Manager, Firmware Development

Western Digital • Rochester, MN

10d • $137,300 - $183,000 • Onsite

About The Position

The Manager, Firmware Development leads a team responsible for designing, developing, integrating, debugging, and delivering embedded firmware for complex storage products. The position combines people leadership, technical judgment, execution discipline, and cross-functional collaboration to deliver high-quality firmware aligned with product, program, and business objectives.

The manager directs and develops engineers with varied levels of experience through clear priorities, coaching, and performance management. The role partners with hardware, systems, validation, program management, quality, manufacturing, and other teams to develop robust firmware and resolve technical issues throughout the product lifecycle. It also oversees team resources and execution, communicates status and risks to the Director of Firmware Development and stakeholders, and ensures that lifecycle documentation is complete and maintained.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical field.
• At least 7 years of embedded or firmware development experience, including meaningful experience leading engineering teams.
• At least 1 year of people management or equivalent leadership experience, including performance management, coaching, and career development.
• Strong foundation in embedded systems and firmware development using C/C++, including low-level software, device control, drivers, and hardware/software integration.
• Experience leading teams through full product development cycles from concept through release and sustaining support.
• Demonstrated ability to manage engineers with a broad range of experience and skill levels.
• Strong problem-solving, debugging, and root-cause analysis skills in complex system environments.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills, including communicating technical and execution topics to engineering and management audiences.
• Ability to make timely, well-reasoned decisions that consider technical, schedule, and business tradeoffs.

Nice To Haves

• Advanced degree in a related technical field.
• Experience with storage, data-path, controller, or other performance-sensitive embedded systems.
• Experience with firmware development tools, lab debug environments, emulation, simulation, and automated test frameworks.
• Working knowledge of structured development methodologies, CI/CD practices, code review discipline, and quality-oriented release processes.
• Experience in global, cross-functional product development organizations.

Responsibilities

• Lead, develop, and retain firmware engineers across architecture, design, implementation, integration, debugging, and sustaining activities.
• Set team goals, priorities, and execution plans aligned with product roadmaps, schedules, and quality expectations.
• Drive disciplined firmware engineering practices, including design reviews, coding standards, defect management, test strategy, and release readiness.
• Provide technical and organizational leadership for embedded firmware, including data structures, software algorithms, drivers, control paths, and hardware interfaces.
• Guide debugging of complex firmware, hardware, system, and platform issues; support root-cause analysis and corrective-action closure.
• Partner with ASIC, hardware, systems, validation, manufacturing, reliability, and program teams to deliver complete solutions.
• Balance near-term execution with longer-term improvements to team capability, development processes, tools, and the technical roadmap.
• Review technical designs, development plans, and engineering analyses to support sound decisions, tradeoffs, and risk management.
• Establish a collaborative, accountable team environment that supports engineers at different experience levels and enables professional growth.
• Manage resource planning, work allocation, hiring, onboarding, and succession planning for the firmware organization.
• Communicate status, risks, dependencies, and key technical decisions to the Director of Firmware Development and other stakeholders.
• Ensure documentation is complete and maintained throughout the firmware lifecycle, including requirements, design artifacts, investigations, and release materials.
• Develop talent through coaching, feedback, stretch assignments, and succession planning; adapt leadership to team members at different career stages.
• Raise issues early, escalate appropriately, and drive closure on critical dependencies and risks.

Benefits

• Paid vacation time
• Paid sick leave
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Life, accident, and disability insurance
• Tax-advantaged flexible spending and health savings accounts
• Employee assistance program
• Voluntary supplemental life and AD&D, legal plan, pet insurance, critical illness, accident, and hospital indemnity programs
• Tuition reimbursement
• Transit benefits
• Applause Program
• Employee stock purchase plan
• WD Savings 401(k) Plan
• Potential eligibility for bonuses under the Short Term Incentive Plan or Sales Incentive Plan, depending on role and performance
• Potential eligibility for the annual Long-Term Incentive program, consisting of restricted stock units or cash equivalents, depending on role

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager