Senior Manager Firmware Engineering

Providence Partners, LLC; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 140,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Providence Partners, LLC seeks a Senior Manager of Firmware Engineering to lead embedded product development from concept through production. This hands-on leader combines deep firmware expertise with electronics and hardware integration, while mentoring engineers and driving system-level testing and process improvements.

The role emphasizes architecture, standards, and collaboration across firmware, hardware, and product teams. Strong leadership and hands-on technical engagement are required.

Qualifications

• 10+ years in embedded product development with hands-on firmware.
• C/C++ development for microcontroller-based embedded systems.
• Experience with RTOS or disciplined bare-metal development.
• Strong embedded firmware architecture, drivers, and HALs.
• Proven track record from concept to production and field deployment.
• Experience leading engineers as a manager or tech lead.
• Sufficient electronics knowledge for schematic reviews and bring-up.
• Exposure to test automation, system validation, or HIL environments.
• Proficient in root-cause analysis across firmware and hardware.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical and people leadership across firmware and hardware engineering.
• Establish and maintain embedded firmware architecture, standards, and release processes.
• Lead product development from architecture to production and field support.
• Promote a systems-engineering approach across firmware, electronics, and testing.
• Guide decisions on firmware architecture, hardware integration, power, and packaging.
• Ensure early system testing including HIL, automation, and design-for-test.
• Lead design reviews and document engineering decisions thoroughly.
• Partner with stakeholders to balance technical requirements, schedules and quality.
• Establish metrics and processes to improve quality, efficiency, and predictability.
• Mentor engineers and maintain high standards for technical execution.
• Evaluate modern tools, including AI, to boost productivity and product quality.

Skills

C/C++

Embedded systems

RTOS

Firmware architecture

Hardware integration

Troubleshooting

People leadership

Testing & HIL

Root cause analysis

Product development

Tools

HIL testing tools

Job description

We are seeking an experienced Senior Manager of Firmware Engineering to lead the development of embedded products from concept through production. This is a hands-on leadership opportunity for an accomplished embedded engineering leader who combines deep firmware expertise with a strong understanding of electronics, hardware integration, and product development. The ideal candidate has grown from a strong embedded firmware background into broader engineering and people leadership while remaining technically engaged.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide technical and people leadership across firmware and hardware engineering.
• Establish and maintain embedded firmware architecture, coding standards, development practices, and release processes.
• Lead embedded product development from initial architecture and prototyping through production and ongoing field support.
• Promote a systems-engineering approach in which firmware, electronics, mechanical considerations, and testing are addressed collaboratively throughout development.
• Guide technical decisions involving firmware architecture, electronics, hardware integration, power, connectivity, packaging, manufacturability, and product reliability.
• Ensure early and effective system-level testing, including hardware-in-the-loop (HIL), automated testing, and design-for-test practices.
• Lead technical design reviews and ensure engineering decisions are well documented.
• Partner with engineering, product, manufacturing, and other stakeholders to balance technical requirements, schedules, quality, and customer needs.
• Establish engineering metrics and processes that improve product quality, development efficiency, and predictability.
• Lead root-cause analysis and resolution of complex product and field issues.
• Mentor and develop engineers while maintaining a high standard for technical execution and accountability.
• Evaluate and incorporate modern engineering tools, including AI and automation, to improve engineering productivity, testing, documentation, and product quality.

Required Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience developing embedded products, with significant hands-on firmware experience.
• Strong C/C++ development experience for microcontroller-based embedded systems.
• Experience with RTOS and/or disciplined bare-metal embedded development.
• Experience with embedded firmware architecture, device drivers, hardware abstraction layers, bootloaders, firmware updates, and hardware/software integration.
• Demonstrated experience taking embedded products from concept and development through production and field deployment.
• Experience leading engineers as a people manager, technical lead, or engineering manager.
• Strong understanding of electronics sufficient to participate in schematic reviews, board bring-up, troubleshooting, and hardware/firmware tradeoffs.
• Working knowledge of mechanical and manufacturing considerations associated with physical product development.
• Experience working closely with test automation, system validation, or HIL environments.
• Strong troubleshooting and root-cause analysis skills across firmware and hardware.
• Ability to remain technically engaged while leading teams, priorities, and product execution.