Head of Application Development Platforms Original Equipment Solutions

Original Equipment Solutions (OESL) is emerging as a stand-alone global leader in the automotive sector, with over 17,000 employees and €2 billion in annual sales. Operating in 15 countries across 35 locations, including technology centers, OESL will build on Continental's rich legacy to deliver high-quality parts to major OEMs and commercial vehicle customers worldwide.

Why Join OESL ?

• Greater Impact: Take part in shaping the future of a dynamic  organization, with the opportunity to bring ideas to life and reap significant professional rewards.
• Growth and Innovation: Work in a fast-moving, environment that encourages innovation and offers opportunities for continuous growth and expanding your skill set.
• Creative Space: Experience the entrepreneurial spirit of a start-up culture within a global organization, enjoying both the creative freedom and the responsibility needed to thrive in modern working environments.
• Tight-Knit Team: Join a highly collaborative team where individuals have the power to shape their work, make meaningful contributions, and drive collective success.

As part of the Digital Platforms Department, your team will be a core contributor to the digitalization initiatives within OESL. As Head of Application Development Platform, you will lead the development and strategy of OESL's software platforms, combining low-code (Mendix) and high-code (Java, Python, etc.) capabilities to drive development efficiency, scalability, and innovation.

This role is central to establishing a lean, modern, and future-ready platform ecosystem as OESL builds its independent IT landscape. You will define the technical direction, governance, and delivery model for software engineering platforms, ensuring they are robust, secure, and cost-efficient. Leading a team of five engineers, you will strengthen OESL's development foundation and deliver scalable, sustainable digital capabilities across all business areas, working in an agile SAFe setup.

The ideal candidate brings a software engineering background, proven leadership and management experience, and a passion for building efficient, scalable, and modern engineering platforms that enable agility and measurable business value.

Key responsibilities include: 

• Define and execute the strategy, roadmap, and governance for low-code and custom-code platforms (Mendix, Java, Python, etc.)
• Lead and develop a team of engineers, fostering collaboration, technical excellence, and agile delivery
• Oversee and evolve OESL's low-code platform portfolio, ensuring stability, scalability, and reusability.
• Establish and maintain architecture standards, best practices, and governance models across all platform development activities
• Manage budget, vendor relationships, and portfolio optimization, ensuring efficient and sustainable platform operations
• Collaborate closely with AI & Automation Platforms, Cloud Platforms, Data & Analytics, and Enterprise Architecture to ensure seamless integration and architectural consistency
• Ensure security, compliance, and performance across all platform-based developments, aligned with IT and regulatory requirements
• Drive continuous improvement and innovation through modern engineering practices, frameworks, and emerging technologies.
• Support agile delivery through the SAFe framework, contributing to PI Planning and cross-platform coordination

• University degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field
• Proven leadership and people management experience in software or platform engineering
• Strong technical background in software development and architecture, ideally across low-code (e.g., Mendix) and high-code (e.g., Java, Python, .NET) environments
• Experience in platform governance, lifecycle management, and scalable solution design
• Demonstrated budget responsibility, vendor management, and portfolio optimization experience
• Familiarity with cloud-based architectures and agile/SAFe delivery models
• Strong communication, stakeholder management, and strategic thinking skills
  
  Applications from severely handicapped people are welcome.

What we offer:

• Hybrid schedule – Work-life balance is important, so we offer a flexible schedule with mobile and flexible working models, sabbaticals or cross-border work
• Corporate Benefits – We collaborate with different vendors, and we receive discounts for various products - like restaurants, fitness programs etc.
• System for Rewarding Improvement Ideas – We have an internal improvement program (Continental Idea Management) that allows you to come up with ideas and to be honored with an attractive bonus (according to your improvement idea)
• Professional development - Many opportunities to develop yourself within the company
• Competitive Compensation in line with your personal contribution & company performance

Sounds interesting for you? Click here to find out more.

Our Commitment

• Influence: We offer opportunities to have a greater impact and reap more rewards professionally
• Initiative: We encourage our people to grow, take on greater responsibilities, be innovative, and gain new capabilities
• New Work: We value the flexibility and agility that makes modern working possible and makes a customer-centric company successful
• One team: We believe in a culture of belonging to a tight team of individuals who can drive success together

These aspects influence the selection process in building our new team of pioneers. We are an exclusive unit to belong to and look forward to meeting you

Ready to drive with Continental? Take the first step and fill in the online application.