Staff Software Engineering Manager

Wilcox Industries - Newington, NH

Full-time - Senior

Newington, NH

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services

About the position

The Staff Software Engineering Manager at Wilcox Industries is responsible for overseeing the software and firmware engineering department. This role requires a strategic leader with a deep understanding of engineering principles, exceptional project management skills, and the ability to collaborate across multiple disciplines to achieve company goals. The position demands a balance of technical expertise, managerial acumen, and strategic vision, focusing on guiding the team in the design, development, and optimization of product code.

Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and inspire a team of senior and junior software/firmware engineers, fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, and professional growth.
• Manage performance, provide constructive feedback, and support career development for team members.
• Oversee recruitment, onboarding, and training of new engineering staff.
• Develop and implement strategic plans for software and firmware engineering initiatives, aligning with overall company objectives and growth strategies.
• Identify opportunities for process improvements, technology adoption, and innovation to enhance software and firmware engineering capabilities and project outcomes.
• Provide technical guidance and support in the resolution of complex software and firmware engineering challenges and design issues.
• Review and approve software and firmware code (various languages including Java and Dart), calculations, and documentation to ensure compliance with industry standards and regulations.
• Document and implement best practices in software and firmware engineering design and development.
• Champion Agile/Scrum methodologies to deliver functional code regularly, aligning with team objectives.
• Promote effective communication and teamwork within the software/firmware engineering department and across the organization.
• Support business development efforts by contributing software and firmware engineering knowledge to the writing of proposals, white papers, responding to RFIs, and participating in proposal reviews.
• Work closely with Program Managers to establish technical work breakdown structure for software and firmware engineering tasks on development programs.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for software and firmware engineering matters, both internally and with external stakeholders.
• Generate and present technical briefings to company staff and customers when requested.
• Contribute innovative ideas for product development and process improvement efforts.
• Perform other duties as necessary when directed to do so to support business needs.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in computer engineering or a related engineering discipline.
• 15+ years of experience in a Firmware Engineering role, or an equivalent combination of education and experience, with at least 3-5 years in a managerial or leadership role.
• Strong technical background in Computer Engineering.
• Proven track record of successfully managing complex firmware and/or software engineering projects and leading high-performing teams in a high-tech or engineering-intensive environment.
• High proficiency in embedded systems programming, including experience with microcontrollers and microprocessors.
• Strong knowledge of programming languages such as C, C++, and assembly language.
• Experience with real-time operating systems (RTOS) and embedded Linux.
• Strong understanding of hardware-software integration, including experience with device drivers and low-level hardware interfaces (e.g., SPI, I2C, UART, USB).
• Strong understanding of electronic components and ability to assist with component selection.
• Demonstrated experience with hardware debugging tools and techniques.
• Familiarity with SDLC methodologies, including Agile, Scrum, and Waterfall.
• Ability to manage and oversee firmware development from design to deployment.
• Proficiency in version control systems like Git or Perforce.
• Proficiency using JIRA.
• Experience with configuration management tools and practices.
• Expertise in designing, developing, and testing firmware for embedded systems.
• Expertise in system architecture, including memory management, interrupt handling, and task scheduling.
• Knowledge of firmware security practices, including secure boot, encryption, and vulnerability assessment.
• Understanding of cybersecurity principles relevant to embedded systems.
• Experience with various communication protocols such as TCP/IP, MQTT, CAN, and Bluetooth.
• Direct experience creating or modifying engineering development processes.
• Ability to lead highly technical engineers.
• Ability to mentor junior engineers.
• Ability to self-manage/self-direct projects and communicate with engineering staff regularly.
• Ability to work on multiple tasks concurrently with changing deadlines and priorities.
• Working knowledge of product development throughout the entire product lifecycle, including design reviews and test readiness reviews.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office suite (Microsoft 365, Teams).
• Proposal writing experience.
• Demonstrated leadership ability while working well in a multidisciplinary team environment.
• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communications skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with diverse teams and stakeholders.
• Must be able to maintain composure in dealing with executives, customers, and staff, occasionally under conditions of urgency and in pressure situations.
• Motivated, self-directed and highly organized with strong problem solving and analytical skills.
• Ability to adapt to modern software and work methodologies.

Nice-to-haves

• Master's degree in computer engineering or a related engineering discipline.
• Experience with military standards, specifically MIL-STD-461 and MIL-STD-810.
• Experience with US Department of Defense contracts and requirements.
• Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) or Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP) strongly preferred.
• Limited working knowledge in both front-end and back-end development, including web technologies (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) and back-end services (APIs, databases).
• Limited working knowledge of cross-platform programming languages such as Kotlin or Flutter.
• Experience in designing and/or implementing departmental change.

Benefits

• Equal employment opportunity to all employees and applicants for employment.
• Prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.