Head of Device Engineering

ZEISS in India

ZEISS in India is headquartered in Bengaluru and present in the fields of Industrial Quality Solutions, Research Microscopy Solutions, Medical Technology, Vision Care and Sports & Cine Optics.

ZEISS India has 3 production facilities, R&D center, Global IT services and about 40 Sales & Service offices in almost all Tier I and Tier II cities in India. With 2200+ employees and continued investments over 25 years in India, ZEISS’ success story in India is continuing at a rapid pace. 

Further information at ZEISS India.

Primary duties and responsibilities :

• Software Development – Refraction Devices

Provide strategic and technical leadership for the architecture, development, and full lifecycle management of embedded and application software for refraction devices. This includes ensuring the highest standards of clinical accuracy, system reliability, scalability, and regulatory compliance across global markets. The role is accountable for defining software platforms and engineering practices that enable long‑term maintainability, rapid innovation, and seamless integration with ZEISS optical technologies, while supporting product evolution and lifecycle sustainability. 

• Software Development – Centration & Digital Platforms

Lead the end‑to‑end software development for centration devices and their associated digital ecosystems, including cloud‑based platforms, frame software, and advanced computer vision systems. This responsibility spans algorithm development, real‑time image and data processing, device‑to‑cloud connectivity, and workflow enablement across clinical and commercial environments. The role ensures that software solutions are robust, secure, scalable, and tightly integrated to deliver intuitive user experiences and data‑driven value across ZEISS Vision Care solutions. 

• Consumer Wearables & Smart Devices

Drive the development of consumer wearables and intelligent smart devices, including frame electronics and connected ecosystems. This includes ownership of firmware architecture, edge and mobile integration, power and performance optimization, and end‑user‑centric design principles. The role is responsible for translating emerging technologies into reliable, scalable consumer products, balancing innovation with usability, manufacturability, and long‑term product sustainability in a fast‑evolving market landscape.

• Hardware Development & Engineering
• Own hardware development across the device portfolio, encompassing value engineering, new hardware design, supplier strategy, and long‑term technology scalability. This responsibility includes establishing strong supplier partnerships, ensuring cost efficiency, manufacturability, quality, serviceability, and regulatory readiness of all hardware platforms, and driving robust device qualification through structured functional and performance testing, as well as reliability, endurance, and lifecycle testing (stress, environmental, aging) to ensure predictable long‑term field performance. The role provides strategic oversight to align hardware innovation with ZEISS quality standards, supplier quality controls, global sourcing strategies, and lifecycle management objectives. 

• Engineering Leadership & Delivery
• Provide leadership to large, multidisciplinary engineering teams spanning software, electronics, mechanical, and systems engineering disciplines. Drive end‑to‑end execution from early concept development through verification, validation, industrialization, and global rollout. Establish governance for device testing and quality assurance (test strategy, coverage, traceability, and release criteria), ensuring testing addresses functional requirements, performance targets, and reliability/endurance expectations across the device lifecycle. The role establishes engineering excellence through standardized processes, governance, and performance metrics, ensuring predictable delivery, high product quality, and alignment with business and regulatory requirements.

• Stakeholder Engagement & Global Collaboration

Act as a key partner to global ZEISS stakeholders across R&D, product management, manufacturing, and external suppliers. Collaborate to align device roadmaps, technology platforms, architectural standards, and innovation priorities across regions. This responsibility ensures strong cross‑functional alignment, effective decision‑making, and the successful translation of strategic vision into executable engineering outcomes that support ZEISS’s global product strategy. 

Education requirements / Experience / Job Specifications :

The successful candidate will bring extensive leadership experience in complex device and product engineering environments, with a proven ability to operate at both strategic and execution levels across global organizations.

The role requires 15+ years of progressive experience in device development, embedded software, electronics, or product engineering, including senior leadership responsibility for large, multidisciplinary engineering organizations. The incumbent should have demonstrated success in leading end‑to‑end product development lifecycles, from early‑stage concept definition and system architecture through verification, validation, industrialization, regulatory approval, and long‑term lifecycle management.

A strong technical background is essential, with deep, hands‑on understanding of embedded software, electronics, computer vision, and device‑to‑cloud integration architectures. Experience in medical devices, vision care systems, consumer electronics, or high‑reliability industrial systems is highly valued, particularly in environments where clinical accuracy, regulatory compliance, system reliability, and scalability are critical success factors.

The candidate must have a proven track record of leading large, cross‑functional engineering teams across software, hardware, electronics, mechanical, and systems engineering disciplines, operating effectively within global, matrixed organizational structures. Experience collaborating across R&D, product management, manufacturing, quality, regulatory, and external supplier ecosystems is essential.

Strong leadership capabilities are required, including the ability to set technical vision, establish engineering governance and best practices, develop high‑performing leadership teams, and drive a culture of engineering excellence, accountability, and continuous improvement. The role demands comfort with complex stakeholder environments, effective decision‑making under ambiguity, and the ability to balance innovation, speed, quality, cost, and long‑term sustainability.

The incumbent should hold a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Electronics, or a related technical discipline. An advanced degree is advantageous but not mandatory if accompanied by equivalent depth of experience and demonstrated impact at scale.

Your ZEISS Recruiting Team: