior Research Director

    Senior Research Director

    Morning ConsultWashington, DC, US
    Full-time
    Morning Consult is looking to hire an experienced and strategic leader to join our Research Solutions team as a Senior Research Director. Those in this role will be responsible for guiding high-impa...Show moreLast updated: 30+ days ago
    • Promoted
    Director of Fundraising and Development

    Director of Fundraising and Development

    JobotWashington, DC, US
    Full-time
    Director of Fundraising & Development - $$$ / Paid Benefits - Internationally Recognized Nonprofit.This Jobot Job is hosted by : Brittany Packard. Are you a fit? Easy Apply now by clicking the "Apply N...Show moreLast updated: 9 days ago
    • Promoted
    Director, Development Research (Job ID : 2025-3703)

    Director, Development Research (Job ID : 2025-3703)

    The Brookings InstitutionWashington, DC, US
    Full-time
    Brookings Institution Job Opportunity.Join one of the most influential, most quoted and most trusted think tanks!.The Brookings Institution is a nonprofit public policy organization based in Washin...Show moreLast updated: 30+ days ago
    • Promoted
    Director of Development

    Director of Development

    Virginia Department of Human Resource ManagementFairfax, VA, US
    Full-time
    The Director Of Development is responsible for designing and implementing a comprehensive development program for the University Libraries. The program incorporates both capital and annual fundraisi...Show moreLast updated: 30+ days ago
    Director of Research and Development

    Director of Research and Development

    Valsoft CorporationAshburn, VA, US
    Full-time
    Quick Apply
    Director of Research & Development.This is a hands-on leadership role that merges software engineering expertise with forward-thinking AI integration and rapid product innovation.As Director of...Show moreLast updated: 30+ days ago
    • Promoted
    Development Director

    Development Director

    National Kidney FoundationWashington, DC, United States
    Full-time
    If you are unable to complete this application due to a disability, contact this employer to ask for an accommodation or an alternative application process. Full Time Washington, DC, McLean, VA, US....Show moreLast updated: 15 days ago