Shift: 1st shift
City: Solon
Swagelok, Northeast Ohio, USA
Swagelok is a global organization and one of the largest employers of manufacturing talent in Northeast Ohio. We are driven by our core values of Quality, Integrity, Respect for the Individual, Customer Focus, Innovation, and Continuous Improvement, which are demonstrated through our daily actions. For over 75 years, our dedication to our core values has been the foundation for our success. Our products have been up into space, down to the bottom of the ocean, and everywhere in between. That same dedication spans to our customers.
Throughout our organization we demonstrate a commitment to these values and those we bring onboard. Whether you want to grow in your role or explore broad opportunities and develop new skills-you'll thrive in a culture that promotes learning and development.
We strive to be a company where we all can do our best work with a true sense of purpose and belonging.
Be Connected.
Be Valued.
Be You.
We hope you'll consider joining our team.
Position Summary Leads Swagelok's Electronics Engineering team within the Engineering organization, with end-to-end ownership of the electronics, embedded software, and connected-product capabilities that bring intelligence to Swagelok's fluid system products. Manages a multidisciplinary team of firmware, software, hardware, and quality engineers - supporting both new product development and the long-term sustaining of fielded electronic and Linux-based products, including planning and release of security updates and software maintenance. Stands up and continuously improves the team's development processes, tools, and engineering practices so that the function can scale predictably as it grows. Partners closely with Product Engineering, Product Management, Manufacturing, Quality, and customer-facing teams to translate product strategy into reliable, secure, and maintainable connected products. Acts as a founding leader for the Electronics Engineering function, with significant opportunity to grow scope and influence as the team expands.
Essential Duties & Responsibilities - Lead, develop, and retain a multidisciplinary team of firmware, software, hardware, and quality engineers; set clear performance expectations, provide ongoing coaching, and build succession depth as the team grows.
- Establish, document, and continuously improve the electronics and embedded software development process - including engineering standards, design reviews, tooling, version control, build and release flows, traceability, and verification practices.
- Direct the team's project portfolio, balancing new product development (NPD) commitments with sustaining engineering work and long-lifecycle product support, including planning and release of Linux security and software updates for fielded products.
- Provide technical leadership and credible challenge to the team across firmware, embedded Linux / single-board computers (SBCs), application and cloud software, and hardware/electrical design - pairing on architecture, reviewing key design decisions, and elevating the technical bar without taking over individual contributor work.
- Apply cost-versus-impact thinking to prioritize investments across NPD, sustaining, and platform work; communicate trade-offs and the business value of technical decisions to senior leadership.
- Partner with Product Management, Product Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, and customer-facing teams to translate product strategy and customer needs into clear technical roadmaps and committed deliverables.
- Support customers during key product installations, escalations, and field issues; ensure the team is equipped to resolve complex technical problems on installed and connected products.
- Plan headcount and capability growth as the function scales from its current size toward a larger multi-discipline organization, including future addition of systems engineering, architecture, and additional software, firmware, hardware, and quality roles.
- Manage department operating budget including planning, tracking variances, identifying cost-reduction opportunities, and overseeing capital and tooling investments.
- Drive talent development through structured individual development plans, mentoring, and targeted training; actively engage in succession planning and external talent attraction.
- Communicate departmental project status, technical risks, resource needs, and strategic priorities to senior leadership through regular reporting and presentations.
- As a leader, you are expected to know, enforce, and appropriately escalate all Swagelok associate policies.
- Other duties as assigned.
Approximate # of direct reports: 5 engineers and quality professionals at start, with planned growth toward approximately 15 across firmware, software, hardware, quality, systems engineering, and architecture as the function scales.
Budget responsibility: Department operating budget including wages, tooling, software licenses, lab and prototyping equipment, and project expenses, with input to capital planning as the function grows.
Education and/or Work Experience Requirements - Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a closely related field required; Master's degree preferred. Or equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.
- Minimum 10 years of progressive experience in electronics, embedded systems, or product software engineering, including delivery of shipping products.
- Minimum 2-5 years of experience in a formal leadership role managing engineers or technical professionals.
- Demonstrated technical depth in at least one or two of the following, with working knowledge and architectural fluency in the others: embedded firmware and real-time operating systems (RTOS); embedded Linux and single-board computers (SBCs), including long-lifecycle maintenance and security patching; application and cloud software, including DevOps and CI/CD; and hardware and electrical design, including printed circuit board (PCB) development and electronics manufacturing handoff.
- Proven track record of standing up or substantially improving an engineering process or function - for example, introducing development standards, design review practices, release management, or quality and traceability systems in a regulated or industrial product environment.
- Experience managing both new product development and long-lifecycle sustaining engineering simultaneously, ideally in industrial, instrumentation, medical device, automotive/aerospace, or connected-product environments.
- Familiarity with cybersecurity practices for connected and Linux-based products, including software update strategies, vulnerability response, and secure software development lifecycle, preferred.
- Knowledge of Swagelok products, fluid system components, semiconductor, or oil/gas/chemical applications preferred.
Critical Competencies Essential for Day One - Managing Complexity: Analyzes multifaceted technical and organizational problems - spanning firmware, software, hardware, and customer support - and distills them into clear, actionable plans; comfortable operating with ambiguity and competing priorities.
- Interpersonal Savvy: Builds strong, trust-based relationships across functions and levels of the organization; communicates with clarity, empathy, and credibility with engineers, business partners, and customers.
- Influence: Drives alignment and commitment without direct authority; effectively advocates for team direction, technical standards, resource needs, and strategic priorities.
- Agility: Adapts approach as the team grows and as projects move between new product development, sustaining work, and field support; balances near-term execution with longer-term capability building.
- Business and Financial Acumen: Applies cost-versus-impact thinking to engineering investments; understands the financial implications of technical choices and communicates them clearly to senior leadership.
- Developing Direct Reports & Others: Actively builds bench strength across multiple engineering disciplines; creates meaningful development plans and career pathways; invests in talent retention and attraction as the team scales.
Can Be Developed in Role - Strategic Mindset: Connects Electronics Engineering capabilities to Swagelok's longer-term product, platform, and market strategy; helps shape where intelligent and connected products take the business next.
- Decision Quality: Makes sound decisions under uncertainty, drawing on data, stakeholder input, and engineering expertise across firmware, software, and hardware domains.
- Cross-functional Knowledge: Builds familiarity with Product Management, Marketing, Manufacturing, Quality, and Service to increase organizational impact and the integration of electronics into Swagelok's broader product portfolio.
- External Market Awareness: Develops ongoing knowledge of emerging electronics, embedded, and connected-product technologies, the competitive landscape, and the talent market relevant to Swagelok's growth in this space.
Working Conditions and/or Physical Requirements Ability to safely and successfully perform the essential job functions consistent with the ADA, FMLA and other federal, state and local standards, including meeting qualitative and/or quantitative productivity standards.
Ability to maintain regular, punctual attendance consistent with the ADA, FMLA and other federal, state and local standards.
Office and laboratory environment; may require occasional work in manufacturing or test areas, which may require use of personal protective equipment (PPE). Occasional travel may be required to support key customer installations and escalations.
Swagelok provides a comprehensive package of valuable benefits called Total Rewards focused on health and wellness, compensation, retirement planning, and supplemental rewards.
To apply:
1. Click 'Apply Now' to the role of interest, upload your resume and complete the application.
2. Those that match our qualifications will be contacted to schedule a phone interview.
Congratulations on taking the first step to
Be Connected.
Be Valued.
Be You.
Swagelok is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. Applicants are selected without regard to race, ethnicity, creed, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, pregnancy-related medical conditions, age, national origin or ancestry, disability, genetic information, veteran/military status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or other protected characteristic under federal, state or local law.
Swagelok will make reasonable accommodations in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008, and Ohio state law.
This job summary is intended to be brief and does not list all the duties for this position. Nothing in this job description should be construed as an express or implied contract of employment. Swagelok is an at-will employer, which means that either party is free to terminate the employment relationship at any time, without any advanced notice, for any reason or no reason.
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