Manager - Software Development

Building the space between proven and possible, MDA Space (TSX:MDA) is a trusted mission partner to the global space industry. A robotics, satellite systems and geointelligence pioneer with a 55-year+ story of world firsts and more than 450 missions, MDA Space is a global leader in communications satellites, Earth and space observation, and space exploration and infrastructure. The MDA Space team of more than 3,000 space experts in Canada, the US and the UK has the knowledge and know-how to turn an audacious customer vision into an achievable mission – bringing to bear a one-of-a-kind mix of experience, engineering excellence and wide-eyed wonder that’s been in our DNA since day one.

For those who dream big and push boundaries on the ground and in the stars to change the world for the better, we’ll take you there.

We are seeking a Manager, Software Engineering, to lead and develop a software engineering team in Brampton, supporting advanced space and robotics programs. This role combines people leadership, workforce planning, and functional oversight to ensure the team has the skills, capacity, tools, and processes needed to meet current commitments and support future business needs.

Working with team leads, technical staff, and program leadership, the Manager, Software Engineering, supports employees’ professional development and career growth, strengthens engineering practices, and drives continuous improvement. The manager contributes to departmental strategy and aligns team priorities and resource allocation with program commitments and business objectives. This is primarily a people and functional leadership role; software development experience provides the technical foundation for informed decisions and effective collaboration with technical specialists.

People and Resource Management

Lead and develop the software engineering team, working with team leads and technical staff to meet program and business needs.

Contribute to workforce, succession, and organizational capability planning aligned with current and future business needs.

Manage recruitment, employee engagement, retention, performance management, and leadership development within the team.

Conduct regular one-on-one meetings, provide coaching and feedback, and support employee development and career planning.

Forecast resource needs and coordinate workforce allocation across programs, product development, research and development (R&D), and business development.

Partner with program and project leadership to resolve competing staffing priorities and align assignments with delivery needs and employee development goals.

Monitor staffing capacity, utilization, and skills coverage, and address gaps through recruitment, training, and resource allocation.

Foster a culture of accountability, innovation, professional growth, and continuous learning.

Ensure the proper application of the company’s policies and collective agreements.

Functional Leadership and Governance

Maintain and improve software engineering policies, processes, procedures, standards, and governance frameworks in collaboration with relevant stakeholders.

Ensure consistent implementation of software engineering practices across the programs and products supported by the team.

Support compliance with quality, regulatory, contractual, security, and customer requirements.

Monitor relevant performance metrics, quality objectives, audit findings, and corrective actions to drive continuous improvement.

Ensure adherence to company policies, processes, and health and safety requirements.

Technical Leadership

• Provide technical direction for the team in alignment with departmental strategy and program needs, drawing on subject matter experts to inform decisions.
• Maintain and evolve software engineering methodologies, standards, competency frameworks, and technical governance in collaboration with technical specialists.
• Identify capability gaps and lead initiatives to strengthen technical competencies and engineering practices.
• Lead continuous improvement and modernization initiatives, including AI adoption, DevOps, and verification and validation (V&V).
• Evaluate and promote engineering tools, techniques, and technologies that improve quality, execution, and competitiveness.
• Support the identification, escalation, and mitigation of significant technical, operational, and organizational risks.

Business Leadership

• Coordinate software engineering participation in proposal development, bid reviews, customer engagements, and strategic pursuits to align technical solutions and cost estimates with customer needs and business strategy.
• Partner with engineering, program, product development, operations, and business development leadership to align priorities, resource requirements, and technical capabilities.
• Manage assigned operating and overhead budgets, support annual forecasting, and recommend spending priorities and capital investments.
• Oversee the facilities, engineering tools, and infrastructure used by the team, and develop and recommend business cases for capability improvements.
• Support the protection of intellectual property, including patents, trade secrets, and proprietary information.
• Contribute to departmental strategic priorities, objectives, and performance metrics, and lead team-level transformation initiatives

Required Qualifications

• A minimum of 10 years of combined experience in software engineering and leadership.
• Demonstrated people-management experience, including employee development, coaching, mentoring, performance management, and conflict resolution.
• Experience in workforce planning, budgeting, organizational leadership, and strategic planning.
• Hands-on experience in software design and development, including coding in C++ and/or C#.
• Hands-on experience evaluating and applying AI-assisted software engineering tools, with attention to software quality, security, and intellectual property protection.
• Demonstrated success implementing engineering process improvements and organizational transformation initiatives.
• Strong interpersonal and leadership skills.
• Strong understanding of the software engineering lifecycle, requirements management, software architecture, V&V, and modern engineering practices.
• Bachelor’s degree in software engineering, computer science, or a related discipline.
• Experience in the aerospace, medical, nuclear, or automotive sectors.

Comments/Special Considerations

Successful candidates must obtain and hold security clearance at the reliability status level, and pass security assessment for the Controlled Goods Program (CGP) and ITAR.

We’re a dream team of purpose-driven, collaborative and passionate people, and we are constantly looking for others to join #MissionMDA to ignite new and innovative approaches to problem-solving that push us forward to improve life on and above Earth. If you’re excited to expand our place in space and driven to inspire the next generation, we’ll take you there.

We have entered a new era of exploration and development, and MDA welcomes all who yearn to suit up and be part of it. An equal opportunity employer prizing diversity, integrity and collaboration, we are committed to growing MDA’s and Canada’s leadership in this next golden age.

MDA provides competitive compensation and benefits packages for its employees at all locations. As a team member of MDA, you and your qualified dependents are eligible to participate in a benefit plan that ensures a comprehensive level of protection through competitive health care including; extended healthcare and flexible drug plans, dental and vision benefits, disability income protection, life insurance, group retirement savings plans; and an employee and family assistance program.

MDA is an equal opportunity employer prizing diversity and inclusion. We are committed to treating all employees and applicants for employment with respect and dignity. If you require assistance and/or reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or the recruiting process, please feel free to notify us.

The compensation range for this position is $102,000 - $160,000 annually. The specific compensation offered will be based on the qualifications and experience of the successful candidate.