Director of Electrical and Firmware Engineering

The Elevator Pitch 

Imagine leading the electrical and firmware innovation behind technology that safeguards communities worldwide. At Evolv, that's the mission, and we're seeking a Director of Electrical and Firmware Engineering to drive it forward. 

At Evolv, our mission is simple: to make the world a safer place with every product we create. As a design-driven company, we combine bold, visionary thinking with practical system improvements, human-centered design, and cutting-edge Artificial Intelligence integration. If you're ready to push the boundaries of innovation and develop transformative solutions, we want you to be part of our team, where your leadership will directly impact the safety and security of millions. 

In this pivotal role, you'll spearhead the development of critical electronics, firmware, and integrated systems, ensuring compliance with rigorous international industry standards. You will guide your team through the entire product lifecycle, from groundbreaking concepts to successful production. You'll foster a culture centered on shared goals, continuous improvement, and innovation. Through thoughtful mentorship, you'll help your team stay aligned with company priorities while encouraging diverse ideas that lead to better solutions and stronger outcomes.

The Work: What assignments, requirements, or skills will you be performing on a regular basis? 

Technical Expertise 

• Experience in defining electrical and firmware platform architecture, including translating product requirements (PRDs) into detailed design specifications for the team. 

• Strong analog electrical engineering design experience using high-performance ADCs, coherent sampling, signal conditioning, and power supply design.  

• Digital electrical engineering design experience with MPUs, MCUs, Ethernet/PCIe/USB/SATA/I2C/SPI/UART peripherals, clock distribution, and Wi-Fi/cellular radio modules. 

• Experience leading MCU FW development efforts. 

• Working knowledge of the Linux CLI and RTOS fundamentals. 

• Ability to review and guide Electrical Engineering/ Electrical Firmware (EE/FW) schematics/layout/code with the goal of achieving first-pass success. 

• Strong critical thinking skills with the ability to troubleshoot and verify complex systems, integrating electromechanical, firmware, OS, and ML algorithms. 

Leadership and Execution 

• Strong leadership skills with a track record of leading cross-functional teams in the successful delivery of product. 

• Excellent cross-functional collaboration skills, working effectively with product, manufacturing, regulatory, service, and quality teams. 

• Ability to mentor members of the team in technical areas and provide actionable feedback and performance reviews that grow the performance of the team. 

• Proven experience in managing complex engineering projects, including architecture definition, deliverable mapping, milestone tracking, and execution oversight. 

• Proven ability to identify and coordinate cross-functional dependencies across electrical, mechanical, software, and Quality Assurance teams.”

• Ability to remove roadblocks and mitigate risks to ensure smooth team execution. 

• Demonstrated ability to drive process improvements to enhance productivity and reduce costs. 

Communication and Presentation 

• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to stand for the team’s work in various forums and ensure alignment with broader company objectives. 

• Experience preparing and taking part in comprehensive technical and design reviews, presenting complex technical topics in a clear, concise manner to nontechnical leaders. 

Continuous Improvement and Operational Excellence 

• Commitment to engineering and operational excellence, with experience establishing metrics for continuous assessment and improvement of team performance. 

• An ability to drive productivity enhancements by removing distractions and administrative burdens from engineering teams, enabling a focus on core development activities. 
  

Success in the Role: What are performance outcomes over the first year you will work toward completing? 

Within the First Month: 

• Meet team members and understand their roles and current projects. 

• Forge relationships with your peers in the leadership team 

• Familiarize yourself with active projects, their architecture, life-cycle stages, and immediate technical challenges. 

• Gain access to necessary EE and FW development tools. 

• Learn all active processes, including ECO, PCB release, FW release, etc. 

• Identify all active stakeholders and their roles in the projects. 

• Visit PCBA and box-build contract manufacturers to gain context and make connections. 

Within the First Three Months: 

• Represent the EEFW team in cross-functional management discussions. 

• Lead the development team responsible for electronics and firmware within Evolv’s next-generation detection platform. 

• Support product life-cycle improvements for Express and Expedite products. 

• Review and update PCB and Firmware release processes as needed. 

• Provide direct mentorship and assistance in at least three significant electrical engineering / firmware challenges. 

By the End of the First Year: 

• Establish yourself as the go-to for EE/FW questions. If you don’t have the answer, you know where to find it. 

• Foster a culture of collaboration both within the EE/FW team and across R&D, exemplifying leadership best practices. 

• Regularly lead EE/FW triaging and debugging during design and deployment and conducting huddles when necessary. 

• Provide EE/FW support to ensure new product launches stay on time and within budget. 

• Collaborate with HR to recruit top talent in alignment with the Annual Operating Plan (AOP). 

• Collaborate with the Head of Engineering (EVP) to establish 2-3 new metrics to measure EEFW performance improvements. 

 

What is the Structure and Culture of the Team? 

• You will be joining the R&D Organization and reporting to the Executive Vice President of Engineering 

• The R&D organization is made up of more than 50 dedicated developers, engineers, and managers with deep expertise who are always willing to help. 

• The team culture is one based on building trust, collaboration, on-going development through kindness, authenticity, courage, drive, and fun! 
  

Where is the role located? 

This role is based at our headquarters in Waltham, Massachusetts. Due to the nature of our software-enabled hardware products, this position requires a minimum of 80% on-site work.

What is the salary range? 

The base salary range for this full-time position is $190,000 - $225,000 plus bonus equity benefits. Our salary ranges are determined by role, level, and location. The range displayed on each job posting reflects the minimum and maximum target for new hire salaries for the position across all US locations. Within the range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for your preferred location during the hiring process. 

Please note that the compensation details listed in role posting reflect the base salary only, and do not include commission, equity, or benefits. 

• Digital electrical engineering design experience with MPUs, MCUs, Ethernet/PCIe/USB/SATA/I2C/SPI/UART peripherals, clock distribution, and Wi-Fi/cellular radio modules. 

• Working knowledge of the Linux CLI and RTOS fundamentals. 

At Evolv, we’re on a mission to help make public spaces safer through innovative security technology. Rooted in our values of authenticity, kindness, courage, drive, and fun, we offer the opportunity to make a real impact. Our team thrives in a supportive, honest environment where creativity and collaboration are celebrated, and where we challenge the status quo to keep improving. 

When you join Evolv, you’ll not only work with cutting-edge technology but also enjoy competitive benefits that support your well-being, and personal growth. 

Our Benefits Include: 

• Equity as part of your total compensation package 
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance 
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) 
• A 401(k) plan (and 2% company match) 
• Unlimited vacation policy  
• Quarterly stipend for perks and benefits that matter most to you 
• Tuition reimbursement to support your ongoing learning and development 
• Subscription to Calm 

Evolv Technology (“Evolv”) is an Equal Opportunity Employer and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any kind. We welcome and encourage diversity in the workplace, and all employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, national, social or ethnic origin, sex (including pregnancy), age, disability, HIV Status, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, veteran status, or any other status protected by law in the locations where we operate. Evolv will not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on any of these characteristics.

Evolv is committed to offering an inclusive and accessible experience for all job seekers, including individuals with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation as part of the job application process, please connect with us at careers@evolvtechnology.com.