Chief Technology Officer

HCSS, a Thoma Bravo portfolio company, is seeking a Chief Technology Officer to further accelerate our growth. We are a market leader in heavy civil construction software and technology solutions. Our trusted estimating, field entry, project management, safety, digital plans, fleet management, and telematics solutions improve the operations of 3,000+ companies across North America. We serve all aspects of the market from local subcontractors to multinational, self-performing general contractors, including 19 of the 20 largest transportation contractors in the ENR 400.
We are currently seeking a Chief Technology Officer to join our team in our office in Suburban Houston (Sugar Land, TX), who is highly passionate and motivated to change the Construction Industry for the better using data and technology. You will be responsible for leading the company's technology resources focused on the successful development, deployment, and management of software solutions across our multiple product lines of business. You possess the ability to create vision, strategic direction, executional clarity, and accountability in a highly dynamic environment. You leverage your proven track record of building and motivating high performance teams capable of delivering both frequently and flawlessly, while having fun together. You have a "can-do" attitude and instill a sense of teamwork to build strong relationships with both internal and external constituents.
As the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) you will be responsible for driving the strategic direction and success of our technology stack and our product portfolio. You will lead a team of development leaders, infrastructure resources, and product managers and work closely with cross-functional teams to deliver innovative solutions that enable our customers to optimize and enhance their experience with their HCSS solutions. This position reports to the Chief Executive Officer and is a key member of the executive leadership team.
Responsibilities

• Technical Leadership: Lead and manage the Technology Organization consisting of Software Engineering, Product Development, Product Management, Quality Assurance, Database, Business Intelligence, Infrastructure, and IT Operations teams.
• Technology Strategy: Assess our technology capabilities, identify current gaps, and derive effective solutions for remediation based on capacity planning and resource allocation methods. This includes code, tools, resources, methodologies, partnerships, and results. Evaluation and execution of AI/ML, ChatGPT, ESG, and other strategies as pertinent to the company strategy.
• Infrastructure Leadership: Provide executive leadership to operations of our technology infrastructure, ensuring its stability, security, and scalability/reliability and compliance with industry standards. Implement and enforce best practices for system administration, network management, data backup, and disaster recovery.
• Thought Leadership and Technical Voice: Serve internally and externally as HCSS' voice to our vision. Participate in industry events, tech forums, etc to channel the best in and out of the company.
  
  • Be a true "talent magnet" for the company and passionately recruit (and retain) the industry's best talent to the company.
  • Own the technical delivery of our company's products and services with a set vision for future growth and adaptability to market trends and the needs of our customers.
• Product Strategy and Vision: Oversee development and communication of a compelling product vision and strategy that aligns with the company's goals and customer needs. With our Product leadership, stay ahead of market trends and emerging technologies to drive product innovation and maintain a competitive edge.
• Product Planning and Roadmap: Collaborate with key stakeholders, including executive leadership, customers, and internal teams, to define product requirements, prioritize features, and create a comprehensive product roadmap. Continuously refine the roadmap based on customer feedback, market insights, and business objectives.
• Product Development and Execution: Oversee the product development process, working closely with engineering and design teams to ensure timely and high-quality delivery of products. Foster a culture of innovation and agile development methodologies to drive efficient product development cycles.
• User Experience (UX) Design: Champion user-centered design principles to create intuitive and seamless experiences for our customers. Reinforce a user-friendly interface that enables users to effectively manage and analyze customer feedback and data.
• Market Analysis and Competitive Intelligence: Lead the effort to conduct market research and competitive analysis to identify market opportunities, customer needs, and emerging trends. Leverage market insights to inform product decisions and develop strategies to differentiate our platform from competitors.
• Profit and Loss Management: Ensure the profitability of each product and leverage an ownership approach to determine product investment strategies, the Product Lifecycle Management strategies, including product sunsets. Develop and manage the technology budget, ensuring optimal allocation of resources and cost-effective solutions.
• Customer Engagement and Feedback: Build strong relationships with key customers and solicit feedback to understand their pain points, gather product requirements, and identify opportunities for product enhancements. Use customer insights to drive continuous improvement and customer-centric product development.
• Performance Measurement and Analysis: Define key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics to assess the success of our products. Regularly analyze technical capabilities and product performance, user behavior, and customer feedback to identify areas for improvement and inform future product iterations.
• Team Leadership and Development: Build and lead a high-performing team. Provide guidance, mentorship, and professional development opportunities to team members. Foster a collaborative and inclusive culture that encourages innovation, creativity, and accountability.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in computer science, engineering, business, or a related field. MBA is a plus.
• 15+ years of technical leadership experience with a demonstrated track record of leading sophisticated engineering initiatives, complex infrastructure, and developing large scale applications.
• 10+ years of technical management experience with experience managing and developing other engineering directors and above.
• Proven experience in a senior leadership role, preferably as a VP/SVP or CTO/CPO in a similar capacity.
• Proven track record of successfully implementing technology strategies, driving innovation, and delivering results in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
• Experience in SaaS, B2B, cloud-based computing and development environments.
• Deep understanding of Experience Management principles, customer feedback, and data analytics.
• Demonstrated collaboration with Board of Directors and fellow C-suite executives to identify opportunities for technological innovation and develop plans to capitalize on them. Ease of engagement and comfort in presenting.
• Strong strategic thinking and problem-solving skills, with the ability to translate customer needs into impactful product solutions.
• Experience in managing complex product portfolios and creating product roadmaps that align with business objectives.
• Demonstrable track record of accountability to roadmaps & timelines, enabling predictable execution of development milestones and cost.
• Experience with M&As and how to best merge new technologies and assign teams.
• Proficiency in agile development methodologies and product management tools.
• Familiarity with multiple cloud environments, including public and private cloud.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to influence and align stakeholders at all levels of the organization.
• Strong business acumen and exemplary leadership capabilities, with a track record of contributing to and building and managing high-performing teams.
• Passion for innovation and staying updated with the latest technology trends in the experience management and software industry.
• Great communication skills (written and oral) and ability to work across various teams
• Experience with overseeing management of geographically dispersed remote teams.
• Demonstrated ability to balance short term needs with long term strategic goals.
• Analytical and strategic thinker with a solutions-oriented approach to solving problems.
• Ability to travel as needed
• Experience in modernization of legacy systems.

Key Technologies/Tech Stack:

• AWS/Azure
• Modern web application technologies
• .Net, C#, React, Typescript, MSSQL
• Modern mobile application technologies (iOS and Android)
• Visual Data Flex (VDF)
• Event-driven architecture

Benefits & Perks:

• Part of our mission statement is to provide a great life for our employees. We believe that happy employees make for a better company, so we take care of them. Here are a few of the perks we offer:
• Flexibility for you to work in-office, hybrid or remote.
• Medical and Dental Premiums.
• On-site amenities including covered basketball court, soccer field, 200-meter track, etc.
• Dog-friendly campus.
• 401K with match.
• Tuition reimbursement.
• And more!