Director, Software Engineering

Blackrock Neurotech; Salt Lake City (UT); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Blackrock Neurotech in Salt Lake City, Utah, is seeking a Director of Software Engineering to lead the architecture, roadmap, and execution of the software for our next-generation BCI platform. This role spans embedded systems, edge computing, AI/ML, and distributed services, demanding high performance with rigorous medical device quality.

You will manage a small, highly technical software team, guiding architecture, mentoring engineers, and partnering with QA, Regulatory, and data science teams

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in CS/engineering or equivalent practical experience.
• Experience architecting high-performance software across embedded, edge, distributed or cloud-connected environments.
• Experience with AI/ML pipelines: real-time inference, deployment and monitoring.
• Experience in medical device industry or regulated product environments.
• Strong understanding of software practices: architecture, workflows, testing, deployment, lifecycle.
• Experience building and leading software engineering teams: hiring, mentoring, accountability.

Responsibilities

• Own architecture and technical direction for high-performance BCI software across device, edge, and distributed environments.
• Build platforms to run ML algorithms developed by AI/ML teams.
• Maintain an integrated software roadmap translating priorities into actionable plans.
• Lead and grow a software engineering team with clear expectations and accountability.
• Engage in architecture reviews and hands-on problem solving when needed.
• Define inference runtime, deployment path, versioning, and monitoring for ML on regulated devices.
• Establish scalable software practices, testing approaches, and processes for a regulated medical device.
• Navigate dependencies across hardware, clinical, data science/AI, cybersecurity, and other teams to keep development moving forward.
• Develop resource, hiring, and budget plans aligned with the roadmap.
• Collaborate with Quality, Regulatory, and cross-functional leaders to ensure compliance.

Skills

Software architecture

Leadership

Embedded systems

AI/ML pipelines

Medical device industry

Python

C/C++

Distributed systems

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science/Software Engineering/Computer Engineering or related field

Tools

CI/CD

Embedded Linux

Job description

Build the systems that expand human capability

At Blackrock Neurotech, we’ve spent decades making the impossible possible – helping people move, speak, and reconnect with the world when they otherwise could not.

We’ve seen that restoring function restores more than ability. It restores independence, identity, and agency.

Today, we are building the next generation of human capability: brain-computer interfaces that are designed to be safe, scalable, and trusted in the real world. Our work is not only about reconnecting people to what was lost, but about expanding what is possible – creating a seamless interface between human intent and technology.

This is foundational work in a category-defining field. You will help build the infrastructure for a future where neural interfaces are invisible, reliable, and deeply human-centered.

Working At Blackrock Neurotech Means

• Owning meaningful, high-impact problems at the frontier of science and engineering
• Building alongside experienced, thoughtful peers across disciplines
• Solving technically complex challenges grounded in real human outcomes
• Contributing to a culture that values rigor, clarity, and long-term thinking over noise

The Role

The Director, Software Engineering will lead the architecture, roadmap, and execution of the software supporting our next-generation BCI platform. This is an opportunity to shape a complex, high-performance software environment spanning embedded systems, edge computing, AI and ML platforms and distributed services while building the engineering practices and team needed to support future clinical and regulatory milestones.

You will manage and grow a small, highly technical software team while remaining close enough to the work to guide architecture, challenge technical decisions, and step into critical problems when needed. Working across hardware, data science, clinical, pre-clinical, cybersecurity, and strategy, the Director will bring structure to complex interdependencies and help establish software as a core organizational capability at Blackrock Neurotech.

What You'll Do

• Own the architecture and technical direction for high-performance BCI software spanning device, edge, and distributed environments
• Build the high-bandwidth, low-latency platforms to run machine learning algorithms developed by the AI/ML teams
• Create and maintain an integrated software roadmap that translates product, clinical, and organizational priorities into clear technical plans and milestones
• Lead, mentor, and grow a software engineering team, establishing clear expectations while creating an environment of trust, accountability, and strong technical judgment
• Serve as a player-coach, remaining technically engaged through architecture and design reviews, critical problem solving, and hands‑on contribution where it will have the greatest impact
• Partner with AI/ML teams to define the inference runtime, model deployment path, versioning, and monitoring required to run ML safely on a regulated device
• Establish scalable software engineering practices, development infrastructure, testing approaches, and processes appropriate for a regulated medical device environment
• Navigate complex dependencies across hardware, clinical, pre‑clinical, data science/AI, cybersecurity, infrastructure, and other technical teams to keep development moving forward
• Develop resource, hiring, and budget plans aligned with the software roadmap and future organizational needs
• Partner with Quality, Regulatory, and cross‑functional leaders to ensure software architecture, development practices, documentation, and validation support applicable medical device requirements
• Communicate technical strategy, tradeoffs, risks, and progress clearly to audiences ranging from individual engineers to executive leadership

What You Bring

• 10+ years of progressive software engineering experience, including 5+ years in engineering leadership roles with responsibility for team development, technical direction, and delivery
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience
• Demonstrated experience architecting high-performance software systems across multiple technical boundaries, such as embedded systems, edge computing, distributed systems, or cloud-connected environments
• Experience architecting software systems built around AI/ML pipelines, such as real‑time inference, model deployment and monitoring, or latency‑sensitive high‑bandwidth signal processing
• Experience leading software development within the medical device industry or a similarly complex, regulated product environment
• Strong understanding of modern software engineering practices, including architecture, development workflows, testing, deployment, and lifecycle management
• Experience creating software roadmaps, managing technical dependencies, and translating ambiguous or evolving requirements into executable plans
• Demonstrated success building and developing engineering teams, including hiring, mentoring, setting expectations, and creating accountability for delivery
• The technical depth to operate credibly with senior engineers and remain engaged in architecture, design, and critical technical problem solving
• Proven ability to work across disciplines and influence both technical and executive stakeholders.
• A calm, adaptable leadership style and the ability to bring clarity and structure to complex, fast‑moving environments
• Experience developing software for Class III or other complex medical devices strongly preferred
• Working knowledge of medical device software development and quality frameworks, including IEC 62304, ISO 14971, and QMSR/ISO 13485 preferred
• Experience with Python and/or compiled languages used in high-performance or embedded systems
• Experience with embedded Linux, distributed systems, CI/CD, automated testing, or cloud-connected device architectures
• Experience supporting software used in clinical studies or clinical environments is preferred
• Familiarity with cybersecurity considerations for connected medical devices and applicable security frameworks
• Experience applying AI-enabled development tools or building software architectures that incorporate AI/ML capabilities

Working Location

This is an on-site role based at Blackrock Neurotech's headquarters in Salt Lake City, Utah. Occasional travel may be required.

How We Work

We are a small, experienced team working on consequential problems.

• We take ownership of outcomes and follow through with clarity and accountability
• We prioritize sustained, high‑quality work over performative urgency
• We value rigor, sound judgement and thoughtful decision‑making
• We collaborate deliberately: low ego, high trust and high context

This is a high-ownership role, but it is not an "always-on" one. We expect strong work and our people to have a life outside of it.