Head of Systems Engineering

Head of Systems Engineering - MBSE Transformation

Experience: 10+ years in complex systems development, including 5+ years in Systems Engineering leadership

Languages: English required; French is a strong asset

About Elmea

Elmea is a Brussels-based consulting firm specialised in the Life Sciences and Pharmaceutical industries. We support our clients in their strategic and operational challenges by connecting them with experienced professionals who bring expertise, commitment and a strong understanding of their sectors.

The Opportunity

We are looking for an experienced Head of Systems Engineering to lead the transformation of Systems Engineering practices within a Belgian technology company operating in a complex, regulated environment.

In this strategic leadership role, you will define and drive a renewed Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) approach, strengthening the structure, scalability, reliability and traceability of systems throughout the entire product lifecycle.

You will report directly to the Head of R&D and lead a multidisciplinary team of approximately 25 people, including Systems Architects, Requirements Engineers, Verification & Validation Engineers and System Owners.

Key Responsibilities

• Define and drive the Systems Engineering vision and roadmap, translating business and technology objectives into concrete frameworks, priorities and ways of working.
• Lead the adoption and maturity of MBSE practices, leveraging tools such as Polarion (Siemens), Enterprise Architect (Sparx), SysML and UML.
• Establish robust requirements management, system architecture practices and end-to-end lifecycle traceability.
• Lead and develop a multidisciplinary team, fostering technical expertise, ownership, accountability and performance.
• Oversee the full Systems Engineering lifecycle, from stakeholder needs and requirements through architecture, integration, verification and validation.
• Strengthen engineering governance, including requirements flow-down, architectural trade-offs, interface definition, configuration management and change control.
• Define and drive the System Verification & Validation strategy, ensuring product readiness and compliance in safety-critical and regulated environments.
• Provide leadership on critical system topics, including technical escalations, non-conformities, root cause analysis, obsolescence and technical debt.
• Ensure continuity between legacy and future product generations, supporting interoperability, upgradeability and long-term product support.

Your Profile

• Master's degree in Systems Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science Engineering or a related field.
• At least 10 years of experience in complex systems development, including a minimum of 5 years in Systems Engineering leadership.
• Strong knowledge of Systems Engineering lifecycle standards and frameworks, such as INCOSE, ISO/IEC 15288 and IEC 61508.
• Proven experience in safety-critical or regulated environments, such as industrial, medical, aerospace or automotive.
• Strong understanding of MBSE, requirements engineering, system architecture and lifecycle traceability.
• Hands-on experience with Polarion, Enterprise Architect and SysML/UML.
• Experience with Model-Based Safety Analysis (MBSA) is an asset.
• Demonstrated ability to lead multidisciplinary engineering teams and translate a transformation vision into actionable priorities.
• Proactive and dynamic leadership, with the ability to challenge existing practices, navigate change and make timely decisions.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to engage R&D teams, customers, regulatory bodies and other stakeholders.
• Good command of English; French is a strong asset.

What We Offer

• A strategic leadership position with direct reporting to the Head of R&D.
• The opportunity to shape and transform Systems Engineering practices within a growing technology environment.
• Leadership of a multidisciplinary team of approximately 25 professionals.
• A collaborative and supportive working environment that encourages autonomy, ownership and teamwork.
• Flexibility and remote-working possibilities.