Systems and Software – Vice-president – Innovation/growth

About the Company 

Our client is a well-established Canadian systems and software company that serves mission critical applications in sectors such as oil and gas, military, utilities, municipal, service providers and mining. The firm’s broad addressable markets are sizeable, global and fast growing with industry experts predicting significant growth the next three years.

Our client’s mission is to deliver the highest value to its customers with unparalleled industry solutions built on innovative technologies, deep technical knowledge and feature-rich applications. The firm is widely recognized for the robustness of its technologies, ease of use, flexibility and profound impact on client businesses.

Our client is Toronto-based and TSX-listed.

Scope of Position

As new technologies emerge and broader markets are made accessible, our client is capitalizing on the opportunity to transition its business from a provider of licenced, on-premise hardware and software to one with recurring revenues and ever more software and services. Supporting the CEO in realizing this growth opportunity and its operational plans will be the responsibility of the new Vice-President Innovation and Growth

The successful candidate will lever their experience with IoT, digital transformation, services and solutions along with the company’s positioning, momentum and growing markets to significantly accelerate revenues and profits in the new business area. It is expected that the successful candidate will bring a driving, hands-on, ‘lead from the front’ approach to that task while nurturing a collaborative culture of excellence.

This is an outstanding opportunity that features:

• Strong industry position and company growth
• Committed and well-funded
• Highly entrepreneurial culture
• An opportunity to make a real difference

Functional Tasks 

• Work with the CEO and members of the senior management team to refine the strategic and operating plans, priorities and options.
• Oversee the new products/services initiative to ensure the timely implementation and execution of the business and financial plans.
• Ensure that organizational capacity is in place by which to deliver on the company’s plans.
• Architect the new product organization ensuring that it has in place the human resources, processes and operational capabilities by which to scale and the corporate culture to outperform.
• Drive the revenue build process with substantive rapid growth as the goal. Refine and align the sales organization and processes to that goal.
• Maintain, improve, and create senior level relationships with existing and potential customers and strategic partners.
• Ensure milestones are met on time, with high quality – and that they meet the cost objectives that are established; report on a monthly as well as a quarterly basis.
• Remain abreast of the industry, competitors and trends with a view to ensuring that all alliance, acquisition and investment opportunities are considered and the most attractive pursued.
• Lead the expansion of the business into new high growth verticals. Engage with strategic stakeholders in those markets.
• Report regularly and proactively to the CEO on results and plans going forward.
• Adapt business model to capitalize on evolving customer needs and new competitive offerings.
• Implement and continually refine a product roadmap that incorporates customer feedback and ensures competitive advantage in the marketplace.

Key Performance Deliverables

In light of the identified responsibilities, the following are specific deliverables  that the position is designed to achieve.

• Specific measures of performance relating to growth, profitability, customer satisfaction, etc. will be discussed and agreed upon with the successful candidate.

Competency Profile

The following competencies listed below define the role of V ice-President Innovation and Growth:

Imagines future possibilities. Thinks broadly and investigates a wide-range of alternatives in developing a vision for the future. Selects the most promising vision from a range of alternatives and communicates this vision to others.

Strategic Approach

Develops a strategic plan to realize the vision. Revises strategy in light of changing circumstances. Takes a long-term view of organizational success. Works to clarify long term organizational goals. Able to stand back from immediate problems in order to focus on more far reaching ideas.

Results Orientation

Focuses strongly on achieving agreed upon outcomes and ensures that key objectives are met. Conveys a sense of urgency and drives issues to closure. Aims to improve upon past performance. Establishes aggressive personal targets and strives to achieve them. Stays ahead of the noise and sets the tone and agenda daily to drive the management team and employees towards the company’s goals.

Initiative
Proactive. Seizes opportunities and acts upon them immediately. Takes responsibility for own actions and addresses problems before asked.

Customer/Client Orientation

Strives to provide customers/clients with personalized and efficient service. Anticipates customers’/clients’ needs. Quickly follows up on customer/client contacts and complaints. Monitors and acts on measures of customer/client satisfaction. Develops high-impact relationships with key external clients, with the ability to envision and advocate a mutually beneficial long-term partnership between the company and the client.

Industry & Market Awareness

Seeks to anticipate and respond to industry and market changes/challenges by understanding key characteristics, issues and the factors driving them. Aware of competitor’s products, services and position.

Commercial Acumen

Applies appropriate commercial and financial principles; Understands situations in terms of costs, profits, added-value and return on investment; Imagines future possibilities. Thinks broadly and investigates a wide-range of alternatives in developing a vision for the future. Selects the most promising vision from a range of alternatives and communicates this vision to others.

Preferred Experience / Education

The following indicates specific industry, academic and functional experience/qualifications that are important to the successful achievement of the identified responsibilities and performance deliverables.

• A highly intelligent, strategically minded executive with superb communication and interpersonal skills and a willingness to roll-up his/her sleeves.
• Minimum of 10-15 years of experience in leadership capacities with at least five years in a Director or VP role with specific revenue growth responsibilities.
• Previous experience in a recurring revenues software or related technology-based company required.
• Track record of working with mid-sized enterprise software companies ($10-50mm) driving accelerated revenue growth over extended periods.
• Proven entrepreneurial experience with appropriate financial, market and business acumen in scaling businesses.
• Exposure to international markets and willingness to travel
• Strong team orientation well-suited to building consensus in a growing concern.
• Toronto-based or willingness to relocate to Toronto.
• A charismatic, inspirational leader rather than manager.
• Change management and business transformation experience within mid-sized companies.
• Highly competitive base, variable and equity compensation package to the successful candidate
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