Firmware Engineering Management

Ichor Systems, Inc.; Sparks (NV); On-site; USD 125,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision plans

Paid time off

Paid holidays

Job summary

Ichor Systems, Inc. in Sparks, NV is seeking a Firmware Engineering Manager to lead embedded firmware development for flow control products and supporting devices used in engineering test stands.

You will manage firmware engineers, establish standards, oversee projects, and ensure quality and maintainability throughout the product lifecycle. The role provides technical leadership for embedded firmware while guiding performance, workload prioritization, customer interactions, and feature

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer/Electrical/Electronics engineering or related field.
• 8+ years firmware/embedded software or embedded controls experience.
• 2+ years engineering leadership or management experience.
• Strong C/C++ experience for embedded firmware development.
• Experience with microcontroller-based embedded systems and real-time control.
• Knowledge of UART, SPI, I2C, GPIO, ADC, PWM, CAN, Ethernet or EtherCAT.
• Ability to read schematics and hardware/firmware interfaces.
• Familiar with debugging, source control, issue tracking, testing, and workflows.
• Strong problem-solving, communication, and customer-facing skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage a team of firmware engineers for embedded product development.
• Set priorities, assign work, monitor progress and ensure timely firmware deliverables.
• Manage performance, coaching, hiring, and staffing activities.
• Define and maintain firmware workflows, standards, documentation, and best practices.
• Oversee firmware quality processes including code reviews, testing, and release control.
• Provide technical leadership for architecture and long-term platform sustainability.
• Collaborate with Systems Eng, Product, Electronics Eng, Manufacturing, and customers to define requirements.
• Develop project estimates, resource plans, schedules, and priorities.
• Identify risks and implement mitigation plans.
• Maintain firmware backlog and roadmap aligned with product objectives.
• Communicate status, issues, risks, and priorities across the organization.
• Engage with customers on firmware functionality and requests.
• Oversee embedded communication protocols and device interfaces.
• Ensure verification plans, test coverage, and validation activities are executed.
• Support product development from requirements through to manufacturing.
• Assist manufacturing, field service, and sustaining teams with firmware issues.
• Drive root cause investigations and reliability improvements.
• Manage technical debt and platform evolution.
• Ensure security, reliability, and maintainability of firmware practices.
• Contribute to firmware development, testing, and troubleshooting as needed.

Skills

Firmware development

Embedded systems

Leadership

Project management

Communication

Customer-facing

Schematic reading

Debugging

Education

Bachelor's degree in a technical field

Tools

UART

SPI

I2C

GPIO

ADC

PWM

CAN

Ethernet

EtherCAT

Job description

About the Role

The Firmware Engineering Manager is responsible for leading firmware development activities for flow control products and supporting electronic devices used in engineering test stands. This role is responsible for managing firmware engineers, establishing development standards and processes, overseeing firmware project execution, and ensuring firmware quality and maintainability throughout the product lifecycle.

Job Description

The Firmware Engineering Manager is responsible for leading firmware development activities for flow control products and supporting electronic devices used in engineering test stands. This role is responsible for managing firmware engineers, establishing development standards and processes, overseeing firmware project execution, and ensuring firmware quality and maintainability throughout the product lifecycle.

The Firmware Engineering Manager provides technical leadership for embedded firmware development while managing employee performance, workload prioritization, customer interactions, firmware feature planning, and product support activities. This role may also contribute directly to firmware development activities when needed.

What You’ll Do

• Lead and manage a team of firmware engineers responsible for embedded product development.
• Assign work, establish priorities, monitor progress, and ensure timely completion of firmware deliverables.
• Manage employee performance, coaching, career development, hiring, and staffing activities.
• Define and maintain firmware development workflows, coding standards, documentation requirements, and development best practices.
• Establish and oversee firmware quality processes including code reviews, design reviews, testing, defect management, release control, and configuration management.
• Provide technical leadership for firmware architecture, design decisions, implementation approaches, and long-term platform sustainability.
• Collaborate with Systems Engineering, Product Management, Electronics Engineering, Manufacturing, and customers to define firmware requirements, acceptance criteria, and implementation priorities.
• Develop firmware project estimates, resource plans, execution schedules, and development priorities.
• Identify technical and project risks and implement mitigation plans.
• Manage the firmware feature backlog, prioritization, and roadmap planning in alignment with product objectives.
• Communicate firmware project status, technical issues, risks, and priorities across the organization.
• Engage with customers regarding firmware functionality, feature requests, troubleshooting, and technical discussions.
• Oversee implementation and maintenance of embedded communication protocols and device interfaces.
• Ensure firmware verification plans, test coverage, and validation activities are appropriately defined and executed.
• Support product development through requirements definition, implementation, verification, validation, release, and transition to manufacturing.
• Support manufacturing, field service, and sustaining engineering teams with firmware-related issues, diagnostics, and product improvements.
• Drive resolution of firmware-related field issues, root cause investigations, corrective actions, and product reliability improvements.
• Manage firmware technical debt, maintainability improvements, and platform evolution.
• Ensure firmware development practices support product reliability, robustness, maintainability, and security requirements.
• Contribute directly to firmware development, testing, debugging, and troubleshooting activities as required.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Electronics Engineering, or a related technical discipline, or equivalent relevant experience.
• 8+ years of firmware, embedded software, or embedded controls development experience.
• 2+ years of engineering leadership or management experience.
• Strong experience developing embedded firmware using C and C++.
• Experience with microcontroller-based embedded systems and real-time control applications.
• Experience with standard microcontroller peripherals and communication interfaces including UART, SPI, I2C, GPIO, ADC, PWM, CAN, Ethernet, EtherCAT, or similar technologies.
• Understanding of embedded system architecture, resource-constrained systems, and firmware design principles.
• Ability to read and understand electronic schematics and hardware/firmware interfaces.
• Familiarity with debugging tools, source control systems, issue tracking systems, testing methodologies, and firmware development workflows.
• Strong problem-solving, communication, project management, and customer-facing skills.
• Ability to balance technical contributions with people management responsibilities.

For candidates based in California: The pay range for this position is $131,500 - $223,600 per year.

Our pay ranges are determined by role, level, and location. Within the range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional job-related factors, including knowledge, skills, experience, tenure, and relevant education or training. The pay scale is subject to change depending on business needs. Your recruiter can share more about the specific range for your location during the hiring process.

Ichor is committed to supporting your personal well-being and professional development. Our benefits are designed to help you maintain a healthy work-life balance, provide peace of mind, and prepare for your future. We offer medical, dental, and vision plans across all locations, allowing team members to select the coverage that best meets their healthcare needs and budget. Our benefits also include a paid time‑off program and paid holidays to support your time away from work. A summary of our Benefits will be provided during the interview process.