Embedded Engineering Manager - Connectivity

Techtronic Industries; Town of Brookfield (WI); On-site; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Milwaukee Tool is seeking an Engineering Manager, Embedded Firmware & Electrical Engineering (IoT Connectivity) to lead a world-class team focused on designing and delivering connected products. You will own the device connectivity architecture, strategy, and roadmap in collaboration with cross-functional partners at our Brookfield, WI headquarters.

This role drives firmware and hardware development processes, security, OTA updates, and RF/wireless performance while coordinating with cloud,

Responsibilities

• Build, manage, and motivate a world-class team of embedded firmware and electrical engineers to deliver new-to-world connected products.
• Own the connectivity architecture for Milwaukee Tool devices, including BLE, Wi-Fi, cellular (LTE-M/NB-IoT), and other wireless protocols, spanning hardware, firmware, and cloud/mobile interfaces.
• Lead the end-to-end design of embedded IoT devices, from concept, requirements, and architecture through schematic/PCB design, firmware development, validation, and transition to global manufacturing.
• Define IoT firmware strategy, including RTOS/Linux platforms, bootloaders, secure boot, over-the-air (OTA) updates, device provisioning, and fleet-management capabilities.
• Drive device security and compliance practices, including secure key storage, encrypted communication, vulnerability management, and regulatory certification (FCC, IC, CE/RED, Bluetooth SIG, and carrier).
• Partner with cloud, mobile app, and data teams to define device-to-cloud protocols (e.g., MQTT, CoAP, HTTPS), APIs, telemetry, and diagnostics that deliver reliable end-user experiences.
• Own RF and wireless performance, including antenna design/selection, coexistence, range, throughput, and power-consumption trade-offs in battery-powered and harsh jobsite environments.
• Organize and align across product teams and commercial managers to develop a robust connected-product strategy and development roadmap.
• Drive communication with marketing, product teams, and platform engineering to capture the voice of the customer and translate it into connectivity features and user experiences.
• Grow the team to increase project capacity while maintaining exemplary performance; recruit, develop, and retain top embedded and connectivity talent.
• Create and manage robust project roadmaps and resource plans with converged scope; drive urgency in schedules and accountability for key project metrics.
• Champion firmware and hardware development processes (CI/CD, automated and hardware-in-the-loop testing, code review, requirements traceability, and release management) suited to connected products.
• Mentor and coach the team in engineering best practices including task management, root cause analysis, firmware design, circuit/PCB design, simulation, and PCBA manufacturing.
• Lead the development of test plans, procedures, and test cases for embedded systems and connectivity subsystems, including interoperability, field, and certification testing.
• Lead technology investigations, develop system requirements, and define future architectures and reusability strategies, including common connectivity stacks and shared building blocks across products and platforms.
• Maintain strong awareness of competitive offerings, emerging wireless/IoT standards, and the business climate to reshape a best-in-class roadmap.
• Quickly, effectively, and candidly frame up and escape business risks

Job description

Job Description

INNOVATE WITHOUT BOUNDARIES! At Milwaukee Tool we firmly believe that our People and our Culture are the secrets to our success - so we give you unlimited access to everything you need to create disruptive new technologies and solutions on our engineering teams. Our Engineering Team is responsible for giving life to the batteries, motors, and electronics that power solutions changing the lives of our users. Every developmental phase of these critical components happens in-house under the watch of this team. We continue to invest in electrical and firmware engineering resources to design and develop leadership in electronic and connected-device capabilities; something unique within the industry. And we're pushing the limits in firmware engineering, wireless connectivity, power electronics, embedded systems, machine learning, and the use of artificial intelligence.

Behind our doors you'll be empowered every day to own it, drive it, and do what it takes to design and develop the biggest breakthroughs in the industry. Meanwhile, you'll have the support and resources of the fastest-growing brand in the construction industry to make it happen. Year after year, our team continues to make significant breakthroughs in the industry and we're just getting started. To learn more about our story click HERE.

The Engineering Manager, Embedded Firmware & Electrical Engineering (IoT Connectivity) will lead a team of embedded firmware, electrical, and connectivity engineers focused on designing and delivering new connected products. You will be responsible for the device connectivity architecture and strategy, strategic roadmap planning, resource allocation and scope management, oversight of technical reviews and design decisions, and process improvement and change management. This includes working in a team environment with marketing, project management, cloud and mobile software, mechanical engineering, and global manufacturing operations. This position will sit at our Headquarters in Brookfield, Wisconsin.

You'll be DISRUPTIVE through these duties and responsibilities:

• Build, manage, and motivate a world-class team of embedded firmware and electrical engineers to deliver new-to-world connected products.
• Own the connectivity architecture for Milwaukee Tool devices, including BLE, Wi-Fi, cellular (LTE-M/NB-IoT), and other wireless protocols, spanning hardware, firmware, and cloud/mobile interfaces.
• Lead the end-to-end design of embedded IoT devices, from concept, requirements, and architecture through schematic/PCB design, firmware development, validation, and transition to global manufacturing.
• Define IoT firmware strategy, including RTOS/Linux platforms, bootloaders, secure boot, over-the-air (OTA) updates, device provisioning, and fleet-management capabilities.
• Drive device security and compliance practices, including secure key storage, encrypted communication, vulnerability management, and regulatory certification (FCC, IC, CE/RED, Bluetooth SIG, and carrier).
• Partner with cloud, mobile app, and data teams to define device-to-cloud protocols (e.g., MQTT, CoAP, HTTPS), APIs, telemetry, and diagnostics that deliver reliable end-user experiences.
• Own RF and wireless performance, including antenna design/selection, coexistence, range, throughput, and power-consumption trade-offs in battery-powered and harsh jobsite environments.
• Organize and align across product teams and commercial managers to develop a robust connected-product strategy and development roadmap.
• Drive communication with marketing, product teams, and platform engineering to capture the voice of the customer and translate it into connectivity features and user experiences.
• Grow the team to increase project capacity while maintaining exemplary performance; recruit, develop, and retain top embedded and connectivity talent.
• Create and manage robust project roadmaps and resource plans with converged scope; drive urgency in schedules and accountability for key project metrics.
• Champion firmware and hardware development processes (CI/CD, automated and hardware-in-the-loop testing, code review, requirements traceability, and release management) suited to connected products.
• Mentor and coach the team in engineering best practices including task management, root cause analysis, firmware design, circuit/PCB design, simulation, and PCBA manufacturing.
• Lead the development of test plans, procedures, and test cases for embedded systems and connectivity subsystems, including interoperability, field, and certification testing.
• Lead technology investigations, develop system requirements, and define future architectures and reusability strategies, including common connectivity stacks and shared building blocks across products and platforms.
• Maintain strong awareness of competitive offerings, emerging wireless/IoT standards, and the business climate to reshape a best-in-class roadmap.
• Quickly, effectively, and candidly frame up and escape business risks