Senior Manager - R&D Software and Firmware Engineering

Thermo Fisher Scientific's Ion Chromatography and Sample Preparation (ICSP) team is seeking a Manager or Senior Manager of R&D Software and Firmware Engineering to lead a newly established, multidisciplinary team focused on embedded software and firmware for next-generation ion chromatography laboratory instruments.

This role is part of a strategic NPI (New Product Introduction) initiative focused on developing a new generation platform for chromatographic instruments. This is not about maintaining or incrementally improving existing solutions, but a complete redesign of a system currently built on approximately 15-year-old electronics.

The goal is to create a modern, scalable platform by leveraging new technologies to significantly improve performance, functionality, and overall system architecture. The work involves developing electronics and software for high-precision analytical instruments, combining advanced hardware, reliability, and complex system integration.

This is a multi-year program, offering long-term stability and the opportunity to contribute across multiple phases of development—from early architecture through to commercialization.

What will you do?

You will build and lead a multidisciplinary R&D engineering team of approximately 12 engineers (firmware, embedded software, DevOps, and test), establishing a strong foundation for scalable and high-quality product development.

Team Leadership & Development

• Hire, lead, coach, and develop a high-performing engineering team, fostering a culture of ownership, collaboration, and continuous improvement
• Drive performance management, career development, and succession planning

Engineering Excellence & SDLC

• Define and implement a scalable, modern software development lifecycle (SDLC) including architecture governance, coding standards, automated testing, CI/CD, traceability, and release management
• Establish and track key quality metrics and drive continuous improvement

Product Development & Delivery

• Lead development of embedded software, firmware, and supporting systems for next-generation ion chromatography instruments
• Oversee delivery across exploratory, new product development, and sustaining engineering initiatives aligned with business priorities

Cross-Functional & Global Collaboration

• Partner with system architects, product management, hardware engineering, manufacturing, and global R&D teams to ensure seamless integration and delivery
• Coordinate work across distributed teams to ensure alignment, transparency, and predictable execution

Compliance, Security & DevOps Strategy

• Ensure compliance with regulatory and cybersecurity requirements, embedding secure development practices and traceability by design
• Own DevOps and toolchain strategy, aligning with divisional and corporate standards

Innovation & Productivity

• Drive adoption of modern engineering tools, including AI-assisted development, to improve speed, quality, and knowledge sharing
• Balance innovation, technical debt, and sustaining activities through effective roadmap and resource planning

Qualifications & Skills

• Degree in Computer Science or a related field (or equivalent experience); MS preferred
• Proven experience leading and scaling R&D engineering teams, including hiring and performance management
• Experience delivering complex embedded or instrumentation systems from concept through commercialization
• Strong background in embedded Linux, firmware, and/or distributed systems (C, C++, C#, .NET)
• Experience with device control, data acquisition, and communication protocols (TCP/IP, USB, I2C, SPI, RS232)
• Solid understanding of CI/CD, automated testing, and DevOps in embedded environments
• Hands-on experience with modern development toolchains and lifecycle systems (e.g., Git, Azure DevOps, Jira, Jenkins, Yocto, GCC, containers, Jama, DOORS, Polarion)
• Experience in regulated or quality-driven environments, including secure development and product cybersecurity practices
• Experience in industrial, scientific, medical, or safety-critical systems strongly preferred
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to operate across distributed teams
• Analytical, data-driven mindset with strong problem-solving and decision-making skills
• Interest in leveraging AI-assisted development tools to improve engineering productivity and quality