Associate Embedded Software Delivery Manager

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Cochlear’s mission is to help people hear and be heard. As the global leader in implantable hearing solutions, Cochlear is dedicated to helping people with moderate to profound hearing loss experience a world full of sound. We aim to transform the way people understand and treat hearing loss and innovate to connect people with future technologies. 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 more people to experience a lifetime of hearing.

About the role

The Associate Embedded Software Delivery Manager drives successful delivery across complex Embedded Software teams, taking ownership for planning, execution, risks, dependencies and delivery commitments.

You will work closely with Engineering Managers, Platform Architects, Program Managers, Systems Engineering and development teams to create clarity, maintain momentum and ensure teams remain aligned to agreed outcomes.

This role is about more than coordinating Agile processes. You will actively identify delivery challenges, bring the right people together, challenge assumptions, facilitate decisions and drive issues through to resolution.

You do not need to be an embedded software engineer. You will, however, need the technical curiosity and credibility to understand complex engineering challenges, ask the right questions and confidently work with experienced engineering stakeholders.

You will thrive in this role if you enjoy taking ownership, bringing structure to ambiguity and helping technical teams convert complex plans into dependable delivery outcomes.

What you'll do

Delivery ownership and execution

• Own and drive squad-level delivery planning, execution and delivery commitments.

• Translate platform priorities into realistic plans based on capacity, dependencies and engineering constraints.

• Maintain visibility of milestones, forecasts and commitments, and take action when delivery moves off track.

• Create momentum by removing blockers, driving decisions and holding yourself and others accountable for agreed outcomes.

Risk, dependencies and problem solving

• Identify risks, dependencies and impediments before they affect delivery.
• Work across teams to develop practical mitigation and recovery plans.
• Balance scope, quality, technical debt, capacity, risk and delivery commitments.
• Escalate appropriately while remaining accountable for driving issues through to resolution.
• Support release readiness and quality-focused decisions in a highly regulated engineering environment.

Stakeholder management and influence

• Build trusted relationships across Engineering, Architecture, Systems Engineering, Program and Product teams.
• Bring stakeholders together when priorities, dependencies or expectations conflict.
• Challenge assumptions constructively and facilitate difficult delivery conversations.
• Communicate progress, risk, trade-offs and delivery impacts clearly and proactively.
• Influence outcomes without relying on formal authority and adapt communication for technical and senior audiences.

Planning and delivery discipline

• Drive sprint, backlog, release and longer-range planning activities.
• Ensure priorities are translated into achievable plans based on team capacity and dependencies.
• Use delivery metrics and evidence to identify emerging issues and improve predictability.
• Maintain appropriate governance and visibility across milestones and commitments.
• Help teams continuously improve the way they plan, execute and deliver.

Working through complexity and ambiguity

• Create clarity when priorities, responsibilities or requirements are still evolving.
• Bring structure to complex technical environments without waiting for perfect information.
• Facilitate decisions and maintain momentum through uncertainty.
• Adapt plans as new technical, regulatory or business information emerges.

About you

You combine delivery ownership, technical curiosity and strong interpersonal capability. You take responsibility when delivery becomes difficult, create momentum rather than waiting for direction, and are comfortable working with experienced engineers and senior stakeholders.

You do not need to have all the technical answers, but you should be confident asking the right questions and ensuring issues are understood, owned and resolved.

You will bring

• Demonstrated experience owning software or engineering delivery outcomes, not simply coordinating delivery activities.
• Experience working with engineering teams in technically complex environments.
• Strong planning capability across priorities, capacity, dependencies, risks and delivery commitments.
• Evidence of proactively identifying delivery challenges and driving them through to resolution.
• Ability to operate effectively where priorities or responsibilities are ambiguous or evolving.
• Strong stakeholder management and confident verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to influence, challenge constructively and facilitate difficult conversations.
• Sound judgement when balancing delivery speed, quality, risk and technical considerations.
• Experience with Agile delivery practices, including sprint planning, backlog management, forecasting and dependency management.
• A collaborative, low-ego approach combined with a strong sense of personal accountability.

What will help you stand out

• Experience within embedded software, firmware, mechatronics or hardware/software product development will be highly regarded, but deep embedded software experience is not essential.
• We are equally interested in candidates from complex product engineering environments who bring strong technical credibility and proven delivery leadership.
• Experience in medical devices, aerospace, defence, automotive, telecommunications, advanced manufacturing or another regulated, safety-critical or high-reliability product environment.
• Exposure to release readiness, software quality, regulatory requirements, technical risk management and engineering delivery metrics.
• Current or previous experience as a Delivery Manager, Technical Program Manager, Technical Project Manager, Product Owner or Engineering Lead with strong delivery accountability.

Why this role is for you

Make a meaningful impact enable teams developing life-changing hearing technology to deliver safely and effectively.

Own delivery outcomes drive meaningful outcomes across complex software and engineering programs.

Work with technical experts’ partner with experienced engineers, architects and program leaders in a collaborative environment.

Solve complex challenges where software, systems, quality, regulatory requirements and product priorities intersect.

Grow your leadership develop your delivery leadership career within a sophisticated global product engineering organisation.

A role with purpose at Cochlear, your work will support teams creating technologies that help people hear and connect with the world around them. If you are a technically credible delivery leader who takes ownership, creates momentum and builds trust across complex stakeholder groups, we would welcome your application.

If you feel that you have the skills and experience to be successful in this role and take on new challenges to build your career with Cochlear, please start your application by clicking the apply button below.

#CochlearCareers

How we recognise your contribution

At Cochlear we value and welcome the unique contributions, perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds of our employees and aim to build a culture that celebrates and leverages these differences, creating a sense of belonging and enabling our people to realise their full potential. Through our internal programs and employee benefits, we aim to create an environment where our people will feel value and supported. Whether your focus is on continuous learning, professional development or simply finding an environment which enables you to thrive whilst balancing family or personal life commitments, then we have several programs in place to support you.

For more information about Life at Cochlear, visit www.cochlearcareers.com