Director, Software Engineering (Mount Waverley)

Bring more to life.

Are you ready to accelerate your potential and make a real difference within life sciences, diagnostics and biotechnology?

At Leica Biosystems, one of Danaher’s 15+ operating companies, our work saves lives—and we’re all united by a shared commitment to innovate for tangible impact.

You’ll thrive in a culture of belonging where you and your unique viewpoint matter. And by harnessing Danaher’s system of continuous improvement, you help turn ideas into impact – innovating at the speed of life.

At Leica Biosystems, we are not just shaping the future of cancer diagnostics, we are transforming lives. Our mission of “Advancing Cancer Diagnostics, Improving Lives” is the driving force behind everything we do. As a global leader with the most comprehensive portfolio spanning from biopsy to diagnosis, we empower clinicians with innovative, reliable solutions so they can give patients timely, accurate answers when they need them most.

Learn about the Danaher Business System, which makes everything possible.

The Director, Software Engineering, is  accountable for the strategy, capability and delivery performance of the ASI software engineering organisation. This role leads software development across applications, firmware, verification, cybersecurity, architecture, DevSecOps and software quality to deliver product roadmaps, strengthen engineering capability and create sustainable business impact.

This position reports to the Director II, Research and Development and is part of the Advanced Staining Instruments Research and Development team located in Mount Waverley, Victoria, Australia and will be an on-site role.

In this role, you will have the opportunity to:

• Lead the software engineering organisation to deliver high-quality, secure, reliable and compliant software solutions that meet product, customer and business objectives.
• Define and execute the software engineering strategy in alignment with product roadmaps, R&D priorities, and long-term business goals.
• Drive delivery excellence across new product development, lifecycle engineering and sustaining activities through strong planning, execution and accountability.
• Advance modern software engineering practices, including DevSecOps, AI-enabled productivity, specification-driven development, automation and continuous improvement.
• Provide technical leadership and governance for software architecture, engineering standards, technology direction, and major technical decisions.
• Lead, coach and develop a high-performing software engineering organisation, building capability through talent development, succession planning and scalable workforce planning.
• Partner cross-functionally across Product Management, Program Management, Systems Engineering, R&D and global Leica Biosystems/Danaher teams to align priorities, risks, resources and delivery performance.

The essential requirements of the job include:

• Bachelor's degree in software engineering, Computer Science, Systems Engineering, Electronics Engineering or related discipline.
• Demonstrated software engineering and leadership experience delivering complex products and leading substantial engineering teams. Experience working within modern Agile/product development environments.
• Sufficient technical depth to lead organisations spanning application, embedded and hardware-integrated software.
• Strong technical credibility and engineering judgement, with the ability to provide leadership across software architecture, engineering practices, quality, cybersecurity and lifecycle management.
• Critical thinker with proven track record translating business strategy into successful delivery outcomes while leading organisational transformation and capability growth.
• Demonstrated success leading multidisciplinary teams in matrixed organisations and influencing stakeholders at all levels.
• Strong commercial acumen, communication skills, and the ability to make effective decisions in complex and ambiguous environments.
• A motivated, organised, accountable leader with a passion for developing people, strengthening organisational capability, and driving continuous improvement.

Travel, Motor Vehicle Record & Physical/Environment Requirements:

• Some domestic and international travel as required.
• This role will be based at 495 Blackburn Road, Mount Waverley VIC 3149, Australia.

It would be a plus if you also possess previous experience in:

• Experience working on medical devices, diagnostics, laboratory automation or other highly regulated application/safety critical domains.
• Working knowledge of ISO 13485, FDA QSR / 21 CFR Part 820.30, IEC 62304, cybersecurity expectations and relevant software lifecycle standards as well as associated documentation requirements.
• Experience leading DevSecOps transformation, software platform modernisation or large-scale improvement in software engineering practices.
• Expertise in driving adoption of AI-enabled software development, specification-driven development, test automation or software productivity improvement using AI/automation.
• Experience working with offshore, outsourced or partner software delivery models.
• Experience with Lean Product Development or similar continuous improvement approaches.

Leica Biosystems, a Danaher operating company, offers a broad array of comprehensive, competitive benefit programs that add value to our lives. Whether it’s a health care program or paid time off, our programs contribute to life beyond the job. Check out our benefits at Danaher Benefits Info.

Join our winning team today. Together, we’ll accelerate the real-life impact of tomorrow’s science and technology. We partner with customers across the globe to help them solve their most complex challenges, architecting solutions that bring the power of science to life.

For more information, visit www.danaher.com.