About this Director, Firmware Architecture & Delivery role at SharkNinja
About Us
SharkNinja is a global product design and technology company, with a diversified portfolio of 5-star rated lifestyle solutions that positively impact people’s lives in homes around the world. Powered by two trusted, global brands, Shark and Ninja, the company has a proven track record of bringing disruptive innovation to market and developing one consumer product after another has allowed SharkNinja to enter multiple product categories, driving significant growth and market share gains. Headquartered in Needham, Massachusetts with more than 4,100 associates, the company’s products are sold at key retailers, online and offline, and through distributors around the world.
AI at SharkNinja
At SharkNinja, we’re building an AI-native culture. We’re not waiting for the future; we’re creating it. Our people are expected to experiment boldly, adopt new tools, and continuously raise what’s possible to create meaningful impact for our consumers. If you believe the best way to do your job hasn’t been invented yet, you’ll fit right in.
The Director of Embedded Firmware is a senior US-based firmware leader, accountable for both the technical direction and architecture that governs firmware across SharkNinja's global portfolio, and the delivery of firmware for SharkNinja products.
On the architecture side, this leader defines the interfaces, hardware abstraction standards, and engineering practices that every firmware program is built and gated against — internal and partner-executed alike — ensuring all firmware is held to a consistent technical standard and delivered with integrity.
On the delivery side, this leader is responsible for overseeing the US firmware development organization including managing both internally and externally generated embedded firmware across the complete SharkNinja product portfolio.
This role is a peer to the Connected Firmware director, who owns connected embedded architecture and delivery, and coordinates with the Embedded Firmware director in Asia on embedded firmware delivered in that region.
Key Responsibilities
Architecture & Technical Direction
- Own firmware architecture, interface definitions, and hardware abstraction (HAL/API) standards across all product categories, globally.
- Establish architectural standards for real-time operating systems, connectivity frameworks, device intelligence, and edge processing.
- Drive technical decisions on microcontroller and processor architecture, wireless technologies, display technologies, and software ecosystems in partnership with Hardware Engineering.
- Maximize reuse of proven internal code, vendor SDKs, and reference designs to meet speed-to-market demands; reserve in-house development for durable differentiation, safety, security, and IP.
- Translate architecture into clear, enforceable requirements that development partners execute against without interpretation.
Standards, Governance & Enforcement
- Define and maintain the engineering standards applied to internal developers and third-party suppliers alike — source control, build systems, branch and merge strategy, and release requirements.
- Own the technical requirements embedded in supplier agreements, including the pre-production reproducibility deliverables: source, toolchain, and signed build manifest sufficient to independently rebuild shipping binaries.
- Establish design review and gating checkpoints that partner deliverables clear before integration.
- Partner with Systems Engineering and NPD to define product operation, key components, and critical firmware behavior at design time, closing hardware/software integration gaps before they surface at integration.
US Delivery Leadership
- Own delivery commitments for internally developed firmware — schedule, quality, and scope.
- Lead the US embedded firmware organization; build capability, capacity, and technical bench strength.
- Ensure firmware integrates cleanly with hardware, cloud services, mobile applications, and user interfaces.
- Partner with other global firmware leadership to deliver programs spanning all sites and on shared platform work.
Test Automation & Development Infrastructure
- Own the embedded test automation framework: CI pipeline design, static analysis tooling, and the test-harness infrastructure that makes regression testing repeatable across categories.
- Own embedded Bitbucket integration, headless build requirements, and per-commit enforcement of code quality across internal and supplier repositories.
- Build the mechanism Quality gates against — this function builds the scaffolding; acceptance criteria and gate authority remain with Embedded QA & Governance.
Team & Cross-Functional Leadership
- Build and lead a senior technical team spanning architecture and delivery, with proven experience directing ODM and JDM partners.
- Develop technical leadership talent and strengthen the architect and engineering career paths within Firmware Engineering.
- Serve as a senior technical voice in partner capability assessment and consolidation decisions.
- Communicate technical direction, delivery status, and risk to Firmware and EE executive leadership.
Qualifications
Education
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or related discipline required.
- Master's degree preferred.
Experience
- 12+ years of embedded software and firmware engineering experience.
- 5+ years leading engineering organizations, including direct people leadership of senior engineers and managers.
- Demonstrated experience owning both technical standards and delivery accountability, with a track record of holding standards under schedule pressure.
- Demonstrated experience defining architecture executed by ODM/JDM partners and enforcing standards against outsourced development.
- Proven track record establishing CI/CD, static analysis, and automated test infrastructure for embedded programs.
- Experience developing firmware for consumer electronics, home appliances, robotics, IoT devices, or related high-volume industries.
Technical Expertise
- Embedded firmware architecture, HAL/API design, and platform reuse.
- Real-Time Operating Systems (RTOS).
- OTA software update architecture.
- Build systems and toolchains (gcc, CMake, headless builds), Git-based source control, static analysis.
- Test automation frameworks and hardware-in-the-loop validation.
- Requirements definition, design review, and acceptance criteria for outsourced development.
- Hardware-software integration and product bring-up.
Leadership Competencies
- Technology Leadership
- Standards and Governance Discipline
- Delivery Execution and Accountability
- Vendor and Partner Technical Management
- Cross-Functional Influence
- Talent Development
- Executive Communication
Salary and Other Compensation: The annual salary range for this position is displayed below. Factors which may affect starting pay within this range may include geography/market, skills, education, experience and other qualifications of the successful candidate.
The Company offers the following benefits for this position, subject to applicable eligibility requirements: medical insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, flexible spending accounts, health savings accounts (HSA) with company contribution, 401(k) retirement plan with matching, employee stock purchase program, life insurance, AD&D, short-term disability insurance, long-term disability insurance, generous paid time off, company holidays, parental leave, identity theft protection, pet insurance, pre-paid legal insurance, back-up child and eldercare days, product discounts, referral bonus program, and more.
Our Culture
At SharkNinja, we don’t just raise the bar—we push past it every single day. Our Outrageously Extraordinary mindset drives us to tackle the impossible, push boundaries, and deliver results that others only dream of. If you thrive on breaking out of your swim lane, you’ll be right at home.
What We Offer
We offer competitive health insurance, retirement plans, paid time off, employee stock purchase options, wellness programs, SharkNinja product discounts, and more. We empower your personal and professional growth with high impact Learning Programs featuring bold voices redefining what’s possible. When you join, you’re not just part of a company—you’re part of an outrageously extraordinary community. Together, we won’t just launch products—we’ll disrupt entire markets.
At SharkNinja, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are vital to our global success. Valuing each unique voice and blending all of our diverse skills strengthens SharkNinja’s innovation every day. We support ALL associates in bringing their authentic selves to work, making an impact, and having the opportunity for career acceleration. With help from our leadership, associates, and our community, we aim to have equity be a key component of the SharkNinja DNA.
Learn more about us:
Life At SharkNinja
Outrageously Extraordinary
SharkNinja Candidate Privacy Notice
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For candidates based in all regions, please refer to this Candidate Privacy Notice.
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For candidates based in China, please refer to this Candidate Privacy Notice.
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For candidates based in Vietnam, please refer to this Candidate Privacy Notice.
We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability, or any other class protected by legislation, and local law. SharkNinja will consider reasonable accommodations consistent with legislation, and local law. If you require a reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, please contact SharkNinja People & Culture at [email protected]
