Senior Manager, Firmware Development

Western Digital•Irvine, CA

10d•$169,700 - $226,300•Onsite

About The Position

The Senior Manager, Firmware Development leads a team responsible for designing, developing, integrating, debugging, and delivering embedded firmware for complex storage products. The role combines people leadership, technical judgment, execution discipline, and cross-functional collaboration to deliver high-quality firmware aligned with product, program, and business objectives. The manager develops engineers at varying experience levels through clear direction, coaching, prioritization, and performance management. They partner with hardware, systems, validation, program management, quality, and manufacturing teams to build robust firmware solutions and resolve technical issues throughout the product lifecycle. The position also oversees resource planning and team development, communicates status and risks to the Director of Firmware Development and stakeholders, and ensures lifecycle documentation is complete and maintained.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical field.
10+ years of embedded or firmware development experience, with meaningful experience leading engineering teams.
3+ years of people management or equivalent leadership experience, including performance management, coaching, and career development.
Strong foundation in embedded systems and firmware development using C/C++, including low-level software, device control, drivers, and hardware/software integration.
Experience leading teams through full product development cycles from concept through release and sustaining support.
Demonstrated ability to manage engineers with a broad range of experience and skill levels.
Strong problem-solving, debugging, and root-cause analysis skills in complex system environments.
Effective written and verbal communication skills for technical and execution topics with engineering and management audiences.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree in a related technical field.
Experience with storage, data-path, controller, or other performance-sensitive embedded systems.
Experience with firmware development tools, lab debug environments, emulation, simulation, and automated test frameworks.
Working knowledge of structured development methodologies, CI/CD practices, code review discipline, and quality-oriented release processes.
Experience operating in global, cross-functional product development organizations.

Responsibilities

Lead, develop, and retain firmware engineers across architecture, design, implementation, integration, debugging, and sustaining activities.
Set team goals, priorities, and execution plans aligned with product roadmaps, schedules, and quality expectations.
Drive disciplined firmware engineering practices, including design reviews, coding standards, defect management, test strategy, and release readiness.
Provide technical and organizational leadership for embedded firmware, including data structures, software algorithms, drivers, control paths, and hardware interfaces.
Guide debugging of complex firmware, hardware, system, and platform issues; support root-cause analysis and corrective action closure.
Partner with ASIC, hardware, systems, validation, manufacturing, reliability, and program teams to deliver complete solutions.
Balance near-term execution with improvements to team capability, development processes, tools, and technical roadmaps.
Review technical designs, development plans, and engineering analyses for sound decisions, clear tradeoffs, and effective risk management.
Establish an accountable, collaborative team environment that supports engineers at different experience levels and promotes growth.
Manage resource planning, work allocation, hiring, onboarding, and succession planning for the firmware organization.
Communicate status, risks, dependencies, and key technical decisions to the Director of Firmware Development and other stakeholders.
Ensure documentation is complete and maintained throughout the firmware lifecycle, including requirements, design artifacts, investigations, and release materials.
Build an inclusive, respectful team culture grounded in accountability, technical rigor, and consistent execution.
Adapt leadership to support senior engineers, mid-level contributors, and early-career team members.
Make timely, well-reasoned decisions considering technical, schedule, and business tradeoffs.
Raise issues early, escalate appropriately, and drive closure on critical dependencies and risks.
Develop talent through coaching, feedback, stretch assignments, and succession planning.

Benefits

Paid vacation time
Paid sick leave
Medical, dental, and vision insurance
Life, accident, and disability insurance
Tax-advantaged flexible spending and health savings accounts
Employee assistance program
Voluntary benefits including supplemental life and AD&D, legal plan, pet insurance, critical illness, accident, and hospital indemnity coverage
Tuition reimbursement
Transit benefits
Applause Program
Employee stock purchase plan
WD Savings 401(k) Plan
Potential eligibility for short-term incentive or sales incentive bonuses
Potential eligibility for annual long-term incentives, including restricted stock units or cash equivalents