Engineering Manager, Desktop Platforms CIResearch

Change peoples lives and love what you do! Cochlear develops world-leading medical devices that help people hear. As a top 100 medical device company and market-leader in implantable hearing devices more people choose a Cochlear-branded cochlear implant system than any other. Our employees tell us that the number one reason they enjoy working for Cochlear is the opportunity to make a difference to peoples lives.

Engineering Manager Desktop Platforms (CI/Research)

Location: Mechelen Belgium
Function: R&D Desktop Platforms
Role Type: People Manager
Scope: Global multi-site

About the Role

We are looking for an Engineering Manager to lead teams within our Desktop Platforms organisation during a period of significant modernisation.

Cochlear is investing heavily in its engineering foundation: reproducible and containerised builds unified CI/CD architectural modernisation stronger cybersecurity improved release governance and scalable multi-site execution across Europe and Australia.

This is a technical people-leadership role. You are accountable for outcomesteam capability delivery predictability quality and compliancerather than hands-on coding or project management. Your leadership directly influences our ability to deliver safe reliable clinical software at global scale.

What Youll Do

• Build lead and develop high-performing engineering teams delivering clinical desktop software

• Create clarity and stability in complex regulated environments

• Ensure predictable delivery through disciplined planning and early risk management

• Raise engineering standards across CI/CD testing documentation and quality practices

• Ensure adherence to architectural patterns and regulatory expectations

• Partner closely with Architecture DevOps QA Regulatory Product and Delivery

• Drive continuous improvement while reducing technical debt and legacy complexity

• Foster a culture where quality safety and accountability are the default

What Were Looking For

• Experience leading engineering teams delivering complex long-lived software products

• Strong people leadership skills: hiring coaching feedback and performance management

• A solid technical foundation and the ability to engage credibly with architects and senior engineers

• Familiarity with modern engineering practices (CI/CD automation DevOps)

• Experience in regulated safety-critical or quality-driven environments is a strong advantage

• Comfort operating in global multi-site organisations

• Clear communicator with strong judgment ownership and calm leadership under pressure

Minimum Requirements

Experience

• Minimum 10 years of professional experience in software engineering including significant time (at least 3 years) in engineering leadership or people-management roles.

• Proven experience leading teams delivering complex long-lived production software where reliability quality and risk management are critical.

Education

• Bachelors or Masters degree in Computer Science Software Engineering Electrical & Computer Engineering or a closely related engineering discipline.

• Candidates from other engineering backgrounds are considered provided they have substantial demonstrable experience in professional software development.

• A rigorous engineering foundation is required; this role is not suitable for non-engineering profiles.

Language Skills

• Fluent professional English is mandatory (spoken and written).

• Dutch and/or French are advantageous but not required.

Technical Scope

• Strong background in modern software engineering practices (CI/CD automation testing DevOps).

• Experience with desktop or system-level software is a strong advantage.

• Exposure to regulated safety-critical or quality-driven environments is highly valued.

Leadership Scope

• Demonstrated experience hiring coaching and performance-managing engineers including senior engineers and technical leaders.

• Ability to operate credibly with Architects DevOps QA Regulatory Product and senior leadership.

• Comfortable owning outcomes making hard trade-offs and representing engineering reality at leadership level.

Why Join Cochlear

• Lead engineering teams building technology that improves and restores hearing for millions of people

• Work in a modern engineering environment undergoing meaningful transformation

• Solve complex problems where quality safety and reliability truly matter

• Collaborate with talented engineers across Europe and Australia

Do career-defining work with purpose scale and long-term impact

What we offer

An attractive remuneration package and flexible extra-legal benefits

An extensive onboarding and training program

An enjoyable work environment with attention to life-work balance and homeworking

A stimulating environment with growth opportunities and opportunity to meet multi-disciplinary colleagues across the globe

This is your chance to be part of a premier organization with a great culture working in a dynamic growing and rapidly evolving environment to deliver outstanding results that benefit our customers every day. Be part of something purposeful and APPLY now by clicking on the link below and see your career grow!

Cochlear Summary

Cochlears mission is to help people hear and be heard. Around the world more people chose a Cochlear-branded hearing implant system than any other. Our employees tell us that the number one reason they enjoy working for Cochlear is the opportunity to make a difference to peoples lives. Learn and grow with us as we tackle the most complex challenges in helping people to Hear Now. And Always. Cochlear is the global market leader in implantable hearing solutions including cochlear implant systems (CI) and bone anchored hearing aids (Baha).

Equal opportunities