Director of Embedded Software Engineering

At WHOOP, we're on a mission to unlock and inspire performance for life. WHOOP empowers members to perform at a higher level and live longer through a deeper understanding of their bodies and daily lives. WHOOP is seeking a Director of Embedded Software Engineering to lead our Firmware organization and the embedded software at the core of every WHOOP device. This leader will set the technical and organizational direction for Firmware, develop engineering managers and senior technical leaders, and ensure the organization delivers reliably across an ambitious roadmap of new products, platform investments, and continuous improvements to products already in the field. Firmware sits at the intersection of WHOOP’s hardware, sensing, algorithms, mobile software, manufacturing, and member experience. This role will lead multiple teams responsible for building stable, accurate, and power-efficient firmware platforms that operate continuously in highly constrained wearable devices. You will translate business and product priorities into clear technical strategies, build an organization capable of executing at scale, and strengthen the processes and platforms through which WHOOP develops and delivers firmware. RESPONSIBILITIES: - Lead and scale multiple Firmware teams with clear ownership and accountability, hiring and developing engineering managers, technical leaders, and senior individual contributors. - Set the multi-year strategy for firmware in alignment with product and business priorities. - Own predictable delivery across new products, platform investments, and sustaining work. - Raise the firmware development and quality bar through strong planning, architecture and design reviews, CI/CD, automated testing, validation, release practices, and field feedback. - Guide system architecture and major technical decisions that account for tradeoffs across member experience, power, performance, quality, cost, schedule, and long-term platform health. - Partner across Hardware, Sensor Intelligence, Algorithms, Mobile, Product, Manufacturing, Quality, and Program Management to bring products from concept through production and continuous improvement. - Establish meaningful engineering metrics and adopt tools and AI-enabled practices that improve quality and productivity. QUALIFICATIONS: - Proven experience leading multiple firmware or embedded software teams through engineering managers and senior technical leaders. - Extensive experience shipping firmware for high-volume, constrained products. - Deep technical fluency in C/C++, RTOS-based architectures, microcontrollers, device drivers, connectivity, low-power systems, and hardware-software integration. - Track record of setting firmware architecture and improving development practices, including planning, design reviews, CI/CD, automated testing, release management, and quality measurement. - Strong communication and leadership skills, with the ability to align Product, Hardware, Algorithms, Manufacturing, and senior leaders around clear priorities and decisions. - Bachelor’s or advanced degree in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience. Experience developing battery-constrained wearable products, physiological sensing systems, or other products in which firmware directly affects data accuracy preferred. - Familiarity with embedded security, secure boot, over-the-air updates, device identity, and production provisioning preferred. - Experience scaling engineering organizations in a high-growth environment and working with global suppliers or contract manufacturers preferred. Learn more about our Software Org and how to be successful in your engineering career at WHOOP via our Career Framework https://engineering.prod.whoop.com/careerframework. This role is based in the WHOOP office located in Boston, MA. The successful candidate must be prepared to relocate if necessary to work out of the Boston, MA office. Interested in the role, but don’t meet every qualification? We encourage you to still apply! At WHOOP, we believe there is much more to a candidate than what is written on paper, and we value character as much as experience. As we continue to build a diverse and inclusive environment, we encourage anyone who is interested in this role to apply. WHOOP is an Equal Opportunity Employer and participates in E-verify https://www.e-verify.gov/ to determine employment eligibility. It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability. The WHOOP compensation philosophy is designed to attract, motivate, and retain exceptional talent by offering competitive base salaries, meaningful equity, and consistent pay practices that reflect our mission and core values. At WHOOP, we view total compensation as the combination of base salary, equity, and benefits, with equity serving as a key differentiator that aligns our employees with the long-term success of the company and allows every member of our corporate team to own part of WHOOP and share in the company’s long-term growth and success. The U.S. base salary range for this full-time position is $220,000-$245,000. Salary ranges are determined by role, level, and location. Within each range, individual pay is based on factors such as job-related skills, experience, performance, and relevant education or training. In addition to the base salary, the successful candidate will also receive benefits and a generous equity package. These ranges may be modified in the future to reflect evolving market conditions and organizational needs. While most offers will typically fall toward the starting point of the range, total compensation will depend on the candidate’s specific qualifications, expertise, and alignment with the role’s requirements. Learn more about WHOOP https://www.whoop.com/us/en/careers/?srsltid=AfmBOopKmph9d0DLBlogZu8mx6do0dzjNS8eJlfc4PQqQtdU6F8DGKBg.