People Manager - Tech Delivery Poland

People Manager - Tech Delivery Poland

Location: Warsaw Work model: Flexible hybrid Industry: Pharmaceutical / R&D Technology Workload: Full-time

About the role

We are looking for an experienced People Manager - Tech Delivery Poland to lead and develop a growing technology organisation supporting global R&D initiatives.

This is a broad leadership role combining people management, technology delivery, engineering capability development and local IT hub ownership. You will lead a diverse community of software, data, cloud, DevOps, quality, validation and business technology professionals while working closely with international product, engineering, architecture and business teams.

A key part of the role will be helping to develop the Poland IT Hub in Warsaw - building a connected local technology community while ensuring strong collaboration with distributed R&D teams.

Key responsibilities

• Lead, coach and develop technology professionals in Poland, supporting career growth, engagement, accountability and collaboration.
• Own workforce planning and the full employee and consultant lifecycle, including recruitment, candidate screening, onboarding, allocation, development, feedback, contract extensions, transitions and offboarding.
• Partner with Product, Engineering, Architecture, Validation and Business leaders to align capabilities with organisational priorities.
• Enable effective technology delivery across international and distributed teams.
• Strengthen engineering and operational excellence through modern software development practices and continuous improvement.
• Support and advocate for Lean-Agile ways of working across the organisation.
• Help build the Warsaw IT Hub as a strong professional community through knowledge sharing, local initiatives, office activities, communication, employer branding and cross-team collaboration.
• Manage local suppliers and commercial relationships, including rate benchmarking and negotiations.
• Support transparent capacity, cost and chargeback planning.
• Provide local guidance on Polish working conditions and the compliant engagement of external consultants, partnering with HR, Legal, Procurement and Finance.
• Act as a local escalation point for people, delivery and organisational matters.
• Contribute to the wider R&D Tech Delivery leadership agenda and translate strategic priorities into clear goals and execution for the Poland organisation.

What we are looking for

• 3+ years of leadership experience in a similar technology / people management role.
• Previous background in software development and a good understanding of modern software engineering environments.
• Experience leading, coaching and developing technology professionals.
• Experience working within large, complex international organisations.
• Strong experience collaborating with distributed and cross-country teams.
• Experience supporting a Lean-Agile transformation through active leadership and advocacy.
• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills.
• Ability to connect strategic priorities with workforce planning and technology delivery.
• Academic background in a relevant field such as Computer Science, Engineering or Business.
• Professional working proficiency in English.
• Based in Warsaw and open to working from the Warsaw office on a flexible basis.

Nice to have

• Experience building or scaling a technology hub or engineering organisation.
• Experience managing both permanent employees and external consultants.
• Understanding of the Polish IT talent market and local employment / contracting environment.
• Experience with supplier management, commercial negotiations and technology capacity planning.
• Experience within pharmaceutical, life sciences, R&D or another highly regulated international environment.

What makes this opportunity interesting?

This is an opportunity to have a real impact on the development of a growing technology hub in Warsaw, while being part of an international R&D technology organisation.

The role offers broad ownership - from developing people and building engineering capabilities to shaping the local technology community and strengthening collaboration between teams in Poland and across the global organisation.

The working model is flexible, with an emphasis on being present in the Warsaw office from time to time and actively contributing to the development of the local hub and its culture.