Senior Director of Hardware

Location: Montreal

Senior Director of Hardware
Remote –Canada

Reports to:

Executive Leadership
Comp: –K CAD About the Company Our client is a fast-scaling hardware company that combines:

Custom hardware (displays + media players)

Android-based firmware (AOSP/ADK layer)

Cloud software

Products are widely deployed in retail environments for pricing, promotions, and customer engagement. The company is growing rapidly (doubling year over year). Hardware execution has been a constraint in recent growth, and this hire will play a critical role in accelerating delivery and shaping next-generation products. This is a high-impact, greenfield leadership opportunity.
What This Role Owns This leader will oversee the entire Hardware & Firmware function, including:

Technical ownership of hardware portfolio

Android AOSP-based firmware strategy

Next-generation digital signage innovation (LCD + emerging display technologies)

ODM/OEM management (primarily Shenzhen, China)

Patent tracking and renewals

Process development and QA improvements

Cross-functional execution across Product, Software, and Supply Chain

Team & Structure

4–5 direct reports (hardware engineers, design engineers, firmware developers)

2 engineers focused on Android ADK layer

Team largely remote (Ontario + Montreal presence)

Junior team requiring mentorship and potential re-org

Role Allocation

~% hands-on / % leadership % current product execution % forward-looking R&D % leadership & process

Travel

Asia: ~1x per year

Primarily Canada (Montreal > Toronto)

Limited U.S. travel (NYC occasionally)

Ideal Background
Must-Haves

Deep Android (AOSP) firmware expertise — core competency

End-to-end hardware development experience

Experience working with Chinese ODM/OEM partners

Proven ability to hit hardware timelines

Comfortable in smaller / scaling environments

Strong cross-functional communicator

Experience owning roadmap execution

Strongly Preferred

Digital signage or display ecosystem exposure

Retail display hardware

Tablet/media player hardware

Mandarin (helpful, not required)

Patent/IP tracking exposure

Experience mentoring junior teams

Startup or resource-constrained environment

What They’re Really Looking For This is not just a hardware management role. They need someone who:

Moves quickly and decisively

Has strong Android system-level firmware credibility

Can build process in a green environment

Balances creativity with budget realities

Navigates ambiguity and shifting timelines

Is collaborative and ego-free

Understands supply chain realities

Can estimate accurately and deliver against commitments

This hire will materially influence company performance over the next – months. For more info,