Principal Research Software Engineer

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.

Help shape the future of hearing innovation

At Cochlear, we believe people should never miss a meaningful moment. As the global leader in implantable hearing solutions, we help people with hearing loss reconnect with family, friends, colleagues, and the world around them.

Within the 3AC Audiological Algorithms & Applications department in Advanced Innovation, we develop the research software, tools, and connected-care platforms that enable the next generation of audiological aftercare. Our work focuses on digital health solutions for fitting, diagnostics, monitoring, audiometry, rehabilitation, and real-world data collection bridging clinical research, mobile applications, cloud infrastructure, and future Cochlear product concepts.

We are looking for an experienced Principal Research Software Engineer to lead a team of Research Software Engineers while driving the technical direction and architecture of research platforms that support connected-care and digital-health innovation in cochlear implant aftercare, including mobile, desktop, cloud, and connected-device solutions for self-testing, remote tuning, objective diagnostics, and data-driven care models.

This is a unique opportunity for a hands-on technical leader who enjoys working at the intersection of software engineering, systems design, and scientific innovation.

About the role

As Principal Research Software Engineer, you will lead a team responsible for developing investigational device software and research tools across desktop, mobile, cloud, and connected-device environments, with a strong focus on audiological research workflows and scalable digital-health solutions.

Working closely with researchers, audiologists, clinical experts, data scientists, software engineers, and product development teams, you will provide architectural leadership and design governance to ensure research concepts can mature into robust, scalable solutions for future connected aftercare, remote care, self-care, and precision audiology product pathways.

This role combines technical leadership with continued hands-on software engineering: you will guide architecture, mentor engineers, and shape technical direction, while also staying actively involved in coding, design reviews, prototyping, and solving complex implementation challenges.

What you'll be doing

Technical Leadership & Architecture

• Define and evolve the technical vision for 3AC research software platforms supporting connected care, audiological aftercare, and digital health.

• Act as the design authority for software architecture, technology selection, and critical engineering decisions.

• Actively contribute to software development through hands-on coding, prototyping, design reviews, and technical problem solving where your expertise adds most value.

• Translate complex research requirements from fitting, diagnostics, monitoring, audiometry, rehabilitation, and real-world data collection into scalable and maintainable system designs.

• Guide teams through technical trade-offs, risk management, and architectural challenges.

• Ensure strong documentation, reproducibility, and effective knowledge transfer into Product Development.

• Guide the architecture of mobile, desktop, cloud, and connected-device research solutions that support clinical research workflows, scalable data capture, secure data flows, and future digital-health capabilities.

People Leadership

• Lead, coach, and develop a small team of highly skilled Research Software Engineers.

• Create an inclusive, collaborative, and psychologically safe team environment.

• Support career development and build future technical leaders.

• Establish clear priorities, accountability, and delivery excellence.

• Recruit and develop talent aligned to Cochlear's future innovation roadmap.

Engineering Excellence

• Champion software quality and systems engineering best practices.

• Ensure appropriate design controls, traceability, testability, and integration readiness.

• Support compliance with medical device regulations and quality system requirements.

• Balance the need for rapid experimentation with long-term system integrity.

Innovation & Continuous Improvement

• Stay at the forefront of emerging software technologies for connected medical devices, mobile health research, cloud-enabled clinical research, remote monitoring, and AI-supported audiological workflows.

• Contribute to Cochlear’s long-term technology strategy for scalable, personalized, and data-driven audiological aftercare.

• Monitor developments in connected care, digital health, AI-enabled self-care, remote audiometry, patient-reported outcomes, and real-world evidence generation for implantable hearing solutions.

What you'll bring

Required

• Master's degree in Software Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a related discipline. (Master’s or PhD degree in a relevant scientific or engineering discipline (or equivalent). For candidates with degrees obtained outside Belgium, a formal recognition process may be required as part of the hiring journey. Support will be provided)

• Experience combining technical leadership with hands-on software development in complex software systems, technical programmes, or architecture initiatives.

• Strong knowledge of object-oriented software development.

• Experience with C#/.NET and/or Swift.

• Experience working within Agile development environments.

• Strong systems thinking and software design capabilities.

• Proven experience translating requirements into technical designs and architecture.

• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.

• Passion for innovation and customer-centred technology development.

Nice to have

• Deep expertise in C#/.NET, Swift, or both.

• Cloud platform experience, particularly for research data capture, secure data flows, remote study execution, dashboards, and scalable analytics environments.

• Experience working within research-focused or innovation-led environments, ideally involving clinical research tools, connected-care platforms, mobile health apps, or medical device software.

• Knowledge of Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technologies.

• Experience with medical device software development.

• Familiarity with IEC 62304 and related software lifecycle standards.

• Experience collaborating across software, firmware, hardware, systems engineering, and clinical teams.

• Familiarity with audiological workflows such as cochlear implant fitting, objective measurements, impedance monitoring, remote/self-testing, patient-reported outcomes, rehabilitation, or real-world hearing assessment.

Why join Cochlear?

At Cochlear, you'll work with passionate people solving complex challenges that truly make a difference.

You'll have the opportunity to:

• Lead software platforms supporting breakthrough hearing technologies.

• Collaborate with globally recognised researchers and engineers.

• Influence future product platforms and technology strategies.

• Grow your expertise in software architecture, systems engineering, and technical leadership.

• Contribute to life-changing innovations that improve outcomes for people around the world.

• Work within a flexible and collaborative international environment.

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