Manager, Embedded Firmware Architecture

Description

The company is a global product design and technology firm that sells 5-star rated lifestyle products under two well-known global brands. Its steady run of new products has opened several categories and grown its market share.

The company is headquartered in Needham, Massachusetts, has more than 4,100 associates, and sells through major retailers online and in stores, as well as through distributors worldwide.

The company is building an AI-native culture, where staff try new tools and look for better ways to work to create real value for consumers.

This manager leads the platform and architecture implementation team in the embedded firmware group. The role is a peer to the Embedded Firmware Delivery manager and reports to the Director, Embedded Firmware. The delivery manager handles design implementation and feature delivery, while this role owns architecture: reference implementations, hardware abstraction, and the platform standards every embedded program builds on.

This is a hands-on leadership role. You need enough technical depth to set interface contracts, HAL boundaries, and platform selection criteria, and to review code against them. You also lead senior developers who build that architecture, and you set the technical bar for internal staff and outside partners.

Responsibilities

• Lead, hire, and grow the architecture-focused senior embedded firmware developers on the US team.
• Review code, give technical direction and design guidance, and stay hands-on enough to make credible architecture calls.
• Balance workload and capacity for platform and reference-implementation work across programs running at the same time.
• Own firmware architecture, interface definitions, and HAL/API standards for the US embedded firmware group.
• Set architecture standards for real-time operating systems, device intelligence, and edge processing.
• Make microcontroller and processor decisions together with Hardware Engineering.
• Reuse proven internal code, vendor SDKs, and reference designs to meet speed-to-market goals. Build in-house only where the work adds lasting differentiation, safety, or IP.
• Turn architecture into clear requirements that partners can build against without guessing.
• Define engineering standards for internal and third-party developers, covering source control, build systems, branching and merging, and release rules.
• Help write the technical requirements in supplier agreements, including pre-production reproducibility: source, toolchain, and a signed build manifest that lets someone independently rebuild shipping binaries.
• Set design review and gate checkpoints that partner deliverables must clear before integration.
• With Systems Engineering and NPD, define product operation, key components, and critical firmware behavior at design time to close hardware and software gaps early.
• Own the embedded test automation framework, including CI pipeline design, static analysis tools, and the test harness for repeatable regression testing across product categories.
• Own embedded build integration, headless build requirements, and per-commit code quality checks across internal and supplier repositories.
• Build the mechanisms quality gates run on. Embedded QA & Governance keeps acceptance criteria and gate authority.
• Work with the Embedded Firmware Delivery manager so delivery teams build to current architecture and standards.
• Coordinate with other global firmware leaders on multi-site programs and shared platform work.
• Provide technical input on partner capability assessments and consolidation decisions.

Requirements

• A bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, computer engineering, computer science, or a related discipline is required.
• 8+ years working in embedded software and firmware.
• 2+ years in a lead or formal mentoring role for embedded engineering teams. First-time people leaders with strong technical depth will be considered.
• Experience defining architecture that internal and external developers implement, and enforcing those standards on outsourced work.
• A proven record of setting up CI/CD, static analysis, and automated testing for embedded programs.
• Hands-on experience shipping production firmware for consumer electronics, home appliances, robotics, or other high-volume industries.
• Skills in embedded firmware architecture, HAL/API design, and platform reuse.
• Real-time operating systems (RTOS) experience.
• OTA and bootloader update architecture experience.
• Build systems and toolchains (gcc, CMake, headless builds), Git-based source control, and static analysis.
• Test automation frameworks and hardware-in-the-loop validation.
• Writing requirements, running design reviews, and setting acceptance criteria for outsourced development.
• Hardware-software integration and product bring-up.
• Leadership strengths in technology leadership, standards and governance discipline, team building and coaching, vendor and partner technical management, and collaboration across sites.

Conditions

The annual salary range is $166,000 - $180,000 USD. Starting pay within the range depends on geography or market, skills, education, experience, and other qualifications.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants without regard to protected characteristics.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance, flexible spending accounts, and a health savings account with company contribution, subject to eligibility requirements.
• 401(k) with company match and an employee stock purchase program.
• Life insurance, AD&D, and short-term and long-term disability insurance.
• Generous paid time off, company holidays, and parental leave.
• Back-up child and eldercare days.
• Identity theft protection, pet insurance, and pre-paid legal insurance.
• Product discounts and a referral bonus program.
• Learning programs for personal and professional growth, plus further benefits.