Senior Director, Embedded Systems

Illumina • San Diego, CA

2d • $224,900 - $337,300 • Onsite

About The Position

Illumina is seeking a Senior Director, Embedded Systems to lead the multidisciplinary engineering organization responsible for the embedded architecture of DNA sequencing instruments. The organization develops the electronics, firmware, FPGA, custom silicon, and systems engineering that acquire signals from novel sensors, control precision motion and instrument subsystems, and move high volumes of data from sensing through analysis. The global team spans San Diego and Singapore and delivers embedded platforms for new sequencers while supporting the installed base.

The role owns the architecture of the on-instrument compute platform and leads a cross-functional effort to establish a compute roadmap that meets increasing sequencing-performance needs at sustainable cost. It spans genomics, advanced sensing, embedded systems, and high-performance computing, with opportunities to optimize the complete architecture from signal acquisition through genomic data processing.

The Senior Director will set technology strategy, build and develop a world-class global engineering organization, and deliver embedded platforms that are reliable, secure, compliant, and manufacturable at scale. The position is based in San Diego, California, and includes leadership of a global team including Singapore.

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.
• At least 15 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 relevant 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 architectures; Linux-based embedded systems; systems engineering, integration, and verification; product safety, EMC, and global certification; and cybersecurity, secure boot, and hardware root of trust.
• Ability to make system-level architectural trade-offs across 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, maintain a high bar for architecture and design reviews, and manage technical decision processes and escalations.
• Define embedded-systems architecture and multi-generation technology roadmaps, including electrical architecture, power distribution, interconnects, embedded control, sensor interfaces, FPGA-based data paths, and system management.
• Set strategies for platform reuse, build-versus-buy and partner decisions, technology investments, cost and performance, and organizational structures that support execution and delivery.
• Set direction and 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.
• Set direction for FPGA-based sensor 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 across data path, precision motion, fluidics, optics, thermal, and power, along with agile development and release processes.
• Define next-generation custom-device capabilities and partner with sensor and fabrication teams on interface architecture, test features, silicon bring-up, and hardware/firmware integration of custom mixed-signal ASICs.
• 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 for data-intensive workloads.
• Lead a cross-functional compute-roadmap effort spanning R&D, software, supply chain, mechanical engineering, and operations, balancing performance, cost, supply resilience, sourcing, and component lifecycle.
• 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 practices covering firmware release, regression, stress and data-path testing, electrical characterization, environmental and reliability testing, system test readiness, and requirements-to-test traceability.
• Lead product safety and EMC compliance for global markets, 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, test readiness, objective design evidence, controlled design data and component libraries, predictive engineering, and responsible adoption of AI-assisted engineering.
• Lead technology and architecture decisions from concept through product development, verification, manufacturing transfer, commercial launch, sustaining, and obsolescence management across a multi-program portfolio.
• Lead and develop the global organization across electrical engineering, FPGA, firmware, firmware test, hardware test, systems engineering, and compute engineering, establishing shared processes, common codebases, clear ownership, and a strong technical leadership bench.
• Plan resources and capacity across programs, including site strategy, hiring, and use of external engineering partners to support demand peaks and predictable delivery.
• Collaborate with software, algorithms, bioinformatics, mechanical engineering, systems integration, quality, regulatory, manufacturing, supply chain, and product management to deliver integrated sequencing platforms.
• Maintain strong connections 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

• Variable cash program (bonus or commission) eligibility.
• Equity may be included for eligible roles.
• Access to genomics sequencing.
• Family planning benefits.
• Health, dental, and vision benefits.
• Retirement benefits.
• Paid time off.
• Employee Resource Groups offering career-development experiences, cultural awareness, and opportunities to engage in social responsibility.

What This Job Offers

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