Senior Director, Embedded Systems

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Senior Director, Embedded Systems

Research & Development | San Diego, CA | Global team including Singapore

Position Summary

Illumina is seeking a Senior Director, Embedded Systems to lead the multidisciplinary engineering organization responsible for the embedded platforms at the heart of our DNA sequencing instruments. The organization spans electrical engineering, FPGA, firmware, systems engineering, test, and compute, enabling everything from signal acquisition and real-time instrument control to the movement and processing of increasingly large volumes of genomic data.

This is a leadership role over an experienced organization of functional managers, architects, technical leaders, and engineers across San Diego and Singapore. We are not looking for one individual to be the deepest technical expert across every embedded discipline. The successful candidate will bring deep expertise in one or more relevant areas, strong systems-level technical judgment, and the ability to lead and integrate experts across multiple engineering functions.

The Senior Director will lead embedded architecture and execution across multiple sequencing programs while helping define the technology strategy for our next generation of instruments. A particularly important area is the evolution of on-instrument compute as sequencing throughput and genomic data volumes increase, creating new challenges in compute performance, memory, storage, networking, power, cost, and supply resilience.

This role sits at the intersection of genomics, advanced sensing, embedded systems, custom silicon, and high-performance computing. Previous sequencing or genomics experience is not required. We welcome accomplished leaders from industries where sophisticated hardware, firmware, software, sensors, compute, and physical systems must work together reliably at scale.

ResponsibilitiesTechnical and Product Leadership

• Lead multidisciplinary embedded engineering. Lead through experienced functional managers and technical leaders across electrical engineering, FPGA, firmware, systems engineering, test, and compute. Establish strong engineering standards, architecture and design-review practices, and effective mechanisms for technical decisions and escalation.
• Define architecture and technology strategy. Guide the multi-generation embedded systems roadmap, ensuring electrical, FPGA, firmware, sensor, systems, and compute architectures evolve as an integrated platform. Lead major decisions involving platform reuse, build-versus-buy, technology investment, cost, performance, and product lifecycle.
• Drive system-level integration. Ensure effective integration across board-level electronics, high-speed interfaces, FPGA-based data acquisition and processing, embedded firmware, advanced sensors, and instrument subsystems including motion, fluidics, optics, thermal, and power.
• Advance compute strategy. Lead the evolution of the on-instrument compute platform in partnership with software, algorithms, supply chain, mechanical engineering, and operations. Guide decisions across CPUs, accelerators, memory, storage, networking, high-speed I/O, and hardware/software co-design while balancing performance, cost, power, thermal constraints, supply resilience, and component lifecycle.
• Enable custom silicon and advanced sensing. Partner with internal and external sensor, silicon, and fabrication experts to evaluate opportunities for custom devices and advanced sensors, and ensure successful integration into the broader hardware, firmware, and system architecture.
• Ensure engineering rigor and product readiness. Establish disciplined systems engineering, verification, reliability, security, and compliance practices from architecture through commercial launch and sustaining. Ensure appropriate requirements, interface definitions, risk management, FMEA, root-cause analysis, verification, product safety, EMC, cybersecurity, and design-for-manufacturing practices are embedded throughout development.
• Deliver across a multi-program portfolio. Lead technology and architecture decisions from early concept through integration, verification, manufacturing transfer, commercial launch, sustaining, and obsolescence management while balancing resources and technical priorities across multiple product programs.

Organizational Leadership

• Lead and develop a global engineering organization across San Diego and Singapore, creating clear ownership, strong collaboration, effective shared processes, and appropriate platform reuse across programs.
• Build a strong technical leadership bench of functional managers, architects, technical leads, and senior individual contributors, with succession depth and capabilities aligned to future sequencing platforms.
• Plan organizational capacity and resources across programs, including hiring, site strategy, workforce development, and appropriate use of external engineering partners.
• Partner across software, algorithms, bioinformatics, mechanical engineering, quality, regulatory, manufacturing, supply chain, product management, and commercial teams to deliver integrated sequencing platforms.
• Communicate technology strategy, architecture decisions, technical risks, organizational needs, and investment priorities effectively to senior leadership.

Qualifications

• Typically requires a Bachelor’s degree and a minimum of 20 years of related experience, with 12+ years of Management experience.
• Bachelor's or advanced degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical discipline.
• Significant engineering and leadership experience delivering complex, multidisciplinary hardware/software systems, including leadership of engineering managers and senior technical leaders.
• Demonstrated experience bringing sophisticated physical products through architecture, integration, verification, manufacturing transfer, commercial release, and sustaining.
• Deep technical expertise in one or more relevant engineering domains, combined with broad systems-level understanding across others. Areas may include: Electrical and high-speed digital hardware Embedded firmware, RTOS, and real-time control FPGA architecture and high-bandwidth data acquisition Custom ASICs and advanced sensors Embedded and high-performance compute architectures Linux-based embedded systems Systems engineering, integration, verification, and test Product safety, EMC, reliability, and security
• Candidates are not expected to be subject-matter experts in every area. More important is the ability to understand complex systems, ask the right technical questions, guide system-level trade-offs, and effectively lead and challenge experienced engineering managers and technical experts.
• Demonstrated ability to guide architectural trade-offs across performance, cost, power, thermal design, reliability, manufacturability, supply continuity, and schedule.
• Experience developing technology roadmaps, evaluating emerging technologies, and working with semiconductor, computing, sensor, or other technology partners.
• Proven ability to lead multiple complex programs simultaneously, build high-performing technical organizations, and develop engineering leaders.
• Strong executive communication and cross-functional leadership skills.
• Experience in genomics or life sciences is not required. Relevant experience may come from scientific instrumentation, medical technology, robotics, aerospace and avionics, semiconductor equipment, advanced sensing, high-performance computing, data infrastructure, or other sophisticated multidisciplinary technology environments.
• Ability to work onsite in San Diego and collaborate with global engineering teams, including colleagues in Singapore.
  

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The estimated base salary range for the Senior Director, Embedded Systems role based in the United States of America is: $224,900 - $337,300. Should the level or location of the role change during the hiring process, the applicable base pay range may be updated accordingly. The range reflects long‑term growth in the role; therefore, most candidates are hired between the minimum and middle of the range. Placement depends on experience, skills, location, and internal equity. Additionally, all employees are eligible for one of our variable cash programs (bonus or commission) and eligible roles may receive equity as part of the compensation package. We offer a wide range of benefits as innovative as our work, including access to genomics sequencing, family planning, health/dental/vision, retirement benefits, and paid time off.

We are a company deeply rooted in belonging, promoting an inclusive environment where employees feel valued and empowered to contribute to our mission. Built on a strong foundation, Illumina has always prioritized openness, collaboration, and seeking alternative perspectives to propel innovation in genomics. We are proud to confirm a zero-net gap in pay, regardless of gender, ethnicity, or race. We also have several Employee Resource Groups (ERG) that deliver career development experiences, increase cultural awareness, and offer opportunities to engage in social responsibility. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer committed to providing employment opportunity regardless of sex, race, creed, color, gender, religion, marital status, domestic partner status, age, national origin or ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, sexual orientation, pregnancy, military or veteran status, citizenship status, and genetic information. Illumina conducts background checks on applicants for whom a conditional offer of employment has been made. Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with applicable local, state, and federal laws. Background check results may potentially result in the withdrawal of a conditional offer of employment. The background check process and any decisions made as a result shall be made in accordance with all applicable local, state, and federal laws. Illumina prohibits the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) in the application and interview process. If you require accommodation to complete the application or interview process, please contact [email protected]. To learn more, visit: https://www.dol.gov/ofccp/regs/compliance/posters/pdf/eeopost.pdf. The position will be posted until a final candidate is selected or the requisition has a sufficient number of qualified applicants. This role is not eligible for visa sponsorship.