Principal Firmware Engineer

The Principal Connected Firmware Engineer is the senior individual technical contributor in SharkNinja's Connected Firmware organization - the deepest hands-on expert in wireless connectivity, display/UI, and device-to-app-to-cloud integration. This role sets technical direction on the hardest connected-architecture problems in the portfolio and holds the technical standard that internal developers and external partners build against. The Principal Engineer designs the connected-platform interfaces and standards, then writes the reference implementations - connectivity stacks, provisioning and pairing code, display/UI frameworks, and app/cloud integration layers - that prove the architecture out in working code before any partner builds against it. That combination is what gives this role its leverage: not just interface contracts and design reviews, but hands-on implementation that sets the technical bar for the hardest connected-architecture problems in the portfolio. This is an architect-track role for an engineer who wants deep technical scope in connected systems without moving into people management. Key Responsibilities Technical Direction • Define reference architectures and reference implementations for wireless connectivity, display/UI, and app/cloud integration reused across product categories. • Own the design of the most technically demanding connected subsystems - Bluetooth/BLE and Wi-Fi stacks, Matter/Thread/Zigbee integration, display and embedded UI frameworks, and device provisioning and pairing protocols. • Make and document the technical decisions that constrain downstream implementation: connectivity interface contracts, app/cloud API boundaries, and wireless platform selection criteria. • Prototype and de-risk new connectivity, display, and app-integration technologies ahead of program commitment. Design Review & Partner Governance • Lead technical design reviews for internal and partner-developed connected firmware; approve or reject against defined criteria. • Translate architectural intent into requirements that partners can execute without interpretation. • Serve as the technical escalation point for partner design disputes and interoperability or integration failures. • Assess partner technical capability in wireless and display subsystems and contribute to consolidation and qualification decisions. Certification & Standards Engineering • Provide the technical depth behind certification submissions - Bluetooth SIG, Wi-Fi Alliance, Matter - and own root-cause resolution when a submission fails. • Track relevant wireless standards evolution and inform architecture decisions ahead of spec changes. • Define the reproducibility standard in technical terms for connected subsystems - source, toolchain, and build manifest requirements sufficient for independent rebuild of shipping binaries. Engineering Standards & Infrastructure • Contribute to the test automation framework for connectivity and display subsystems: CI pipeline design, RF and interoperability test-harness infrastructure, static analysis configuration. • Establish and evolve coding standards, review criteria, and quality thresholds applied across internal and supplier connected-firmware codebases. Technical Leadership & Mentorship • Provide technical direction to the connected-track Senior Embedded Firmware Developer; mentor senior and mid-level engineers across US and China teams working on connected features. • Partner with Hardware Engineering, Systems, Cloud, Mobile App, and NPD to gate critical connected-product behavior at design time. • Represent connected firmware technical positions in cross-functional and executive forums. Qualifications Education • Bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or related discipline required. • Master's degree preferred. Experience • 12+ years of embedded software and firmware engineering experience, with significant depth in wireless connectivity and connected-device architecture. • Demonstrated track record as a principal, staff, or lead architect on complex connected embedded systems (BLE, Wi-Fi, Matter, Thread, Zigbee). • Proven experience taking products through wireless certification (Bluetooth SIG, Wi-Fi Alliance, Matter). • Proven experience defining architecture executed by external development partners and holding technical standards against outsourced work. • Experience developing firmware for consumer electronics, home appliances, robotics, IoT devices, or related high-volume industries. • Experience mentoring engineers and influencing technical direction without formal authority. Technical Expertise • Deep embedded C / C++ on resource-constrained platforms. • Wireless connectivity technologies (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth/BLE, Matter, Thread, Zigbee) at protocol and stack level. • Device provisioning, pairing, and companion app integration (BLE GATT, Wi-Fi onboarding, cloud device registration and authentication). • Display technologies and embedded graphics/UI frameworks. • Device security, secure boot, key management, and cybersecurity frameworks for connected products. • OTA update architecture, rollback, and field recovery. • Wireless certification processes and RF regulatory compliance. • Build systems and toolchains (gcc, CMake, headless), static analysis, unit testing frameworks. • Hardware-software integration, board bring-up, and low-level debug. Leadership Competencies • Technical Depth and Judgment • Influence Without Authority • Design Review Rigor • Mentorship and Knowledge Transfer • Clear Technical Communication Salary and Other Compensation: The annual salary range for this position is displayed below. Factors which may affect starting pay within this range may include geography/market, skills, education, experience and other qualifications of the successful candidate. The Company offers the following benefits for this position, subject to applicable eligibility requirements: medical insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, flexible spending accounts, health savings accounts (HSA) with company contribution, 401(k) retirement plan with matching, employee stock purchase program, life insurance, AD&D, short-term disability insurance, long-term disability insurance, generous paid time off, company holidays, parental leave, identity theft protection, pet insurance, pre-paid legal insurance, back-up child and eldercare days, product discounts, referral bonus program, and more. Pay Range $156,000-$239,200 USD