Principal Firmware Engineer

Description

The company designs and builds consumer products for the home, sold through major retailers online and in stores as well as through distributors worldwide.

It is headquartered in Needham, Massachusetts and employs over 4,100 people.

Its lifestyle products carry 5-star ratings, and a steady run of new product categories has driven strong growth and gains in market share.

The company is building an AI-native culture where people test new tools, try bold ideas, and push what is possible for consumers.

This is a senior individual contributor role in the Connected Firmware group, acting as the deepest hands-on expert in wireless connectivity, display and UI, and device-to-app-to-cloud integration.

You will set technical direction on the toughest connected architecture problems and define the standard that internal developers and outside partners build to.

You will design connected platform interfaces and standards, then write reference implementations of connectivity stacks, provisioning and pairing code, display frameworks, and app and cloud layers to prove the design in working code before partners start building. This is an architect track with no people management.

Responsibilities

• Define reference architectures and implementations for wireless connectivity, display and UI, and app and cloud integration that work across product categories.
• Design the most demanding connected subsystems, including Bluetooth/BLE and Wi-Fi stacks, Matter, Thread and Zigbee integration, embedded UI frameworks, and provisioning and pairing protocols.
• Make and document decisions that constrain downstream work: interface contracts, app and cloud API boundaries, and criteria for choosing wireless platforms.
• Prototype and de-risk new connectivity, display, and app integration technologies before a program commits to them.
• Lead design reviews of internal and partner connected firmware, approving or rejecting against set criteria.
• Turn architecture intent into requirements partners can carry out without guessing.
• Act as the escalation point for partner design disputes and for interoperability and integration failures.
• Assess partners' wireless and display capability and advise on consolidation and qualification decisions.
• Provide the technical depth for Bluetooth SIG, Wi-Fi Alliance, and Matter certification submissions, and own root-cause fixes when a submission fails.
• Track wireless standards changes and shape architecture before specs change.
• Define in technical terms the reproducibility standard for connected subsystems: source, toolchain, and build manifest requirements that allow shipping binaries to be rebuilt independently.
• Contribute to test automation for connectivity and display: CI pipeline design, RF and interoperability test harnesses, and static analysis configuration.
• Set and evolve coding standards, review criteria, and quality thresholds for internal and supplier connected firmware code.
• Direct the connected-track Senior Embedded Firmware Developer and mentor senior and mid-level engineers in the US and China on connected features.
• Work with hardware, systems, cloud, mobile app, and NPD teams to gate critical connected-product behavior at design time.
• Present connected firmware positions in cross-functional and executive forums.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in computer engineering, electrical engineering, computer science, or a related field.
• Master's degree preferred.
• 12+ years of embedded software and firmware work, with deep wireless connectivity and connected-device architecture experience.
• Track record as a principal, staff, or lead architect on complex connected embedded systems using BLE, Wi-Fi, Matter, Thread, or Zigbee.
• Hands-on experience taking products through wireless certification with Bluetooth SIG, Wi-Fi Alliance, or Matter.
• Experience defining architecture that external partners build, and holding them to technical standards on outsourced work.
• Experience with firmware for consumer electronics, home appliances, robotics, IoT, or other high-volume industries.
• Experience mentoring engineers and shaping technical direction without formal authority.
• Strong embedded C and C++ on resource-constrained platforms.
• Protocol and stack-level knowledge of Wi-Fi, Bluetooth/BLE, Matter, Thread, and Zigbee.
• Provisioning, pairing, and companion app integration, including BLE GATT, Wi-Fi onboarding, and cloud device registration and authentication.
• Display technologies and embedded graphics and UI frameworks.
• Device security for connected products: secure boot, key management, and cybersecurity frameworks.
• OTA update architecture, including rollback and field recovery.
• Wireless certification processes and RF regulatory compliance.
• Build systems and toolchains such as gcc, CMake, and headless builds, plus static analysis and unit testing frameworks.
• Hardware-software integration, board bring-up, and low-level debugging.
• Leadership strengths: deep technical judgment, influence without authority, rigorous design reviews, mentorship and knowledge transfer, and clear technical communication.

Conditions

Annual base salary range: $156,000 - $185,000 USD.

Starting pay within this range depends on factors such as geography or market, skills, education, experience, and other qualifications.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion are part of how the company operates, and it welcomes people to bring their full selves to work.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance, plus flexible spending accounts and an HSA with company contribution.
• 401(k) with company match, a stock purchase plan for employees, and life insurance with AD&D cover.
• Short- and long-term disability insurance, ample paid time off, company holidays, and parental leave.
• Identity theft protection, pet insurance, prepaid legal coverage, backup days for child and elder care, and product discounts.
• A referral bonus program, wellness programs, and learning programs for professional growth, plus other benefits.
• Benefits are subject to eligibility requirements.