R&D Manager

Giesecke+Devrient makes the lives of billions of people around the world more secure. We create trust in the digital age with integrated security technologies in three business areas: Digital Security, Financial Platforms and Currency Technology. We have been a reliable partner for our customers for over 170 years with our innovative solutions for SecurityTech! We are an international technology group and traditional family business with over 14,000 employees in 40 countries. Creating Confidence is our path to success. Trust is the basis of our co-operation within G+D.

We are looking for a R&D Manager to join our team based in Barcelona.

The Manager of R&D will hire, set up and lead a new R&D team and drive the delivery of strategic initiatives in our digital portfolio. The role requires deep technical understanding, strong people leadership, experience operating in complex multi-stakeholder environments and commitment to excellent delivery. A key selection criterion is hands-on contribution to the delivery through technical product ownership.  

Key Responsibilities:

Team Building and Leadership

• Build a high-performing R&D team and leverage your professional network to attract top talent.
• Oversee people leadership activities such as performance reviews, coaching mentoring, and career development.
• Manage team scaling based on project needs, skillsets, R&D budgets and business priorities.

• Foster a culture of ownership, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Ensure techno-functional leadership of the team

Product Ownership and Project Oversight

• Translate product vision into technical requirements in collaboration with stakeholders.
• Oversee the planning, execution, and delivery of R&D projects.
• Ensure projects meet technical, budgetary, quality and timeline requirements.
• Provide regular updates for internal and external stakeholders, including demos, financials, risks, progress and outcomes.
• Act as the main point of contact for cross-functional teams
• Manage strong relationships with key stakeholders and customers
• Ensure clear and consistent communication across all levels of the organization, including executive level.

Strategic Leadership and Innovation

• Define and execute the R&D vision and roadmap aligned with the company goals and business strategy.
• Identify emerging technologies and trends to maintain competitive advantage.
• Work closely with Product and Operations to ensure seamless integration of R&D deliveries.
• Support regulatory, compliance, and quality assurance efforts where applicable.
• Drive proof-of-concept initiatives and validate new ideas through experimentation.
• Set KPIs and metrics to measure R&D effectiveness and innovation impact.
• Build innovation culture in the team and lead by example

Skills & Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field.
• 10+ years of experience in R&D, product development, or engineering leadership roles.
• Proven experience as a Product Owner or similar role in a technical environment.
• Strong background in project management, budgeting, and cross-functional coordination.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and grow high-performing technical teams.
• Excellent communication, stakeholder management, and presentation skills.
• Experience working with international teams and navigating complex organizational structures.
• Strong technical acumen with an ability to understand complex solutions. Experience in OTA, TSM, PKI, Key Management, Smart Cards/Global Platform, and security is highly desirable.
• Comprehensive knowledge of software development processes, technologies, and methodologies (e.g., Agile, Scrum, CI/CD) and proficiency in tools such as Jira and Confluence.
• Experience in managing security aspects of software projects, including secure coding practices , having experience in compliance standards like ISO 27001, GDPR, or PCI-DSS and SDLC would be added advantage.
• Large-scale enterprise software (scalability, high availability, performance, security)
• Payment, financial services or telecommunication domains
• Fluent in English

What’s great about working with us:

• Culture and diversity: Join a people-oriented environment with different nationalities and a great team spirit, flat hierarchies (everyone speaks to everyone). Equal Opportunity Employer and LGBT+ friendly.

• Team: An opportunity to shape our engineering culture and work with a passionate, mission-driven team. Collaboration with a diverse and very international team of outstanding people.

• Global Collaboration: Work collaboratively with stakeholders around the globe.

• Impactful Work: You will have the opportunity to participate in and shape a global lighthouse project in the domain of digital currencies.

• Career Development: Benefit from continuous training, coaching, and talent development programs.

• Social Benefits: Flexible compensation (transport tickets, training, private insurance), etc.

• Own canteen: Take a break with our breakfast and lunch service: choose between a wide range of menus, salad desk, and sandwiches service. Nicely priced!

• Work-Life Balance: Flexible working hours with the option for remote work (Mon–Thu 8:30 – 17:30 and Fri 8:30 – 15:30; 3 days of remote work).

• Location: El Prat de Llobregat. Easy communication by private transport or public transport: Bus 88, 110, PR4 and Metro L10S (ZAL/Riu Vell).

$$ Somos una empresa comprometida con la igualdad de oportunidades. Fomentamos la diversidad en todas sus formas y cultivamos un entorno de trabajo inclusivo, libre de prejuicios, discriminación y acoso, donde todas las personas empleadas se sientan valoradas y parte de la comunidad. Damos la bienvenida a todas las candidaturas, independientemente de su sexo, edad, raza, origen étnico, procedencia social y cultural, religión, discapacidad u orientación sexual. 

 $$ HR Team Spain $$ seleccion.gdi@gi-de.com $$ $$ $$ https://career5.successfactors.eu/career?company=gieseckede&career_job_req_id=25814&career_ns=job_application