Firmware / Embedded Software Engineering Director

Critical innovation. Leading-edge technology. Continuous learning.
Product Creation Studio is an award-winning, fast-paced, full-service product development firm located in Seattle’s booming South Lake Union tech center.  We fuse our passion and expertise in strategic design and precision engineering to create, innovate, and solve complex challenges for our clients across the consumer, medical, and industrial fields. From burgeoning start-ups to top-tiered companies, we make products happen. Designing Products for Positive Impact for nearly two decades, Product Creation Studio has fostered innovation and transformed ideas into meaningful products and experiences.

Stimulating environment. Collaborative culture. Inspiring people.
At Product Creation Studio, we are dedicated to attracting and retaining the best talent in the business. Our projects include a broad range of products in the consumer electronic, medical device, fitness, automation, marine and avionic industries and our growing client base ranges from small startups to Fortune 500 companies.   Product Creation Studio is a highly collaborative environment where good ideas can come from anyone. We work in an open studio where you will work with electrical, firmware, and people from other practice areas where you will provide technical leadership on assigned projects. If Product Creation Studio sounds like what you're looking for, then we'd like to hear from you.

We are seeking a self-motivated, talented, and exceptional Firmware / Embedded Software Engineering Director to fill a vital role in our expanding development team.

Job Description:

This is a Director level position that is responsible for the Firmware, Embedded Software Engineering team ensuring project execution, software development best practices, and driving the optimization of processes and tools. 

The embedded software team at PCS has a wide range of responsibilities throughout the product development lifecycle, including requirements validation and capture, task scoping, architecture, implementation, verification, testing, and manufacturing support. You will collaborate with sales and prospective clients to win new business, develop project plans, and scope new development efforts. 

You will work collaboratively with other team members and practice areas from electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, project management, industrial design, usability, UX design, account management, and sales.

Your team implements software for execution on custom embedded platforms, including drivers and board support packages and participates in system architecture design, including RTOS, processor, microcontroller, and peripheral selection decisions 

The team areas of technical expertise include register level interfacing, RTOS integration, version control systems and configuration management, unit test, C, C++, C# programming languages, Bluetooth and BLE, I2C, SPI, single wire and multi-wire serial and parallel interfaces, IoT security considerations, power management, low power considerations, real-time coding, implementation on resource     -constrained 8-bit microcontrollers up to high performance memory rich 32-bit systems, implementations with hardware timers, PWMs, ADCs, DACs, and IMUs.  

A segment of PCS projects are medical device development projects that require PCS develop under an IEC 13485 component development process.  You will assure compliance and improve the efficiency of the PCS IEC 62304 compliant development process SOP.

Role Execution:

Director/Department Responsibilities:

Technical

  • Support aggressive but attainable project plans and scoping delivered to project management and sales to support new client engagements.     

  • Serve as the first point of contact within team/department for technical issues, design review signoff, etc.

  • The first point of contact for other departments (and marketing) making inquiries about technical strategies or needs

  • Works with Marketing and Sales to develop leads, proposals and contracts

  • Mentors practitioners for continued improvement

  • Accountable for team thought leadership both internal and external

  • Enforces and enhances development best practices that include architecture and API reviews, ensuring regular and timely design and code reviews, setting up automated build processes (when applicable), design for test and re-use, and ensuring efficient development approaches for unit test, integration test, and generation and execution of verification protocols.  

Resource Management

  • Works with Project Managers on resource availability and strategies

  • Identify technical support resources for prospect meetings, proposals, and other marketing efforts

  • Performance reviews

  • Along with upper management, identify staffing needs and enact changes where necessary (hiring, firing, and reviews)

  • Interviews and hire resources

  • Accountable for departmental mentorship 

Team communication

  • Facilitates priorities and needs to PMs and practitioners

  • Departmental point of contact  to management

Financial

  • Accountable for meeting departmental productivity Targets.

  • Oversees purchase requests from PMs and practitioners

  • Prioritize and communicate team needs that affect budget

  • Manages Departmental budgets and planning

Process

  • Sets team expectations for work process and procedures

  • Drives departmental improvements

  • Team training and expertise development

  • Ensure that all of the above responsibilities are assigned and accounted for either by themselves or by Team Leads

Project Management Responsibilities:

  • Will take on Account Management roles for high-level client needs (Desirable)

  • Responsible for the quality of departmental Project Billable hours      

Practitioner Responsibilities (Firmware Engineer):

  • May act as a practitioner but should focus on enhancing and enabling departmental practitioners.

  • Has the skillset and competency of the aforementioned departmental practitioner

Requirements:

  • Medical Device experience or other highly regulated environment

  • Modern real-time operating system experience

  • Design experience for low power, handheld products

  • Automated and manufacturing test design experience

  • Experience with manufacturing process control

  • Experience with regulatory compliance (FCC, UL, FDA, CE Mark)

  • Experience with firmware design-review methodologies

  • Puts the Customer First: Has a relentless focus on the customer. Understands what the customer wants and how to      deliver those needs best.

  • Works Well with Others: Listens and communicates well with others within and outside of Product Creation Studio. Creates a team environment that is positive and productive.

  • Leads Courageously: Takes personal responsibility to do the right thing, and persists in times of challenge or uncertainty. Adapts quickly to change and makes timely, thoughtful decisions.

  • Achieves Results: Understands what drives overall business success and is accountable to prioritize and deliver quality results. Anticipates obstacles and takes action to prevent or minimize their impact.

Education and Experience:

  • BS in Computer Engineering, Computer Science, FW/SW Engineering or equivalent experience

  • 9+ years of experience in firmware product design (consumer, industrial or medical)

  • Knowledge of software best practices including source code control, build environments and testing methodologies including automated testing methods

  • Experience with firmware design-review methodologies

  • Able to comfortably read and understand circuit schematics

To apply, please send your resume, cover letter, and portfolio to careers@productcreationstudio.com and include “Resume for Senior FW Engineer” in the subject line.