Manager, Firmware Development
Western Digital · Rochester, Minnesota, United States · hybrid
WD is building the infrastructure behind the AI-driven data economy.
As AI scales, so does data. Every interaction, every model, every system generates data that must be stored, managed, and made accessible over time. That’s where we come in.
We combine deep engineering expertise with global-scale manufacturing to deliver the storage systems that make AI possible, powering hyperscale data centers, cloud platforms, and enterprise infrastructure worldwide.
This isn’t theoretical work. It’s real systems, at real scale, people solving some of the hardest challenges in technology today.
We’re looking for people who want to build, solve, and operate at that level.
Join us and let’s shape the future of data.
Position Summary
The Manager, Firmware Development leads a team of firmware engineers responsible for the design, development, integration, debug, and delivery of embedded firmware for complex storage products. This role combines people leadership, technical judgment, execution discipline, and cross-functional collaboration to ensure high-quality firmware delivery aligned with product, program, and business objectives.
The Manager will manage engineers with varying levels of firmware development experience, building team capability through clear direction, coaching, prioritization, and performance management. The role partners closely with hardware, systems, validation, program management, quality, and manufacturing teams to develop robust firmware solutions and resolve technical issues across the product lifecycle.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
- Lead, develop, and retain a team of firmware engineers working across architecture, design, implementation, integration, debug, and sustaining activities.
- Set clear goals, priorities, and execution plans for the team, ensuring alignment with product roadmaps, schedule commitments, and quality expectations.
- Drive firmware development using disciplined engineering practices, including design reviews, coding standards, defect management, test strategy, and release readiness.
- Provide technical and organizational leadership for embedded firmware development, including data structures, software algorithms, drivers, control paths, and hardware interfaces.
- Guide the team in debugging complex issues across firmware, hardware, system, and platform interactions; support root-cause analysis and corrective action closure.
- Partner cross-functionally with ASIC, hardware, systems, validation, manufacturing, reliability, and program teams to deliver complete solutions.
- Balance near-term execution with longer-term improvements in team capability, development processes, tools, and technical roadmap.
- Review technical designs, development plans, and engineering analyses to ensure sound decisions, clear tradeoffs, and effective risk management.
- Establish a high-accountability, collaborative team environment that supports engineers at different experience levels and enables growth in technical depth and ownership.
- Manage resource planning, work allocation, hiring, onboarding, and succession planning for the firmware organization.
- Communicate status, risks, dependencies, and key technical decisions clearly to the Director of Firmware Development and other stakeholders.
- Ensure documentation is complete and maintained throughout the firmware development lifecycle, including requirements, design artifacts, investigations, and release materials.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical field; advanced degree preferred.
- 7+ years of embedded or firmware development experience, with meaningful experience leading engineering teams.
- 1+ years of people management or equivalent leadership experience, including performance management, coaching, and career development.
- Strong technical foundation in embedded systems and firmware development using C/C++; experience with low-level software, device control, drivers, and hardware/software integration.
- Experience leading teams through full product development cycles from concept through release and sustaining support.
- Demonstrated ability to manage engineers with a broad range of experience and skill levels.
- Strong problem-solving, debugging, and root-cause analysis skills in complex system environments.
- Effective written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to communicate technical and execution topics to both engineering and management audiences.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with storage, data-path, controller, or other performance-sensitive embedded systems.
- Experience with firmware development tools, lab debug environments, emulation, simulation, and automated test frameworks.
- Working knowledge of structured development methodologies, CI/CD practices, code review discipline, and quality-oriented release processes.
- Experience operating in global, cross-functional product development organizations.
Leadership Expectations
- Builds an inclusive, respectful team culture grounded in accountability, technical rigor, and consistent execution.
- Adapts leadership approach to support senior engineers, mid-level contributors, and early-career team members effectively.
- Makes timely, well-reasoned decisions with appropriate consideration of technical, schedule, and business tradeoffs.
- Raises issues early, escalates appropriately, and drives closure on critical dependencies and risks.
- Develops talent intentionally through coaching, feedback, stretch assignments, and succession planning.
WD is committed to providing equal opportunities to all applicants and employees and will not discriminate against any applicant or employee based on their race, color, ancestry, religion (including religious dress and grooming standards), sex (including pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, breastfeeding or related medical conditions), gender (including a person’s gender identity, gender expression, and gender-related appearance and behavior, whether or not stereotypically associated with the person’s assigned sex at birth), age, national origin, sexual orientation, medical condition, marital status (including domestic partnership status), physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, protected medical and family care leave, Civil Air Patrol status, military and veteran status, or other legally protected characteristics. We also prohibit harassment of any individual on any of the characteristics listed above. Our non-discrimination policy applies to all aspects of employment. We comply with the laws and regulations set forth in the "Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal” poster. Our pay transparency policy is available here.
WD thrives on the power and potential of diversity. As a global company, we believe the most effective way to embrace the diversity of our customers and communities is to mirror it from within. We believe the fusion of various perspectives results in the best outcomes for our employees, our company, our customers, and the world around us. We are committed to an inclusive environment where every individual can thrive through a sense of belonging, respect and contribution.
WD is committed to offering opportunities to applicants with disabilities and ensuring all candidates can successfully navigate our careers website and our hiring process. Please contact us at jobs.accommodations@wdc.com to advise us of your accommodation request. In your email, please include a description of the specific accommodation you are requesting as well as the job title and requisition number of the position for which you are applying.
Based on our experience, we anticipate that the application deadline will be 1/9/27, although we reserve the right to close the application process sooner if we hire an applicant for this position before the application deadline. If we are not abl