Valsoft

Acquires, grows vertical market software companies

Development Manager

Product ManagementPosted on Nov 6

Full-timeSliedrecht, Netherlands

About the Job

Requirements

Proven experience with AI products is required.
Proven experience leading development teams and managing software projects, ideally including external or nearshore/offshore developers.
Solid knowledge of agile methods such as Scrum or Kanban and project management practices.
A solid background in software development or IT, for example as a developer, software engineer or technical consultant; hands-on experience building or integrating AI solutions such as large language models, machine-learning models or AI application programming interfaces is desirable.
Strong communication and collaboration skills for working across teams.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to think strategically and execute pragmatically.
Experience with product and project management tools such as Jira, Productboard, Aha! or Trello.
Ability to take ownership, drive decisions and manage several topics in parallel in a dynamic environment.
Fluent written and spoken English and conversational Dutch.
Willingness to travel 20–30% and visit customers on site when needed.

Responsibilities

Own the development and full lifecycle of one or more products, shape product vision and roadmap with Engineering, Design, Sales and Customer Success, lead external developers, act as project manager, translate business needs into development projects, ensure on-time high-quality delivery, and drive AI revenue.
Lead and coordinate external developers and manage development partners by planning capacity, agreeing on scope and deliverables, and keeping the team focused on priorities.
Translate the product roadmap and business needs into development projects, requirements and user stories.
Plan sprints and releases, track progress, manage risks and dependencies, and ensure on-time delivery within budget.
Safeguard software quality through acceptance criteria, reviews and testing with the development team.
Define and communicate product vision, strategy and roadmap.
Evaluate market trends, customer feedback and competitors and make product decisions based on those insights.
Develop AI-focused product strategies for new AI capabilities in workforce planning.
Advise Engineering on technical feasibility, architecture and AI implementation, including model selection, data requirements and integration of AI services, and make informed trade-offs.
Own the product backlog and prioritize based on business goals, customer needs and technical feasibility.
Translate labor laws, collective agreements and scheduling rules into clear, usable product features.
Align with Sales, Marketing and Customer Success so launches succeed and products are adopted by customers.
Communicate product goals, status and timelines transparently across teams.
Lead product discovery, including customer research, usability testing and regular feedback from customers and internal stakeholders.
Track product performance and key performance indicators and adjust strategy based on results.
Organize and lead regular Customer Advisory Board sessions to validate product direction and strengthen customer relationships.
Own go-to-market for new products and features, including pricing models for AI-based products, and align teams for successful launches.
Drive adoption and monetization of AI capabilities and be accountable for AI revenue targets.
Guide products through their full lifecycle, from idea to retirement, and resolve issues after launch.

Desired Qualifications

Familiarity with cloud/SaaS architectures, data models, AI tooling and system integrations, such as HR, time registration or payroll interfaces.
Experience in the Workforce Management industry.

Development Manager (m/f/d) - Hybrid - Sliedrecht

Valsoft Corporation · Sliedrecht, Netherlands (Hybrid) · Full-time · Posted 2026-11-06

Workplace: hybrid

Department: MANUS

Description

About MANUS

For more than 30 years, MANUS has helped organizations plan, schedule and deploy their people. Our platform combines workforce planning, time registration, labor compliance, AI and payroll preparation in one cloud-native solution – helping customers save up to 10% on labor costs. Retailers, logistics service providers and leisure businesses rely on MANUS to publish and fill shifts, process worked hours in line with labor laws and collective agreements, and stay in control of their workforce.

As part of Valsoft, we combine deep Workforce Management expertise with the energy of a growing SaaS company. Our product is proven in the market, and we are ready for the next phase of growth. This is where you come in.

Your Role

As Development Manager, you own the development and full lifecycle of one or more of our products. Together with Engineering, Design, Sales and Customer Success, you shape the product vision and roadmap – and you make it happen: you lead a team of external developers and act as project manager, translating business needs into development projects and ensuring on-time, high-quality delivery. You make sure we deliver software that solves real workforce challenges for our customers and drives our business goals. You are also responsible for AI revenue – turning our AI capabilities into commercial success. With a technical and AI-savvy mindset, you act as the bridge between business and engineering, and you know what it takes to turn AI technology into features customers actually use.

Development Management & Project Delivery

Lead and coordinate a team of external developers and manage the collaboration with development partners: plan capacity, agree on scope and deliverables, and keep the team focused on the right priorities.
Translate the product roadmap and business needs into concrete development projects, requirements and user stories.
Act as project manager: plan sprints and releases, track progress, manage risks and dependencies, and ensure on-time delivery within budget.
Safeguard software quality through clear acceptance criteria, reviews and testing together with the development team.

Product Strategy & Vision

Define and clearly communicate the product vision, strategy and roadmap.
Evaluate market trends, customer feedback and competitors, and make product decisions based on these insights.
Develop AI-focused product strategies for new AI capabilities in workforce planning.

Product Development

Act as a sparring partner for Engineering on technical feasibility, architecture and AI implementation (e.g. model selection, data requirements, integration of AI services), using your technical understanding to make well-founded trade-offs.
Own the product backlog and prioritize based on business goals, customer needs and technical feasibility.
Translate complex requirements – such as labor laws, collective agreements and scheduling rules – into clear, usable product features.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

Align with Sales, Marketing and Customer Success so launches succeed and products land well with customers.
Communicate product goals, status and timelines transparently across all teams.

Market & Customer Insights

Lead product discovery, including customer research, usability testing and regular feedback from customers and internal stakeholders.
Track product performance and KPIs and adjust the strategy based on the results.
Organize and lead regular Customer Advisory Board sessions to validate product direction and strengthen key customer relationships.

Product Launch & Lifecycle Management

Own the go-to-market for new products and features, including pricing models for AI-based products, and align all teams for a successful launch.
Take ownership of AI revenue: drive adoption and monetization of our AI capabilities and be accountable for AI revenue targets.
Guide the product across its full lifecycle, from idea to retirement, and stay close to it after launch to resolve any issues.

What You Bring

Proven experience with AI products – this is a must.
Proven experience leading development teams and managing software projects, ideally including external or nearshore/offshore developers.
Solid knowledge of agile methods (e.g. Scrum, Kanban) and project management practices.
A solid background in software development or IT (e.g. as a developer, software engineer or technical consultant), ideally with hands-on experience building or integrating AI solutions (e.g. LLMs, machine learning models, AI APIs).
Familiarity with cloud/SaaS architectures, data models, AI tooling and system integrations (e.g. HR, time registration or payroll interfaces) is a plus.
Experience in the Workforce Management (WFM) industry is a plus.
Strong communication and collaboration skills that make working across teams easy for you.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills: you think strategically and execute pragmatically.
Experience with product and project management tools (e.g. Jira, Productboard, Aha!, Trello).
You enjoy taking ownership and driving decisions, and you can manage several topics in parallel in a dynamic environment.
English - fluent (written and spoken), Dutch - conversational
Willingness to travel 20–30%: you enjoy visiting customers and being on site when needed.

What We Offer

Clear career perspective: a defined development path with real room to grow.
Direct line to leadership: short decision paths and flat hierarchies mean your ideas are heard and implemented.
Modern tech stack: state-of-the-art AI tools are part of our daily work.
Flexible working: hybrid, based in Sliedrecht, built around your life and not just your working hours.
Attractive compensation: a competitive base salary plus performance-related components.
An entrepreneurial culture with minimal bureaucracy, backed by the stability of the Valsoft group.

Ready to shape the future of Workforce Management?

If you want to build products that help organizations plan their people smarter and pay them correctly, we would love to hear from you.

Apply

Apply at Valsoft Corporation

About the Company

Valsoft

Acquires, grows vertical market software companies

Valsoft is a company that buys software businesses that serve specific, essential industries (like automotive and broadcasting) and helps them grow over the long term. It focuses on vertical market software—programs that are built for a particular industry—and keeps the acquired companies independent while giving them extra resources, best practices, and access to a global network. The core idea is to improve how these software businesses operate and expand their reach, rather than building new products from scratch. The main way Valsoft works is to purchase a niche software company, streamline its operations, and partner with the existing management team to drive steady growth. This approach sets Valsoft apart from others by emphasizing patient, long-term ownership and collaboration within a diverse portfolio of niche software. The goal is to create durable, profitable companies that continue to serve their essential customers efficiently and expand into new markets.

Company size: 501-1,000
Company stage: Growth Equity (Venture Capital)
Total funding: $420M
Headquarters: Montreal, Canada
Founded: 2015

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