Head of Delivery

Rising Tides Solutions, LLC•Richmond, VA

3h•Hybrid

About The Position

RTS Labs is seeking a Head of Delivery to lead and scale the company’s delivery organization, ensuring consistent, high-quality, and profitable execution across all client engagements. This role is accountable for the overall health and performance of delivery at RTS, including project execution, staffing, utilization, delivery forecasting, and operational discipline. Critically, this role is also responsible for ensuring the company can successfully realize revenue from sold work—partnering closely with Sales to align pipeline, capacity, and execution so that bookings translate into delivered value and recognized revenue. The Head of Delivery will create the structure, rhythm, and accountability needed to support a growing portfolio of complex client work, while partnering closely with the CEO, CRO, PM Lead, Engineering Managers, and Technical Council. This is a senior leadership role, responsible for leading a management layer (PM Lead and Pod Leaders) and influencing outcomes across the broader organization. Success requires strong executive presence, the ability to lead through others, drive accountability at all levels, and bring clarity and structure without introducing unnecessary process.

Requirements

10+ years of experience in delivery, consulting, or services organizations, with progressive leadership responsibility
Executive level experience with a software engineering company whose clients are Fortune 500 (great if it’s in utilities, oil & gas, etc.)
Success building a team that scaled from $20M-$50M revenue
Strategy + Execution
Leads but also rolls up sleeves when necessary
Experience leading manager-of-managers (e.g., PM Leads, Delivery Leads, or equivalent)
Proven track record of owning delivery performance across multiple concurrent client engagements
Experience managing staffing, utilization, and forecasting in a consulting or project-based environment
Demonstrated accountability for project margin, financial outcomes, and revenue realization
Experience partnering closely with Sales teams to align pipeline with delivery capacity
Experience operating in a fast-paced, ambiguous environment where structure had to be built or improved
Strong executive presence with the ability to influence senior stakeholders (CEO, CRO, clients)
Ability to lead through others and drive accountability without micromanaging
Comfortable making decisions with incomplete information and creating clarity in ambiguity
Willingness to have direct, sometimes difficult conversations to drive better outcomes
High ownership mindset with a bias toward action and follow-through
Ability to balance strategic thinking with operational execution
Experience scaling delivery in a high-growth environment
Prior experience in a Head of Delivery, VP Delivery, or equivalent leadership role in a midsize software engineering organization.
Deep understanding of delivery operations, including project lifecycle, risk management, and client communication
Strong grasp of utilization, margin, and forecasting levers in a services business
Ability to connect delivery execution to business outcomes and financial performance
Experience building or improving delivery operating models, processes, and accountability structures
Data-driven mindset with the ability to use metrics and insights to drive decisions
Background in a consulting firm focused on data, AI, or custom software delivery
Comfort working in technical environments (software, data, AI, or related fields)
Experience leveraging tools and systems to improve delivery visibility and efficiency
Interest in and willingness to adopt AI and emerging technologies to improve delivery operations
Ability to evaluate and implement practical solutions that scale without adding unnecessary complexity

Nice To Haves

Clients are in utilities, oil & gas

Responsibilities

Own the performance of delivery across RTS, including project outcomes, client satisfaction, and margin
Ensure sold work is executed in a way that enables timely, accurate revenue recognition and strong financial performance
Establish and maintain clear, real-time visibility into all active projects, including timeline, budget, scope, quality, and risk
Identify and address risks early, intervening in at-risk engagement before escalation is required
Build and reinforce a “no surprises” delivery culture across client engagements
Lead and develop the delivery leadership structure, including the PM Lead and Pod Leaders
Define and enforce clear roles, responsibilities, and ownership across delivery
Hold delivery leaders accountable for execution, communication, and follow-through
Build a scalable operating model that improves visibility, consistency, and decision making as the company grows
Ensure the PM function is operating at a high level through strong leadership of the PM Lead
Set clear expectations for project ownership, including project kickoff, planning, tracking, risk management, client communication, and closeout
Ensure PMs are acting as true owners of delivery outcome, not just coordinators
Drive consistency in delivery practices across all projects without introducing unnecessary process
Own resource allocation across engagements, ensuring alignment between project needs and team capability
Improve the speed and quality of staffing decisions
Improve forecasting accuracy through better use of data, tooling, and AI-assisted insights
Actively manage utilization, bench, and upcoming staffing needs
Anticipate future skill and capacity gaps with leadership to proactively address them
Define and reinforce lightweight, effective delivery processes across the full project lifecycle
Continuously improve delivery efficiency by streamlining workflows, reducing manual effort, and eliminating friction
Leverage AI and other forward-leaning tools to enhance delivery operations, including project tracking, forecasting, resource planning, and knowledge sharing
Partner with delivery and engineering leadership to pilot and scale practical AI usage within delivery
Identify systemic issues affecting delivery and implement practical, scalable solutions
Focus on root causes rather than layering on process for its own sake
Ensure leadership has clear visibility into project health, resource constraints, and delivery risks
Establish clear operating rhythms for delivery reviews, forecasting, and issue resolution
Escalate delivery risks early and drive timely resolution
Create stronger accountability around urgency, ownership, and follow-through
Partner closely with the CEO and CRO to ensure delivery capacity with sales pipelines and revenue goals
Collaborate with the Technical Council to align delivery execution with technical standards and feasibility
Ensure smooth transitions from pre-sales to delivery, including clear scope, expectations, and ownership
Provide input into estimation, deal shaping, and resourcing strategy to support both delivery success and business performance
Take ownership of high-risk engagements and delivery escalations when needed
Step into critical client situations to stabilize delivery, rebuild confidence, and drive resolution
Support delivery leaders in navigating complex challenges while maintaining accountability
Use insights from escalations to identify patterns and drive systemic improvements