Head of Software Engineering

SQUAD; United States; Remote; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary packages with merit

Performance Bonus

Loyalty Bonus

Contract of Employment (UoP)

Paid vacation and public holidays

Medical insurance

Professional growth opportunities

English language training

Job summary

SQUAD is seeking a strategic Head of Software (Embedded) to unify and scale our embedded software teams. You will consolidate distributed teams, set architectural standards, and drive cross-functional project delivery across multiple product lines.

Your role includes guiding pre-sales, technical discovery, and client consultations to shape end-to-end embedded software solutions. You will report to the Senior Director of Embedded Engineering and lead with an emphasis on delivery excellence.

Qualifications

• Proven track record as Head of Engineering, Director, or Delivery Lead in embedded firmware
• Deep embedded systems architecture experience (drivers, middleware, connectivity)
• Hands-on pre-sales enablement, proposals, client pitches, effort estimates
• Solid understanding of Agile and CI/CD for embedded platforms
• Ability to lead autonomous teams while maintaining unified technical direction
• Fluent English with ability to articulate complex architectures to clients

Responsibilities

• Own domain-wide software delivery across multiple projects with secure lifecycles
• Lead pre-sales calls, design high-level architectures, and estimate engineering effort
• Create and enforce domain coding guidelines, automated tests, and CI/CD for embedded systems
• Mentor Software Development Managers and Tech Leads; resolve technical debates
• Oversee resource planning and collaborate with Recruitment to scale teams
• Act as domain authority in client engagements and cross-functional reviews

Skills

Leadership experience

Technical architecture

Pre-sales acumen

Delivery methods

Collaborative leadership

Executive communication

Job description

Our Embedded Software Engineering domain is a core R&D unit responsible for crafting reliable, high-performance software for smart IoT devices, AI-powered cameras, and connected hardware. The team focuses on the full software stack close to hardware: low-level firmware, Linux-based and RTOS-based embedded platforms, middleware, file systems, connectivity (Wi-Fi, BLE, cellular), and real-time audio/video streaming.We operate with an agile, delivery-first R&D approach, driving software architecture from concept and prototyping to edge AI deployment, secure OTA management, and mass-production readiness.

Job Summary

We are seeking a strategic and technically grounded Head of Software (Embedded) to lead, scale, and elevate our software engineering organization. Designed to unify all Software Development teams under a single leadership structure, this role will consolidate distributed engineering teams to eliminate operational silos, standardize engineering practices, and drive cross-functional project delivery.

In this role, you will streamline the software project roadmap, scale cross-border operations, and partner with Recruitment to drive strategic headcount growth. You will directly support and align Software Development Managers and Tech Leads, set architectural standards, and oversee software delivery across multiple product lines. Additionally, you will drive business growth by participating in pre-sales activities, technical discovery calls, and client consultations, evaluating feasible architectures, scoping efforts, and pitching end-to-end embedded software solutions. You will report directly to the Senior Director of Embedded Engineering.

Responsibilities and Duties

• Software Delivery & Technical Strategy: Take full accountability for domain-wide software delivery across multiple projects, ensuring high-quality architectural choices, secure software lifecycles (OTA, secure boot), and execution against business goals.
• Pre-Sales & Technical Discovery: Actively participate in pre-sales calls, technical discovery sessions, and client proposals; evaluate system constraints, design high-level software architectures, and estimate engineering efforts for prospective clients.
• Engineering Excellence & Standards: Establish domain-wide coding guidelines, automated testing frameworks, and CI/CD practices tailored specifically for embedded Linux, RTOS, firmware, and edge AI development.
• Leadership & Team Alignment: Partner with, support, and align seasoned Software Development Managers and Tech Leads, empowering autonomous execution while maintaining a unified technical direction. Resolve interpersonal friction, defuse technical disagreements among leads, and unite the engineering team under a shared strategic vision focused on core business outcomes.
• Resource Management & Domain Scaling: Oversee resource allocation and capacity planning to balance team utilization across projects; partner with the Recruitment team to align hiring and scale engineering capacity.
• Executive Stakeholder Management: Serve as the primary embedded software domain authority for clients, product managers, and cross-functional leaders (Hardware, Backend, Image Quality, Research, QA).

Qualifications and Skills

• Leadership Experience: Proven track record as a Head of Engineering, Director of Software, or Engineering Delivery Lead managing embedded software/firmware organizations (C/C++, Embedded Linux, RTOS).
• Technical & Architectural Background: Deep architectural background in embedded systems (OS drivers, middleware, connectivity, video/audio streaming, or edge processing) sufficient to challenge architectural decisions and guide technical discussions.
• Pre-Sales Acumen: Hands-on experience in pre-sales enablement: technical proposal writing, client pitches, and effort estimations for external projects.
• Delivery & Methodology: Solid understanding of modern software delivery practices, Agile frameworks, and CI/CD for embedded systems.
• Collaborative Leadership & Ownership: Proven ability to build trust, empower autonomous leads, resolve team friction, and balance technical excellence with project deadlines, budget constraints, and delivery commitments.
• Communication & Executive Presence: Advanced / Fluent English (C1/C2) with outstanding ability to articulate complex technical architectures clearly to both technical and non-technical client stakeholders.

Nice to have

• Experience with AI/ML integration at the edge (on-device object detection, ISP tuning, smart camera features).
• Domain experience in smart home, IoT, or camera security platforms.
• Understanding of the full hardware lifecycle (how embedded software integrates with EE/RF and mass-production pipelines).
• Strong negotiation skills regarding delivery scope, boundaries, and timelines.

We offer multiple benefits that include

• The environment of equal opportunities, transparent and value-based corporate culture, and an individual approach to each team member
• Competitive salary packages with performance-based annual reviews.
• Opportunity to receive a Performance Bonus for your individual achievements and a Loyalty Bonus recognizing your dedication to the company.
• Employment via Contract of Employment (UoP) in complete alignment with Polish Labour Law.
• Guaranteed paid vacation, public holidays, and medical leaves as per statutory regulations.
• Continuous growth and development opportunities through internal knowledge hubs, corporate courses, and free English classes
• Comprehensive private medical insurance to supplement your standard NFZ coverage.