Product Software and Firmware Engineering Manager (f/m)

We are looking for a people-oriented Engineering Manager with strong technical credibility to lead and develop our Software and Firmware Engineering teams. Our engineers work as integrated members of international product-development organizations. This means that the role goes beyond traditional team management. You will connect the needs of engineering teams at headquarters with the competencies, development and daily working environment of locally employed engineers. You will help our internal customers define whom they really need, recruit the right people, ensure effective onboarding and resolve issues resulting from unclear expectations, distributed responsibilities or communication gaps. At the same time, you will use your cross-team perspective to identify opportunities for cooperation, process improvement and shared engineering solutions. Your Responsibilities - Lead and develop multidisciplinary Software and Firmware Engineering teams. - Build strong relationships with international engineering teams and internal customers. - Understand business, product and technical needs through active listening, structured discussions and targeted questions and translate these needs into clear role profiles, competence requirements and realistic recruitment plans. - Lead recruitment processes in cooperation with recruiters, HR partners, technical experts and international stakeholders. - Plan and coordinate structured onboarding, including technical integration, system access, tools, infrastructure and cooperation with the relevant headquarters team. - Identify and resolve communication, organizational and cooperation problems affecting employees or internal customers. - Use your local office presence to recognize issues that may not be visible to remote stakeholders. - Support employees through regular one-to-one meetings, active listening, coaching and appropriate questions. - Define annual objectives, conduct employee reviews and prepare individual development plans. - Identify competence gaps and create opportunities for professional and technical growth. - Propose shared processes, tools, infrastructure and knowledge-sharing solutions. - Bring relevant stakeholders together and build commitment to cross-team cooperation. - Support Tech Leads, Architects and technical experts in taking ownership of technical decisions. - Ensure accurate and timely management reporting. - Continuously improve the quality and effectiveness of Software and Firmware Engineering Services. Requirements - A degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Automation and Robotics, Electronics, Electrical Engineering or a related field. - Several years of professional experience in Software Engineering, Firmware Engineering, Embedded Systems or a related technical discipline. - Experience in people leadership, technical-team leadership or engineering management. - Practical experience in recruitment, employee development, goal setting and performance reviews. - Good understanding of software-development and firmware-development environments. - The ability to understand technical dependencies and discuss engineering topics with developers, Tech Leads and Architects. - Strong communication, stakeholder-management and problem-solving skills. - The ability to combine information from different teams, reports and conversations and recognize topics that require attention. - Experience working with distributed, international and cross-functional teams. - The confidence to propose solutions, challenge assumptions and influence stakeholders without relying solely on formal authority. - A pragmatic, structured and solution-oriented approach. - Very good written and spoken English. Nice to have - Experience in a shared-services or engineering-services environment. - Previous experience as an Engineering Manager, Team Lead, Tech Lead, Software Architect or senior engineer. - Knowledge of embedded systems, microcontrollers, embedded Linux or hardware-software integration. - Familiarity with software architecture, testing, CI/CD, development tooling and technical documentation. - Understanding of industrial automation products and communication protocols. - Knowledge of product-security topics, secure development practices, IEC 62443 or the Cyber Resilience Act. - Experience in workforce planning, budgeting and KPI reporting. - German language skills. What We Offer - A leadership role with a real impact on the development of Software and Firmware Engineering Services. - The opportunity to shape how local engineering teams cooperate with international product-development organizations. - Significant influence on recruitment, competence development, engineering practices and the future service portfolio. - Cooperation with international engineering teams, technical experts and business stakeholders. - The opportunity to improve processes and introduce solutions that benefit multiple engineering teams. - A role combining people leadership, technology, organizational development and international cooperation. - A working environment that values ownership, knowledge sharing and continuous improvement.