Senior Director of Engineering (Site Lead Poland)

About the role: What's in the Box

HelloFresh Group, the world’s leading integrated food solutions provider, is expanding with a new R&D Tech office in Poland. With brands offering meal kits, ready-to-eat meals, and specialty products such as meat, seafood, and pet food, we are seeking individuals who are ready to make an impact from day one. Joining us in Wrocław means shaping the culture, working on meaningful R&D Tech projects, and contributing to a global company changing how people eat.

HelloTech is the technical organisation driving digital innovation for HelloFresh. Our vision is to combine technology, science and design to change the way people eat forever. Our systems cover domains from computer and data infrastructure, automation and algorithms to support our physical product and operations / supply chain to our website and mobile applications. We have an exciting mandate to solve business problems at scale with Engineering and Data Science.

We are looking for a Site Lead / Senior Director of Engineering to establish and grow our new development center in Warsaw, Poland. This role combines an entrepreneurial, builder’s mindset with strong technical and organizational leadership. You will be responsible for setting up the site from scratch - hiring, shaping culture, and creating local operating excellence - while simultaneously leading and integrating engineering teams across multiple locations. The ideal candidate brings engineering credibility, experience scaling distributed organizations, and the ability to balance local ownership with global alignment to deliver business-critical outcomes at pace.

This role is based in Warsaw, Poland and requires in-office presence for 3 days a week. You will be offered an unlimited corporate contract with our local Polish HelloFresh entity.

What you’ll do: The Recipe

• You will use your extensive expertise and knowledge in the area of innovative technologies, to drive strategic R&D initiatives in software engineering, leveraging advanced methodologies and technologies to optimize system architecture, elevate code quality, and enhance overall development processes

• Initially, you will lead through influence, working closely with teams that report to engineering leaders at our headquarters. As the site grows, you will directly manage and scale a local engineering team, establishing a strong leadership structure

• Establish and maintain team culture, focusing on transparent communication, innovation on behalf of the customer and empathetic leadership

• Represent our legal entity internally and externally; sign contracts and other legal documents on behalf of the entity

• Drive the development and delivery of complex and scalable systems that meet the needs of the business

• Hire, inspire, manage, and grow cross-functional engineering teams, ensuring every team member has career development opportunities

• Work with product partners and key stakeholders to create a compelling vision for the space

• Drive continuous improvements in engineering standards, quality, and operational excellence while delivering business value

• Provide valuable and timely feedback to your team, and be accountable for the performance of your organization

What you’ll bring: The Ingredients

• Relevant experience managing engineering managers in a fast-paced dynamic environment

• Polish language

• You have experience setting up and scaling new engineering hubs, understanding the logistics, challenges, and best practices involved in establishing a high-performing, autonomous site

• Strong technical background in managing highly scaled backend systems, demonstrated in past engineering leadership roles with a clear impact on achieving business goals

• Strong architectural and data modeling skills and the capacity to design flexible, resilient, and scalable distributed systems

• Experience in providing technical direction and engineering strategy across multiple teams with a strong execution track record

• Demonstrable past experience with Agile methodologies, with a focus on data-driven experimentation, lean thinking, and quick iterations

Above all, we are looking for people who will make HelloFresh better. There are many different ways of developing skills, and we love diverse experiences! So even if you don’t “tick all the boxes” but think you’d thrive in this role, we would really like to learn more about you.

What we offer: The Toppings

• Compensation & Financial Wellbeing: Participate in our internal employee referral program and receive a bonus for recommending successful candidates.

• Health & Wellbeing: From day one, receive private health insurance and a 50% subsidy on MultiSport, giving you access to thousands of gyms and fitness studios.

• Flexibility & Work-Life

• We work in-office 3 days a week to align on goals, with flexible hours to support work-life balance.

• Receive 26 days of paid vacation each year to rest and recharge.

• Career & Development: Grow with an annual L&D budget and a Mentoring Program.

• Culture & Environment: Enjoy free coffee, drinks, and fresh fruit to keep you refreshed throughout the day.

Are you the missing ingredient? If this sounds like a tasty opportunity, we’d be excited to hear from you. We aim to review your profile and respond within 5 business days.