Job Location: hybrid in Bucharest

Role description:

We are looking for a strong, technically minded leader to take on the role of Unit Lead Tech (UL) for our new client now setting up a tech location in Bucharest. In this position, you will be responsible for building and further developing the Bucharest site while also assuming the disciplinary leadership for a cross-location Engineering unit with team members in both Bucharest and at our headquarters in Ulm.

The role covers more than Engineering: we will also hire Operations staff in Bucharest. These employees are disciplinarily managed by you but report functionally to the Operations teams in Ulm and Bucharest. This ensures fully integrated, seamless collaboration across locations.

You will operate within this leadership model:
Unit Lead (BL) = disciplinary leadership
Program Manager (PM) = functional leadership
This model defines how the role works and is a key factor for success.

Your Responsibilities

Building and Developing the Bucharest Site

• Establish and grow the Bucharest location, including Engineering and Operations roles 
• Build effective organizational structures, leadership frameworks and ways of working 
• Ensure smooth integration and alignment with the headquarters in Ulm 
• Foster a modern, performance-oriented and collaborative culture across locations

Engineering Leadership & Delivery Excellence

• Disciplinary leadership of Engineers in both Bucharest and Ulm
• Close collaboration with Delivery Managers and Tech Leads to steer engineering delivery 
• Ensure high technical quality, modern engineering practices and efficient end-to-end delivery 
• Promote DevOps-oriented principles and continuous improvement

Operations Integration

• Disciplinary leadership of Operations staff located in Bucharest 
• Ensure clear functional reporting lines and alignment with Operations teams in Ulm 
• Build a stable support and operations setup closely connected to Engineering

Unit Lead/Head of Dual Leadership Model

• Act as a leadership tandem with the Head of Tech, who holds functional responsibility for Engineering and Operations topics 
• As UL, you own people leadership, performance, team development, capacity planning and culture 
• Joint UL/Head of responsibility for impact, prioritisation and coordinated cross-location collaboration

Strategic Responsibilities

• Translate corporate and IT strategy into actionable engineering and organizational measures 
• Develop role profiles, competencies and career paths for Engineering and Operations 
• Manage budget, headcount and resource planning across both locations

Your Profile

Professional Requirements

• Several years of leadership experience in an engineering or tech-related environment 
• Experience in international or multi-location teams is a plus Ideally experience in building new teams, units or sites 
• Solid understanding of modern software engineering, DevOps and operations processes 
• Strong capability to lead in matrix and dual-leadership structures (e.g., UL/Head of model)

Language Requirements

• German: fluent / business proficient (mandatory) 
• English: excellent (mandatory)

Personal Competencies

• Inspiring, clear and decisive leadership style 
• Strong technical affinity and understanding of engineering and operations 
• Excellent communication skills, intercultural competence and resilience 
• Strategic mindset paired with hands-on pragmatism 
• Ability to navigate and stabilize complex organizational setups