Senior Director, Embedded Systems

Illumina•San Diego, CA

1d•$224,900 - $337,300•Onsite

About The Position

Illumina is seeking a Senior Director to lead its global Embedded Systems organization, which develops and supports the embedded platforms for DNA sequencing instruments. The organization includes electrical, FPGA, firmware, firmware test, hardware test, systems, and compute engineers across San Diego and Singapore. Its work spans the electronics, firmware, FPGA, custom silicon, and system engineering used to acquire sensor signals, control instrument subsystems, and move data from sensors through analysis. The leader also owns the on-instrument compute architecture and leads a cross-functional effort to define a compute roadmap balancing performance, cost, and supply resilience. The Senior Director will set technology strategy, build and develop a world-class engineering organization, and deliver reliable, secure, compliant, and manufacturable embedded platforms. The role covers architecture and roadmaps; electrical, FPGA, firmware, custom silicon, sensor, and compute engineering; systems engineering, verification, and test; product compliance and security; and engineering process and program delivery. The leader will guide products from concept through development, verification, manufacturing transfer, commercial launch, sustaining, and obsolescence management. The role is based in San Diego, California, with a global team including Singapore. It is not eligible for visa sponsorship. The estimated U.S. base salary range is $224,900–$337,300. Employees are eligible for a variable cash program, and eligible roles may receive equity. Illumina offers benefits including genomics sequencing access, family planning, health, dental and vision coverage, retirement benefits, and paid time off.

Requirements

Typically requires a bachelor's degree and a minimum of 20 years of related experience, with 12 or more years of management experience.
Bachelor's or advanced degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or a related discipline.
15 or more years of engineering experience, including significant leadership of complex, multidisciplinary hardware/software products and senior engineering managers and technical leaders across multiple sites.
Strong technical depth in several areas, including electrical and high-speed digital hardware; analog, mixed-signal, and power design; embedded firmware, RTOS, and real-time control; FPGA architecture and high-bandwidth data acquisition; custom ASICs or advanced sensors; embedded and high-performance computing; Linux-based embedded systems; systems engineering, integration, and verification; product safety, EMC, and global certification; or cybersecurity, secure boot, and hardware root of trust.
Ability to make system-level architectural trade-offs spanning hardware, firmware, software, performance, power, thermal design, reliability, cost, supply continuity, and schedule.
Experience leading complex products from architecture through integration, verification, manufacturing, commercial release, and sustaining.
Experience developing technology roadmaps and working with semiconductor and computing technology partners.
Proven ability to build high-performing technical organizations and develop engineering leaders.
Strong executive communication and cross-functional leadership skills.

Responsibilities

Oversee functional managers for electrical engineering, FPGA, firmware, systems engineering, and test; set technical direction and standards, and guide architecture and design reviews and technical decisions.
Define the embedded systems architecture and multi-generation technology roadmap, including electrical architecture, power distribution, interconnects, embedded control, sensor interfaces, FPGA data paths, and system management.
Set strategy for platform reuse, build-versus-buy and partner decisions, technology investments, cost and performance, and execution structure.
Set design standards for board-level analog, digital, mixed-signal, power, and high-speed design; component selection; signal and power integrity; design for manufacturing; and supplier technical engagement through design release.
Guide FPGA-based data acquisition and processing, including FPGA design, drivers, data-path bring-up, benchmarks, and test frameworks.
Guide the instrument firmware architecture and common RTOS-based codebase, covering data path, precision motion, fluidics, optics, thermal, and power, as well as its agile development and release process.
Partner with sensor and fabrication teams on custom mixed-signal ASIC and novel sensor interface architecture, test features, silicon bring-up, and hardware/firmware integration.
Own the on-instrument compute architecture, including topology, modularity, CPUs, accelerators, memory, storage, and high-speed I/O, using first-principles models of the full data path.
Partner with software and algorithm teams on hardware/software co-design, including hardware acceleration of data-intensive workloads.
Lead a cross-functional compute roadmap effort spanning R&D, software, supply chain, mechanical engineering, and operations; balance performance, cost, and supply resilience and assess architecture, sourcing, and component lifecycle alternatives.
Foster robust embedded requirements, own electrical system architecture and interface definitions, maintain power budgets, and drive FMEA, risk analysis, and root-cause analysis.
Establish verification covering firmware release, regression, stress and data-path testing, electrical characterization, environmental and reliability testing, and system test readiness reviews, with requirements-to-test traceability.
Lead global product safety and EMC compliance, including compliance-by-design, in-house EMC pre-compliance capability, and formal certification.
Own embedded and platform security, including secure boot, hardware root of trust and encryption, secure provisioning, OS and firmware hardening, SBOM and software supply-chain security, and controlled field updates.
Run a gated Embedded Systems product development process, with requirements, PDR, CDR, and test readiness milestones; objective design evidence; controlled design data and component libraries; predictive engineering; and responsible adoption of AI-assisted engineering.
Lead technology and architecture decisions across multiple programs from concept through development, verification, manufacturing transfer, commercial launch, sustaining, and obsolescence management.
Lead and develop the global organization across San Diego and Singapore, establishing shared processes, common codebases, clear ownership, and a strong technical leadership bench with succession depth and a skills roadmap.
Plan resources and capacity across programs, including site strategy, hiring, and use of external engineering partners for demand peaks.
Collaborate with software, algorithms, bioinformatics, mechanical engineering, systems integration, quality, regulatory, manufacturing, supply chain, and product management to deliver integrated sequencing platforms.
Maintain connection with manufacturing and commercial teams regarding on-market performance, field failures, and design for serviceability.
Communicate technology strategy, architectural decisions, technical risks, and investment priorities to senior leadership.

Benefits

Access to genomics sequencing
Family planning benefits
Health insurance
Dental insurance
Vision insurance
Retirement benefits
Paid time off
Variable cash program (bonus or commission)
Equity may be available for eligible roles
Employee Resource Groups offering career development experiences and opportunities for social responsibility