Want to shape the future of waterborne transport and join a world-class team?
Candela is the global leader in electric hydrofoil vessels. Since 2014, we’ve gone from building our first premium electric speedboat in a small Stockholm workshop to delivering game-changing vessels around the globe. The Candela P-12 is our latest innovation - the world’s first electric hydrofoil ferry is not just operating in Stockholm, but now attracting orders from around the world.
Our boats “fly” thanks to computer-guided underwater wings under the hull made out of lightweight carbon fiber. The wings lift the vessel above the water, which results in cutting energy use by up to 80%, while offering zero emissions and a far better passenger experience than traditional diesel vessels.
And that’s exactly why we do this. Our mission is clear: to speed up the transition to fossil fuel–free lakes and oceans. You can be part of the amazing team in Candela now! We are looking for a Software Engineering Director to support Candela’s future growth ambitions.
The role
As our Software Engineering Director, you will lead the software organization and be responsible for how we build, structure, and operate software across all vessel platforms.
The scope spans embedded systems, control software, onboard applications, user interfaces, telemetry, cyber security and connected services. You will also shape the tooling and infrastructure that supports development and operations.
The role sits close to hardware, testing, and production. Many of the challenges are system-level and involve trade-offs between performance, robustness, and development speed, often under real constraints.
Responsibilities
Lead the software organization with a focus on execution, technical quality, and reliability in real-world use
Drive development from early concepts through production deployment and ongoing lifecycle support
Set direction for software architecture across embedded, control, and connected systems—and ensure it holds up in practice
Build and maintain development practices covering testing, CI/CD, release, diagnostics, and observability
Work closely with Mechanical, Electrical, Test, Production, and Service to ensure the software aligns with product and operational reality
Support development of safety-critical and regulatory-compliant systems used in marine environments
Establish ways of working that scale with team growth and increasing system complexity
Identify technical and organizational risks early and act on them
Lead recruitment, team development, and performance management within the software organization
Contribute hands-on where needed in architecture discussions, prioritization, and key technical decisions
Leadership in product environments
Experience leading software teams in companies building physical products (not only pure software)
Track record of delivering systems from concept through production and operation
Technical depth where it matters
Strong understanding of software architecture and system integration
Experience working with user-facing systems (UI/UX) as part of larger integrated platforms
Experience with embedded systems, control systems, or real-time software
Familiarity with modern development practices (CI/CD, automated testing, cloud infrastructure)
Good understanding of cyber security principles in connected and distributed systems
Practical experience using AI-assisted development and code-generation tools, and an understanding of how they impact engineering velocity, quality, and system design
Operating in real-world conditions
Ability to balance development speed, robustness, and long-term maintainability
Comfortable working close to hardware, testing, and production environments
Experience with safety-critical and/or regulatory-driven development is a strong plus
We are looking for someone who is a strong team player and confident in leading and coordinating across teams and stakeholders. You have the ability to stay structured, thorough, and focused even in a fast-paced environment with shifting priorities. As a person, you are goal-oriented, analytical, and persistent, with a strong drive to solve problems and move work forward. You communicate clearly and directly, are able to align teams around priorities and execution, and take ownership of your decisions while adapting when needed.
Form of employment: Full-time with initial 6 month probation period
Start date: ASAP
Location/base: Frihamnen
Reporting to: VP R&D
Why people love working at Candela?
At Candela, we’re not just building electric vessels - we’re creating a whole new category of clean, efficient waterborne transport. You get the chance to work with cutting-edge technology, solving complex challenges, and seeing the results in action - sometimes literally, when we organize test rides for our newcomers! We’re a diverse and ambitious team of over 50 nationalities, united by a revolutionary spirit and kindness. That means we work hard, but always with humility and while having fun - whether it’s solving a manufacturing challenge, improving processes, or cheering each other on during Candela Months, our year-round calendar of bonding activities and events.
We’re office-first but not office-only. We believe collaboration is most powerful when we build together, in person - but we also trust our team to work in ways that fit their life. At Candela, you’ll find a place where bold ideas are welcomed, great people are celebrated, and the ride is just as important as the destination.
We aim to keep our recruitment process as straightforward and efficient as possible. As an international company with English as our corporate language, the entire process is conducted in English. Therefore, please submit your application in our corporate language as well. Kindly note that we cannot process applications sent via email due to GDPR so please use our career website for you application.
We welcome the opportunity to meet you!