Director, Software Engineering

Director, Software Engineering

Location: La Ciotat, France

This role reports to the General Manager and leads distributed software engineering teams to develop and manage software products and platforms for HID IDT Textile Services Business Unit. The position emphasizes people management, engineering effectiveness, process governance, and quality engineering.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead software delivery, Scrum Master(s), and QA/Quality Engineering functions.
• Oversee BU‑owned platforms/tools and local IS services.
• Challenge and enable QA teams to adopt shift‑left testing, automation, and quality gates.
• Create a culture of engineering excellence with CI/CD, documentation, code reviews, static analysis, linting, and continuous improvement.
• Develop mature quality engineering strategies—test strategy, automation, non‑functional testing, defect prevention, measurable metrics.
• Establish and govern release management practices and support operational excellence with monitoring, alerting, and incident prevention.
• Promote structured collaboration across global teams and manage engineering budget.
• Coach, recruit, and retain high‑performing engineering teams, implementing performance management and inclusive hiring practices.
• Set SDLC standards and governance—requirements, acceptance criteria, ADRs, branching strategies, change management, code review standards.
• Improve delivery predictability with planning, estimation, sprint/flow management, backlog readiness, capacity planning, and dependency management.
• Partner with Product Directors/Product Owners to translate strategy into roadmaps and release plans.
• Define and report engineering KPIs (throughput, cycle time, defect escape, availability, technical debt, release frequency).
• Coordinate cross‑functional alignment across Architecture, DevOps, QA, Security, and Product.
• Ensure delivery meets quality, security, reliability, and scalability standards.
• Define and roll out modern testing strategy, including testing pyramid principles and automated regression strategy.

Required Qualifications

• Over 10 years of software engineering experience, including at least 5 years in a management role.
• Proven track record improving delivery predictability and product quality at scale.
• Strong expertise in SDLC governance, Agile/Lean delivery, and modern engineering practices.
• Deep understanding of quality engineering: test strategy, automation, non‑functional testing, and metrics.
• Demonstrated coaching skills and ability to build healthy team culture.
• Strong stakeholder management and executive influence skills.
• Experience leading change across multiple teams and delivering complex programs.
• Financial acumen in engineering environments.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience conducting structured engineering audits/health checks and driving corrective actions.
• Experience with distributed teams and scaling organizations.
• Experience improving engineering productivity using metrics (DORA, flow metrics).
• Experience implementing quality gates and pipeline controls.

Work Requirements

• Compliance with HID Global policies related to Quality, Security, Safety, Business Continuity, and Environmental systems.
• Travel and fieldwork, including international travel; valid passport required.
• Legal eligibility to work in the country of hire.

What We Offer

• Competitive salary and rewards package.
• Competitive benefits and annual leave.
• A vibrant, welcoming & inclusive culture.
• Extensive career development opportunities.

Equal Opportunity Employer

HID is committed to building a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workforce. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. We evaluate applicants without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, veteran status, or any other legally protected characteristic. If you have a disability and require assistance to participate in the application process or to perform essential job functions, please contact