Director, Embedded Firmware

WHOWE ARE

At SharkNinja, we don't just set the bar, we push past it every single day. We're driven to be outrageously extraordinary in everything we do, which means we take on challenges others shy away from. If staying in your lane isn’t your style, you’ll fit right in.

About the Role:

The Director of Embedded Firmware leads firmware execution for SharkNinja’s product categories, owning delivery outcomes by product line across both the internal China firmware team and the design and manufacturing partners who execute the majority of implementation.

This is an operator role . The Director owns whether firmware ships on time, at quality, for the categories in scope — internal code development, partner execution, and the integration of both. Technical direction, interface standards, and the test framework are owned by the US Firmware Architecture & Delivery organization; this role executes against them and is accountable for delivery, not for defining the standard.

The scope covers roughly 80% of SharkNinja firmware programs by project count. The Director is the single accountable delivery leader across an internal team and a partner bench spanning multiple suppliers, and is responsible for building internal capability in China rather than growing dependence on external throughput.

Reporting boundary. This role reports solid-line to the VP of Embedded Device Firmware Engineering. The VP of EE China holds a dotted line for administrative, HR, and on-site support only. Technical direction, priorities, performance objectives, and delivery accountability come through the Firmware line.

This is where your SharkNinja journey begins. You’re an explorer—not a tour guide—driven by curiosity, fueled by taking chances, and unwilling to fly under the radar. Here, bold moves turn into real impact, growth comes from challenge, and your work helps shape what’s next.

LOCATION: Shenzhen, China

Here are some of the EXCITING things you’ll get to do:

Delivery Leadership

• Own firmware delivery outcomes by product category, including schedule, quality, and scope commitments.
• Lead the internal China firmware development team, including hiring, capability development, and technical career progression.
• Direct day-to-day code development across internal engineers and partner teams working to SharkNinja direction.
• Drive predictable execution across concurrent programs, balancing innovation, quality, cost, and schedule.

Partner Execution & Accountability

• Govern JDM/ODM firmware execution for programs in scope — requirements handoff, design review participation, deliverable acceptance, and escalation.
• Hold development partners to quality, security, and schedule commitments in partnership with Software TPM and Quality.
• Assess partner technical capability and contribute to consolidation decisions as the partner base narrows.
• Build partner capability against SharkNinja standards rather than absorbing partner practices.

Standards Adherence & Integration

• Execute against the architecture, interfaces, and engineering standards owned by the US Firmware Architecture & Delivery organization; escalate rather than fork when a program requires deviation.
• Ensure internal and partner code meets source control, build, static analysis, and release requirements before integration.
• Ensure firmware integrates cleanly with hardware, cloud services, mobile applications, and user interfaces.
• Support pre-MP reproducibility requirements so delivered programs transition cleanly to Connected Lifecycle Engineering after launch.

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Partner with EE China, Systems Engineering, Hardware Engineering, NPD, Product Management, and Quality across the program lifecycle.
• Represent firmware delivery status, risk, and resourcing to Firmware and category leadership.
• Partner with Software TPM on portfolio visibility, sizing, and schedule commitments.

You are Expected:

Experience

• 12+ years of embedded software and firmware engineering experience.
• 5+ years leading firmware or embedded software delivery organizations, including direct people leadership.
• Demonstrated experience managing ODM/JDM partner execution in a China-based manufacturing environment.
• Proven track record delivering consumer electronics or home appliance firmware from concept through mass production.
• Experience operating in a matrixed, globally distributed organization with technical direction set outside the local site.

Technical Expertise

• Embedded firmware development for high-volume consumer products.
• Real-Time Operating Systems (RTOS) and resource-constrained platforms.
• Wireless connectivity technologies (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Matter, Thread, Zigbee).
• Hardware-software integration and bring-up.
• Git-based source control, CI builds, static analysis, and code review discipline.
• Supplier technical management and deliverable acceptance.

Leadership Competencies

• Delivery Execution and Accountability
• Vendor and Partner Management
• Talent Development and Team Building
• Cross-Cultural and Cross-Site Collaboration
• Operational Excellence
• Executive Communication

Success Measures

• On-time, on-quality firmware delivery across categories in scope.
• Growth in internal China firmware capability and reduced reliance on partner throughput for critical functions.
• Partner deliverables clearing acceptance gates on first submission at an improving rate.
• Compliance with architecture, source control, build, and release standards across all programs in scope.
• Reduction in post-MP defect escapes and field firmware issues originating in programs delivered by this team.
• Retention and progression of internal engineering talent.

Education/Certifications/Affiliations

• For Bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or related discipline required.
• Master’s degree preferred.
• Professional fluency in Mandarin and English required.

Travel Requirements

• Be flexible for domestic and international travel.