Director of Embedded Software Engineering
Digital Dynamics, Inc., Scotts Valley, CA, United States
About Digital Dynamics, Inc.
Digital Dynamics, Inc. (DDI)
designs and manufactures real-time machine and process controllers used by leading OEMs in semiconductor and high-reliability manufacturing environments. As a 100% employee-owned (ESOP) company, DDI fosters an ownership mindset, technical excellence, and cross-functional collaboration to deliver robust, production-ready solutions.
Position Summary
The Director of Embedded Software Engineering leads DDI’s embedded firmware organization (10–20 engineers) responsible for real-time control software across DDI’s controller platforms. This role is both
strategic and technical —owning architecture direction, execution rigor, people leadership, and lifecycle delivery from early prototype through high-volume production and sustaining releases. The Director ensures firmware is reliable, testable, maintainable, secure, and ready for manufacturing scale. This leader partners closely with Hardware Engineering, Systems Engineering, Test Engineering, Quality, Applications, and Manufacturing Engineering to deliver stable product releases that meet OEM and production requirements.
Key Responsibilities
Engineering Leadership & Organization Development
Lead, mentor, and develop a team of 10–20 embedded firmware engineers.
Lead mentor and grow SQA team.
Establish clear ownership, accountability, and performance expectations.
Build succession depth and technical leadership bench strength.
Drive hiring strategy and onboarding for critical firmware roles.
Architecture & Technical Direction
Define and evolve embedded firmware architecture for real-time machine control systems.
Establish coding standards, design reviews, and firmware release governance.
Ensure system-level alignment across firmware, hardware, and system architecture.
Evaluate technical tradeoffs balancing performance, reliability, safety, and manufacturability.
Execution & Delivery
Own firmware roadmap delivery aligned with product and business milestones.
Partner with Program Management to define scope, risks, and mitigation plans.
Improve development predictability (planning accuracy, on-time delivery).
Drive structured defect management, root cause analysis, and corrective action.
Quality, Validation & Manufacturing Readiness
Partner with Test Engineering to ensure robust verification, including hardware-in-the-loop validation where applicable.
Ensure firmware readiness for NPI milestones (EVT/DVT/PVT) and production ramp.
Support offshore/CM transfers with documentation, tooling, and change control discipline.
Reduce escaped defects and improve field reliability metrics.
Process & Infrastructure Maturity
Improve automated test coverage and regression testing discipline.
Standardize version control, branching strategy, and release packaging.
Implement engineering KPIs to improve cycle time and product quality.
Qualifications
Required Qualifications
Education & Experience
Bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or Computer Science (Master’s preferred).
12+ years of embedded firmware/software engineering experience.
5+ years leading engineering teams (10+ direct/indirect reports preferred).
Experience in semiconductor equipment, industrial controls, or other high-reliability hardware-integrated environments strongly preferred.
Technical Expertise
Strong experience with embedded systems and real-time control firmware.
Deep understanding of hardware/software interaction (drivers, interfaces, communication protocols).
Experience with Linux-based development environments and embedded toolchains.
Proven experience leading architecture reviews and complex system debugging.
Experience supporting firmware through manufacturing ramp and sustaining releases.
Leadership Competencies
Strategic thinker with strong execution discipline.
Comfortable operating in cross-functional hardware/software environments.
Clear communicator able to translate technical decisions into business impact.
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Digital Dynamics, Inc. (DDI)
designs and manufactures real-time machine and process controllers used by leading OEMs in semiconductor and high-reliability manufacturing environments. As a 100% employee-owned (ESOP) company, DDI fosters an ownership mindset, technical excellence, and cross-functional collaboration to deliver robust, production-ready solutions.
Position Summary
The Director of Embedded Software Engineering leads DDI’s embedded firmware organization (10–20 engineers) responsible for real-time control software across DDI’s controller platforms. This role is both
strategic and technical —owning architecture direction, execution rigor, people leadership, and lifecycle delivery from early prototype through high-volume production and sustaining releases. The Director ensures firmware is reliable, testable, maintainable, secure, and ready for manufacturing scale. This leader partners closely with Hardware Engineering, Systems Engineering, Test Engineering, Quality, Applications, and Manufacturing Engineering to deliver stable product releases that meet OEM and production requirements.
Key Responsibilities
Engineering Leadership & Organization Development
Lead, mentor, and develop a team of 10–20 embedded firmware engineers.
Lead mentor and grow SQA team.
Establish clear ownership, accountability, and performance expectations.
Build succession depth and technical leadership bench strength.
Drive hiring strategy and onboarding for critical firmware roles.
Architecture & Technical Direction
Define and evolve embedded firmware architecture for real-time machine control systems.
Establish coding standards, design reviews, and firmware release governance.
Ensure system-level alignment across firmware, hardware, and system architecture.
Evaluate technical tradeoffs balancing performance, reliability, safety, and manufacturability.
Execution & Delivery
Own firmware roadmap delivery aligned with product and business milestones.
Partner with Program Management to define scope, risks, and mitigation plans.
Improve development predictability (planning accuracy, on-time delivery).
Drive structured defect management, root cause analysis, and corrective action.
Quality, Validation & Manufacturing Readiness
Partner with Test Engineering to ensure robust verification, including hardware-in-the-loop validation where applicable.
Ensure firmware readiness for NPI milestones (EVT/DVT/PVT) and production ramp.
Support offshore/CM transfers with documentation, tooling, and change control discipline.
Reduce escaped defects and improve field reliability metrics.
Process & Infrastructure Maturity
Improve automated test coverage and regression testing discipline.
Standardize version control, branching strategy, and release packaging.
Implement engineering KPIs to improve cycle time and product quality.
Qualifications
Required Qualifications
Education & Experience
Bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or Computer Science (Master’s preferred).
12+ years of embedded firmware/software engineering experience.
5+ years leading engineering teams (10+ direct/indirect reports preferred).
Experience in semiconductor equipment, industrial controls, or other high-reliability hardware-integrated environments strongly preferred.
Technical Expertise
Strong experience with embedded systems and real-time control firmware.
Deep understanding of hardware/software interaction (drivers, interfaces, communication protocols).
Experience with Linux-based development environments and embedded toolchains.
Proven experience leading architecture reviews and complex system debugging.
Experience supporting firmware through manufacturing ramp and sustaining releases.
Leadership Competencies
Strategic thinker with strong execution discipline.
Comfortable operating in cross-functional hardware/software environments.
Clear communicator able to translate technical decisions into business impact.
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