Senior Engineering Manager - Firmware

MKS Instruments•Wilmington, MA

About The Position

We are seeking an exceptional Sr. Engineering Manager to lead the Software Engineering Team within Plasma Solutions. This group is responsible for the design, implementation, and characterization of complex semiconductor systems, and will be the primary focus of this leadership role. In addition to overseeing software development, the Sr. Engineering Manager will also guide a team of experienced mechanical engineers who play a critical role in R&D, New Product Introduction, and Sustaining Engineering. This multidisciplinary team drives resolution of complex issues on released products, continuous product improvements, and compliance for both new and legacy systems.

Requirements

BS in Electrical Engineering required or related experience >10+ years, or MS/PhD and 5+ years related experience
8+ years of firmware/embedded software development experience
2+ years of engineering management or technical leadership experience
Strong proficiency in C/C++ for embedded systems
Experience with microcontrollers, and hardware interfaces (SPI, I2C, UART, etc.)
Familiarity with RTOS or similar environments
Demonstrate superior problem-solving techniques and can lead a technical team in all aspects of engineering including product specification, systematic design, circuit analysis, design for cost & manufacturability, PCB design, documentation, and test plan development.
Understand a product development process and knowledge of CE, SEMI S2, F47, RoHS and regulatory requirements
Excellent verbal and written communications skills

Nice To Haves

Strong people management skills
Strong background in system architecture and scalability
Experience with security, bootloaders, or OTA updates
Familiarity with Agile/Scrum development methodologies
Experience in product development for industrial and SME devices
Knowledge of debugging tools (JTAG, oscilloscopes, logic analyzers)

Responsibilities

Lead a technical team to drive and deliver to product specifications, systematic design, circuit analysis, design for cost & manufacturability, PCB design, documentation, and test plan development.
Foster a culture of collaboration, with a focus on cross-functional data driven problem-solving techniques
Works closely with other engineering disciplines on the design of new and/or legacy products
Works closely with Product Marketing and other cross functional groups to successfully meet customer expectations
Establishes and assures adherence to budgets, schedules, work plans and performance requirements
Perform project activities, including PFMEA/DFMEA, design reviews, and creation of technical specifications
Communicates technical information effectively in both oral and written forms through design reviews, failure analysis, product specifications, test plans and technical reports
Acts as the primary FW/SW technical interface when designing and integrating new products with the New Product Introduction team.
Regularly interacts with other Senior leaders and requires the ability to think systematically
Oversee the full firmware development lifecycle (requirements, design, implementation, testing, release)
Ensure high-quality, reliable, and maintainable code
Guide architecture decisions for embedded systems and low-level software
Drive best practices in coding standards, version control, and CI/CD processes
Provide hands-on technical guidance and troubleshooting for complex issues
Ensure efficient use of RTOS, model base design, or bare-metal systems
Review system architecture involving microcontrollers, processors, and hardware interfaces
Collaborate closely with hardware, systems, and software teams
Ensure code quality through reviews, testing frameworks, and automation
Implement firmware validation, verification, and release processes
Support compliance with relevant standards (e.g., safety, security, regulatory if applicable)