R&D Manager, Hardware and System Validation

HP • Fort Collins, CO

9d • Onsite

About The Position

HP creates technology that makes life better for everyone, everywhere. Within the Advanced Compute & Solutions BU, Workstations R&D develops high-performance computing platforms for professional, technical, and enterprise customers. The Hardware and System Validation team is central to delivering reliable, high-performance HP Z Workstation platforms at scale and maintaining strong customer and partner confidence. Join the business bringing the future of advanced computing to professionals worldwide. The R&D Manager for Hardware and System Validation leads a team of individual contributors responsible for a variety of lab test functions, system integration testing and platform validation for HP Z Workstations. The role manages multiple ongoing validation efforts through the labs to align resources, ensure suitable test plans and strategies, and drive deliverable achievement inclusive of quality, schedule, and cost. The manager will drive execution from early component-level and platform & system bring-up through initial product launch, sustaining updates, and lifecycle refreshes, ensuring platform quality, customer readiness, and on-time delivery across internal teams, global original design manufacturers, silicon partners, and specialized test suppliers. This role combines direct leadership, application of technical breadth, program execution, supplier management, and continuous improvement. It partners closely with Architecture, Electrical Engineering, Software, Quality, Program Management, Manufacturing, Regulatory, Field Engineering, and external development partners to assess risk, resolve cross-functional issues, and support shipment readiness and customer commitments. The fundamental outcome is outstanding products meeting customer needs and expectations under a variety of professional worldwide operating conditions.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s or graduate degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical discipline, or commensurate work experience and demonstrated competence.
• Typically 5-10 years of job-related experience, including relevant experience in electronics or computer development, hardware and materials testing, system integration, product validation, or a related technical development environment.
• Direct experience working in lab and test environments and knowledge of engineering and scientific test equipment.
• Typically 0-7 years of management or technical leadership experience, including leadership of engineering functions, teams, and delivery across organizational or geographic boundaries.
• Demonstrated ability to manage project elements, resources, schedules, budgets, suppliers, and technical risks.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with workstation-class platforms, enterprise PCs, high-performance computing systems, or other complex computing products.
• Experience leading system-level functional, stress, compatibility, recovery, and lifecycle validation.
• Experience operating at the intersection of R&D, Quality, Manufacturing, suppliers, and customer engagement.
• Experience working with silicon partners and global original design manufacturers.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present complex technical topics and readiness assessments to leadership audiences and guide effective decisions.

Responsibilities

• Lead System Integration engineering and test teams executing functional, stress, compatibility, recovery, and platform-level validation for HP Z Workstation computing platforms.
• Plan and deliver validation of components, boards and systems from early bring-up through initial product launch, sustaining updates, and lifecycle refreshes.
• Ensure validation coverage, entry and exit criteria, defect management, and readiness supported by evidence to deliver to program milestones and product quality objectives.
• Drive timely issue identification, prioritization, root-cause determination, and closure across partners, original design manufacturers, and internal teams.
• Champion engineering and operational excellence by establishing metrics and processes for regular assessment, learning, and improvement.
• Provide direct and ongoing leadership for a team of system validation engineers, other individual contributors and external partners.
• Manage staffing and talent responsibilities including recruitment, onboarding, performance management, coaching, career development, and succession readiness.
• Establish clear objectives, accountability, and development plans that support strong execution and continued growth of team capability. Manage team’s budget and project planning.
• Build an engineering culture emphasizing collaboration, disciplined execution, technical learning, inclusion, and continuous improvement.
• Ensure effective communication and collaboration between team members, global development teams, and outsourced resources. Lead key supplier’s on performance delivery and coordinate corrective action of services not meeting expectations.
• Lead process improvements to increase validation effectiveness, optimize resources, and reduce costs in alignment with business goals.
• Manage deliverables, schedules, costs, and resource allocation across ongoing projects; identify and mitigate execution, quality, and schedule risks.
• Ensure validation goals, timelines, and budgets align with program and organizational roadmaps; recommend realignment when business or program conditions change.
• Represent the system validation perspective in program leadership forums and provide clear readiness assessments and recommendations for milestone and Go/No-Go decisions.
• Communicate status, risks, and escalations to direct management, program leaders, and internal and external development partners.
• Partner with Architecture, Hardware, Software, Security, Quality, Manufacturing, Regulatory, and Field Engineering teams to assess technical and schedule risk.
• Support customer escalations and field issues within the system validation scope, coordinating cross-functional investigation and resolution.
• Lead recurring and ad hoc functional reviews with cross-functional and global stakeholder groups.

Benefits

• Health insurance
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• Long term/short term disability insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Flexible spending account
• Life insurance
• Generous time off policies, including; 4-12 weeks fully paid parental leave based on tenure
• 11 paid holidays
• Additional flexible paid vacation and sick leave

What This Job Offers

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