Software Delivery Lead

Alcon; Lake Forest (CA); On-site; USD 128,350 - 166,100; Full time

Job summary

Alcon is seeking a Software Delivery Lead to drive delivery predictability, readiness discipline, and orchestration for complex embedded software programs. The role does not include people management or technical design authority, focusing on readiness, progress, risk surfacing, and decision-ready tradeoffs.

You will own planning, define readiness criteria, track milestones, create leadership dashboards, and coordinate cross-functional teams across software, hardware, regulatory, and operations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree or related experience; variations may apply (e.g., high school +13 yrs; Assoc. +9 yrs.; MS +2 yrs.; PhD +0 yrs.)
• Ability to fluently read, write, understand, and communicate in English
• 5 years of relevant experience
• 5+ years as an embedded software developer
• Delivery or program certifications such as PMP, SAFe, or equivalent
• Experience supporting multiple concurrent programs in regulated environments
• 8+ years of software delivery, technical program management, or delivery leadership
• Experience delivering embedded and/or regulated software, including hardware-software dependencies
• Demonstrated ability to lead through influence without direct authority
• Strong executive-level communication and stakeholder management skills
• Experience with delivery and planning tools such as Azure DevOps, Jira, Microsoft Project, or Planner
• Strong understanding of the software development life cycle and working with technical teams

Responsibilities

• Own planning and delivery for assigned software programs
• Define and enforce readiness criteria before execution begins
• Track execution against milestones and commitments
• Use delivery indicators and milestone confidence signals to surface risks early
• Identify delivery risks, dependencies, and constraint violations proactively
• Serve as the primary point of contact for software delivery status, planning coordination, and crossfunctional dependencies
• Consolidate delivery inputs into clear, leadership-ready updates
• Create dashboards to communicate delivery status, progress and risks
• Ensure consistent delivery messaging across project and program forums
• Lead structured scope change impact assessments across: Schedule, Capacity, Cost, Dependencies, Risk
• Support delivery-level resource planning and identify capacity risks early
• Track software delivery budget and spend at the project or program level
• Frame tradeoff options and support commitment resets when required
• Coordinate dependencies across software, hardware, systems, quality, regulatory, and operations teams
• Remove blockers or escalate when resolution exceeds team-level authority
• Support one or more projects in parallel, depending on size and complexity

Skills

Executive communication

Delivery leadership

Cross-functional coordination

Education

Bachelor’s Degree or related experience

Tools

Azure DevOps

Jira

Microsoft Project

Planner

Job description

Role Overview

The Software Delivery Lead is responsible for delivery predictability, readiness discipline, and execution orchestration for complex, embedded, and regulated software programs. This role does not include people management or technical design authority. Instead, it focuses on ensuring that software work starts ready, progresses predictably, risks are surfaced early, and delivery tradeoffs are framed clearly for decisionmaking.

Key Responsibilities

Delivery Orchestration & Predictability

• Own planning and delivery for assigned software programs
• Define and enforce readiness criteria before execution begins
• Track execution against milestones and commitments
• Use delivery indicators and milestone confidence signals to surface risks early
• Identify delivery risks, dependencies, and constraint violations proactively

• Experience managing delivery in environments with both iterative and milestone-driven work

Status & Planning Coordination

• Serve as the primary point of contact for software delivery status, planning coordination, and crossfunctional dependencies
• Consolidate delivery inputs into clear, leadership-ready updates
• Create dashboards to communicate delivery status, progress and risks
• Ensure consistent delivery messaging across project and program forums

Scope, Resource & Budget Tradeoff Management

• Lead structured scope change impact assessments across: Schedule, Capacity, Cost, Dependencies, Risk
• Support delivery-level resource planning and identify capacity risks early
• Track software delivery budget and spend at the project or program level
• Frame tradeoff options and support commitment resets when required

Cross-Functional Coordination

• Coordinate dependencies across software, hardware, systems, quality, regulatory, and operations teams
• Remove blockers or escalate when resolution exceeds team-level authority
• Support one or more projects in parallel, depending on size and complexity

Role Boundaries

This role owns

• Delivery orchestration and readiness discipline
• Execution tracking and delivery predictability
• Delivery risk identification and escalation
• Cross-functional coordination and dependency management
• Delivery-level resource and budget visibility

This role does NOT own

• People management or performance management
• Software architecture or technical design authority
• Formal technical or regulatory approval or signoff
• Cost center ownership or financial approvals
• Tool administration or Scrum-only ceremony ownership

Authority & Leadership Model

• The Senior Software Delivery Lead leads delivery orchestration, readiness, and cross-functional coordination.
• Final tradeoff decisions when scope, schedule, risk, and quality conflict remain with senior leadership.
• Strong facilitation and communication skills, with a proven ability to lead through ambiguity

• Demonstrated ability to influence without authority and coordinate across stakeholder groups

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree or related experience; variations may apply (e.g., high school +13 yrs; Assoc. +9 yrs.; MS +2 yrs.; PhD +0 yrs.)
• Ability to fluently read, write, understand, and communicate in English
• 5 years of relevant experience

Preferred Qualifications

• 5+ years as an embedded software developer
• Delivery or program certifications such as PMP, SAFe, or equivalent
• Experience supporting multiple concurrent programs in regulated environments
• 8+ years of software delivery, technical program management, or delivery leadership
• Experience delivering embedded and/or regulated software, including hardware-software dependencies
• Demonstrated ability to lead through influence without direct authority
• Strong executive-level communication and stakeholder management skills
• Experience with delivery and planning tools such as Azure DevOps, Jira, Microsoft Project, or Planner
• Strong understanding of the software development life cycle and working with technical teams

What Success Looks Like

• Predictable software delivery with fewer late surprises
• Clear readiness before execution begins
• Early visibility into schedule, capacity, and budget risks
• Reduced coordination and status burden on Software Leads
• Sustainable execution across multiple parallel programs

Compensation, Benefits & Equal Opportunity

Alcon’s Total Rewards programs align incentives with business objectives, support our values, and deliver long-term value. Compensation includes fixed and variable pay with short-term and long-term incentive opportunities for eligible roles. Benefits support associates and their families across health, wellbeing, financial security, and retirement planning. Alcon is an Equal Opportunity Employer and participates in E-Verify. We are committed to maintaining a diverse environment and do not discriminate in recruitment, hiring, training, promotion or other employment practices for reasons of race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital or veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected status. Reasonable accommodation is available for applicants with disabilities. If you need an accommodation for any part of the application process, please contact [e-mail].

Pay Range: 128,350.00 - 166,100.00 per year. Pay Frequency: Annual.