Senior DevOps Engineer – Desktop Platforms

Change people’s 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 people’s lives.

Senior DevOps Engineer – Desktop Platforms & Release Engineering

📍 Location: Mechelen, Belgium
🧭 Function: R&D – Clinical & Research Platforms
👥 Role Type: Senior Individual Contributor
🌍 Scope: Global, multi-site

About Cochlear

At Cochlear, we create technology that helps people hear and be heard. Our implantable hearing solutions are used by millions of people worldwide, restoring access to sound, speech, and connection.

Behind every implant is a suite of mission-critical clinical software used daily by audiologists across the globe. These desktop applications program devices, diagnose behaviour, ensure safety, and optimise outcomes for patients of all ages. When this software works well, lives change. When it doesn’t, the consequences are real. 

About the Role

We are looking for a Senior DevOps Engineer – Desktop Platforms & Release Engineering to own and shape how Cochlear builds, tests, releases, and governs its clinical desktop software. 

This is not a cloud-native SaaS role. You will work on regulated, installed Windows software that must operate reliably in constrained, security-restricted, and sometimes disconnected clinical environments. 

This role carries scope and accountability equivalent to a Principal-level individual contributor. This means owning standards, making final technical decisions, and having the authority to enforce or block non-compliant pipelines and release practices.

You will act as the single technical authority for CI/CD, build systems, and release engineering across desktop applications, platforms, libraries, drivers, and hardware-dependent components. You will influence many teams globally, without direct reports.

What You’ll Do

• Own and govern CI/CD, build systems, and release engineering across Cochlear’s Desktop Software ecosystem

• Define, standardise, and enforce reproducible, containerised Windows build environments and dependency management

• Design and operate scalable CI/CD pipelines that integrate physical hardware, drivers, and firmware

• Consolidate fragmented or bespoke pipelines into a unified, compliant, and auditable platform

• Own release engineering end-to-end, including versioning, signing, packaging, validation, and promotion

• Ensure full traceability from commit to clinical distribution, including SBOMs and secure supply-chain practices

• Act as the escalation and decision authority for CI/CD, release, and hardware-automation issues

• Partner closely with Architecture, Quality, Regulatory, Cybersecurity, and delivery teams 

What We’re Looking For

Proven end-to-end ownership of CI/CD and release platforms across multiple teams or products, including standards definition and enforcement

• Deep expertise in Windows build ecosystems (.NET, MSBuild, CMake, MSVC, Qt)

• Demonstrated experience with reproducible, containerised Windows build environments

• Experience delivering desktop or installed software in constrained or regulated environments

• Hands-on experience integrating hardware into CI (USB, BLE, drivers, firmware interaction)

• Ability to influence, set standards, and make decisions without formal authority

• Clear communicator with strong technical judgment and an ownership mindset

• Experience in regulated industries such as medical devices, automotive, or aerospace is a strong advantage.

Key Requirements

Minimum

• BSc or MSc in Software Engineering, Computer Science, or equivalent experience

• 5+ years in DevOps, Platform Engineering, or Build/Release Engineering for complex systems

• Proven ownership of CI/CD and release platforms spanning multiple teams or products

• Strong expertise in Windows build ecosystems (.NET, MSBuild, CMake, Qt, MSVC)

• Experience designing reproducible, containerised Windows build environments

• Proven experience operating DevOps and CI/CD platforms for desktop or installed software products, not exclusively cloud-native or SaaS systems

• Practical experience with hardware-dependent CI (USB/BLE, drivers, firmware interaction)

• Strong understanding of networking constraints impacting CI/CD and distributed systems

• Strong communication skills in English, with the ability to influence technical and non-technical stakeholders

Why Join Cochlear

• Operate as a recognised DevOps and Release Engineering authority with Principal-level scope

• Own one of the most critical engineering platforms in Cochlear’s clinical ecosystem

• Shape how desktop clinical software is built and released for the next decade

• Deliver direct, measurable impact on clinical safety, regulatory confidence, and patient outcomes

• Work with talented engineers across Europe and Australia on meaningful, high-stakes problems

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

Cochlear’s 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 people’s 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