Engineering Manager, Desktop Platforms

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 outcomes—team capability, delivery predictability, quality, and compliance—rather than hands‑on coding or project management. Your leadership directly influences our ability to deliver safe, reliable clinical software at global scale.

What You’ll 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 We’re 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

• Bachelor’s or Master’s 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

Equal opportunities

Cochlear is committed to providing equal opportunities to av