Senior Director, Device Engineering

Alarm.com • Tysons, VA

12h • Onsite

About The Position

Alarm.com is looking for a Senior Director of Device Engineering to provide leadership within our hardware engineering organization across Electrical, RF, and Mechanical Engineering. In this senior leadership role, you will define and drive the multi-year hardware roadmap, own engineering execution across all hardware teams, and ensure our device ecosystem remains competitive in performance, connectivity, and cost. You will partner closely with Firmware, Software, and Operations leadership to align priorities and deliver world-class connected home and business security products. The ideal candidate brings deep hardware engineering expertise, a track record of building and scaling high-performing teams, and hands-on experience bringing products to mass production

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related technical field; Master’s degree preferred
• 15+ years of progressive experience in hardware engineering or related disciplines
• 8+ years in engineering management or leadership roles with increasing scope and team size
• 5+ years of experience managing vendor and supplier relationships in a hardware product environment
• Demonstrated experience overseeing EE, ME, and/or RF engineering teams
• Strong understanding of wireless connectivity and devices including cellular (4G, 5G, Cat-M), LoRa, Zwave, WiFi, and satellite
• Demonstrated deployment of AI into EE, RF, ME workflows resulting in productivity enhancement.
• Broad understanding of hardware engineering disciplines including:
• Electrical engineering (PCB design, power systems, signal integrity)
• RF engineering (antenna design, wireless protocols, EMC/EMI)
• Cellular and communications technologies (LTE, LTE-M, NB-IoT, 5G)
• Familiarity with hardware product development lifecycle from concept through mass production
• Working knowledge of manufacturing processes, particularly with East Asian contract manufacturers
• Understanding of regulatory and certification requirements (FCC, UL, carrier certifications)
• Proven ability to lead and develop high-performing, multi-disciplinary hardware engineering teams
• Strong cross-functional collaboration skills with the ability to align hardware, software, firmware, and operations organizations
• Executive-level communication skills—able to articulate technical issues and trade-offs to both engineering and business audiences
• Track record of establishing and improving engineering processes, documentation standards, and development workflows
• Strategic mindset balanced with hands-on engagement and operational accountability
• Experience escalating issues effectively and providing clear, actionable recommendations to senior leadership

Nice To Haves

• Experience in the IoT, security, or connected devices industry
• Background working with cellular module vendors and carrier ecosystems
• Prior experience building or scaling hardware teams at a product company
• Knowledge of industry standards for safety and security products (UL/ULC, SIA)

Responsibilities

• Hardware Engineering Leadership & Oversight
• Provide strategic leadership and management oversight of Electrical Engineering (EE), Radio Frequency (RF), Mechanical Engineering (ME) teams.
• Define the multi-year hardware roadmap, ensuring our hardware ecosystem remains competitive in power efficiency, connectivity, and cost.
• Set engineering priorities, allocate resources, and drive execution across all hardware teams
• Ensure adherence to industry-standard best practices, procedures, and quality standards throughout the hardware development lifecycle
• Establish and continuously improve hardware engineering processes - Focus on Design for Manufacturing and faster iterations.
• Mentor and develop engineering managers and senior technical contributors
• R&D & Innovation
• Drive the strategic integration of AI into hardware engineering workflows, enabling the team to accelerate design iterations, automate routine analysis, and unlock new efficiencies.
• Initiate new Research & Development efforts aligned with the company’s product strategy and technology roadmap
• Monitor active R&D projects for progress, risk, and alignment with business objectives
• Champion prototyping and proof-of-concept activities to validate emerging technologies before committing to full development
• Cross-Functional Alignment & Collaboration
• Work closely with Embedded Firmware Engineering leadership to ensure alignment of priorities, execution plans, and a consistent approach to solving key technical problems.
• Ensure process alignment with Firmware, Software, Operations, and other engineering functions.
• Participate in executive-level planning to represent hardware equities in product roadmap discussions
• Escalate key technical and business issues to the VP of Device Engineering with clear context and recommended actions
• Vendor Management & Technology Scouting
• Serve as the primary point of contact for major hardware vendors and component suppliers including:
• Monitoring and understanding vendor technology roadmaps
• Negotiating technical requirements and escalating critical issues
• Actively search for and evaluate new technologies that can improve product performance, reduce cost, or enable new capabilities
• Represent the company in vendor meetings, industry forums, and technology evaluations
• Product Development & Manufacturing Insight
• Bring a working understanding of how to build and manufacture hardware products, particularly with contract manufacturers in East Asia
• Provide guidance on design-for-manufacturability (DFM), supply chain considerations, and production readiness
• Support Operations teams in resolving production escalations that require hardware engineering expertise
• Other duties as assigned

Benefits

• Our total rewards package is designed to support you holistically—in your health, your finances, and your life outside of work.
• The package includes medical plans with company subsidies, a Health Savings Account (HSA) with a company contribution, and a 401(k) with an employer match.
• We encourage a healthy work-life balance with paid vacation that increases with tenure, paid holidays, wellness time, and paid maternity and bonding leave.
• To complete the package, we also provide company-paid disability and life insurance, all within a collaborative and casual work environment.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director
• Number of Employees: 501-1,000 employees