Senior Manager, Hardware & Firmware Development

Vitamix•Olmsted Township, OH

About The Position

Vitamix is unquestionably the premium brand of high-performance “blenders,” and known for its top-notch company culture and climate. It is an important component of what makes Vitamix unique and successful, and the reason why Vitamix is recognized as a Top Workplace, NorthCoast99 Winner, and Smart Culture Award recipient. Throughout its 100+ year history, Vitamix has encouraged and promoted healthy lifestyles for both its customers and employees. Employees enjoy multiple wellness programs and perks, a free Vitamix machine, and an onsite fitness center. Vitamix also offers a flexible work environment, great work culture, healthy living initiatives like fitness reimbursements, and opportunities for advancement. For consumers, Vitamix can be found domestically in places like William Sonoma, Sur la Table, Crate & Barrel, Target, Amazon, and at Vitamix.com, and is in over 130 countries around the world. Ultimately, Vitamix is the Global-leader in high-performance blending solutions for home and commercial use, is preferred by chefs and is found in many of top restaurants around the world. It is relied upon by culinary schools in the U.S. and has been used to train thousands of students and master chefs worldwide. If it is not a Vitamix, it’s just a blender. Vitamix is seeking a Sr. Manager, Hardware & Firmware Development that will drive innovation across our global product portfolio by leading electrical architecture strategy and technical execution. They will oversee the hardware and firmware engineering team, establishing development frameworks and cross-functional partnerships to ensure excellence in New Product Development (NPD). The successful candidate will have deep expertise in electrical system design and a strong knowledge of hardware and firmware development practices.

Requirements

Alignment with Vitamix’s culture and Guiding Principles which defines its Purpose, Mission, and Values.
10+ years’ experience in electrical engineering, specifically in hardware and/or firmware development
3 years’ experience in leadership or management capacity
Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Electrical Engineering or related field
Proficient in MS Office
Deep expertise in electrical system design including PCB design, power electronics, control systems, and embedded systems
Strong knowledge of electrical hardware and firmware development practices and tools/software
Experience with testing and validation equipment and methodologies
Proven track record of successfully managing engineering teams and delivering complex products to market
Experience with products requiring regulatory compliance (UL, CE, FCC, etc.)
Excellent project management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines
Experience with version control, documentation tools, and project management software
Strategic thinker and creative problem solver with demonstrated ability to translate business objectives into technical roadmaps and drive execution to plan
Problem Solving - Skilled at quickly diagnosing issues, identifying root causes, and developing and implementing effective solutions.
Critical Thinking - Ability to break down complex information, identify key elements, and assess their validity and relevance.
Communication - Ability to clearly articulate reasoning, explain decisions, and effectively convey complex ideas to different audiences.
Critical/Analytical Thinking - Ability to draw valid inferences from available information, understand the implications of different interpretations, and apply knowledge to new situations.
Relationship Building - Ability to establish, maintain, and cultivate positive relationships with individuals, teams, and external stakeholders to foster a collaborative environment
Innovation & Adaptability - Demonstrated ability to generate innovative ideas, explore unconventional approaches, and adapt strategies to achieve desired outcomes, showcasing originality, resourcefulness and a willingness to experiment.
Flexibility - Ability to adjust quickly to changing priorities, new information, and diverse situations, while remaining focused on achieving goals.
Process Improvement - Demonstrated ability to analyze workflows, identify inefficiencies, and implement process improvements to enhance efficiency and reduce costs.
Attention to Detail - Consistently maintains high standards of quality and accuracy across different tasks and projects.
Initiative - Proactive problem solver, takes calculated risks, and seeks opportunities for improvement.
Leadership - Demonstrated ability to inspire and motivate others by clearly communicating vision, fostering positive relationships, and providing opportunities for growth and development.
Strategic Thinking/Planning - Ability to analyze situations, anticipate challenges, develop innovative solutions, and align actions with long-term goals.
Business Acumen - Demonstrated understanding and application of key business principles, including strategic thinking, financial literacy, and market awareness.
Change Leadership - Champion a culture of continuous improvement and adaptation, encouraging employees to embrace change to align with organizations vision and goals.
Ability to sit up to 8 hours per day, with walking and standing required frequently
Visual acuity is required to perform activities such as: preparing and analyzing data, viewing a computer terminal, reading documents, reports, and emails
Repetitive hand movements for tasks like typing or assembly
Up to 25% travel required
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree preferred

Responsibilities

Define and implement electrical architecture strategy to enable current and future product roadmaps, ensuring performance, safety, reliability, and cost requirements are achieved.
Translate strategic business objectives into actionable engineering plans, driving team alignment and accountability to ensure technical execution directly supports organizational goals.
Provide technical leadership for the electrical engineering discipline, including oversight of technical reviews and decisions, driving design optimization, lifecycle management, and continuous improvement across the technical portfolio.
Ensure compliance with relevant global safety standards and regulatory requirements (UL, CE, FCC, etc.).
Establish and maintain design standards, best practices, and development processes.
Integrate a firmware development process within the existing NPD framework including Quality Assurance processes and firmware release schedules.
Partner with Product Management to understand market needs, customer pain points, and competitive landscape to capture Voice of Customer insights and translate them into Voice of Engineering requirements.
Collaborate with Engineering and Supply Chain teams to develop and implement Value Engineering strategies to drive product cost out while maintaining quality and performance standards.
Work closely with mechanical engineering teams, suppliers, and manufacturing partners to ensure seamless integration of electrical and mechanical systems, optimizing for design efficiency and assembly simplification.
Drive component standardization and platform strategies in partnership with Supply Chain to leverage volume purchasing and reduce inventory complexity.
Partner with Quality to drive root cause analysis and corrective actions for field issues and design concerns.
Lead and mentor a team of electrical hardware and firmware engineers in the design, prototyping, testing, and troubleshooting of electrical systems, including PCBAs, UIs, motors, control systems, and firmware.
Manage team capacity, resource allocation, and project prioritization across multiple concurrent development workstreams.

Benefits

Employees enjoy multiple wellness programs and perks, a free Vitamix machine, and an onsite fitness center.
Vitamix also offers a flexible work environment, great work culture, healthy living initiatives like fitness reimbursements, and opportunities for advancement.

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