Engineering Manager - Embedded Firmware

Overview Lead the firmware engineering organization responsible for next-generation networked irrigation devices and cloud-connected systems. This role creates an environment in which Firmware Engineers can succeed, combining credible technical leadership with disciplined people management, budget ownership, project tracking, portfolio prioritization, and resource planning.

The Engineering Manager is accountable for team capability, execution predictability, encouraging performance via AI-assisted work, and organizational health. The manager aligns firmware architecture, process, and delivery with product and business priorities, removes barriers, manages risk, and ensures that the team applies sound engineering, cybersecurity, compliance, Dev Ops, and quality practices across the product lifecycle.

Position Summary The Engineering Manager, Firmware, leads and manages a capable team that includes Principal Firmware Engineers, Leads, and Senior Engineers. The manager translates business and portfolio priorities into executable team plans, establishes clear ownership and decision mechanisms, and holds the organization accountable for delivery from concept through production, sustaining, and end-of-life.

This role is expected to understand complex embedded and connected-product tradeoffs well enough to guide decisions, challenge assumptions, and align stakeholders while supporting the leadership of Principal Engineers and Leads. Success requires strong coaching, communication, financial judgment, program governance, organizational planning, and cross-functional leadership.

Responsibilities People Leadership & Organization Development Lead, coach, and develop Firmware engineering professionals; set clear expectations and provide regular feedback.

Build an inclusive, result-oriented culture that rewards technical excellence, collaboration, ownership, and continuous improvement.

Establish role clarity between people management, technical leadership, architecture ownership, and project execution.

Own talent planning, hiring, onboarding, development plans, succession planning, retention, and performance management.

Create growth paths that expand technical depth, systems thinking, leadership capacity, and business judgment.

Balance hands-on managerial engagement with appropriate delegation to Principal Engineers and technical leads. Technical & Architectural Leadership Provide management oversight for firmware and technical strategy across multiple product generations.

Empower Principal Engineers and Leads to lead architecture decisions, design reviews, coding practices, cybersecurity, Dev Ops, and technical risk resolution.

Ensure key technical decisions are documented, reviewed by the right stakeholders, and aligned with product, platform, security, compliance, quality, and lifecycle needs.

Maintain sufficient technical depth in embedded systems, RTOS platforms, IoT connectivity, cybersecurity, cloud integration, test automation, and product compliance to guide priorities and evaluate risk.

Promote reuse, platform thinking, maintainability, reliability, and disciplined technology lifecycle management to meet short term and long-term business goals. Portfolio, Project Tracking & Delivery Translate product roadmaps and business priorities into an integrated firmware portfolio plan with clear scope, milestones, dependencies, staffing assumptions, and decision points.

Establish consistent project tracking, reviews, and escalation mechanisms across firmware programs.

Monitor commitments, progress, risks, issues, dependencies, quality indicators, and recovery plans; communicate status clearly to engineering and business stakeholders.

Drive proactive risk management and timely tradeoff decisions involving scope, schedule, resources, quality, cost, and technical debt.

Ensure product work is managed through concept, development, verification, production release, sustaining, and end-of-life.

Support the organization’s SAFe/Agile operating process by helping define team roles, ownership, assignments, backlog alignment, planning inputs, PI objectives, sprint commitments, and cross-team coordination expectations.

Partner with program and product leaders to improve delivery predictability without compromising safety, security, compliance, or product quality. Budget & Financial Management Develop, propose, and manage the firmware organization budget in alignment with approved business and portfolio priorities.

Plan and track labor, contractors, tools,…