Director Embedded Systems

Hi, we are ecobee. ecobee introduced the world’s first smart Wi-Fi thermostat to help millions of consumers save money, conserve energy, and bring home automation into their lives. That was just the beginning. We continue our pursuit to create technology that brings peace of mind into the home and allows people to focus on the moments that matter most. We take pride in making a meaningful difference to the environment, all while being part of the exciting, connected home revolution. In 2021, ecobee became a subsidiary of Generac Power Systems. Generac introduced the first affordable backup generator and later created the category of automatic home standby generator. The company is committed to sustainable, cleaner energy products poised to revolutionize the 21st century electrical grid. Together, we take pride in making a meaningful difference to the environment. Why we love to do what we do: We’re helping build the world of tomorrow with solutions that improve everyday life while making a positive impact on the planet. Our products and services work in harmony to provide comfort, efficiency, and peace of mind for millions of homes and businesses. While we’re proud of what we’ve done so far, there’s still a lot we can do—and you can be part of it. Join our extraordinary team. We're a rapidly growing global tech company headquartered in Canada, in the heart of downtown Toronto, with an office in Leeds, UK, and remote ecopeeps in the US. We get to work with some of North America and UK's leading professionals. Our colleagues are proud to bring their authentic selves to work, confident that what we do is grounded in a greater purpose. We’re always looking for curious, talented, and passionate people to join our team. This role follows a hybrid schedule, with in-office work required on Wednesdays and Thursdays to support collaboration, and flexibility to work remotely for the remainder of the week. We are seeking an Embedded Engineering Leader to help shape the next generation of ecobee smart home devices and their integration with Generac’s broader product portfolio. This role is ideal for a leader with a passion for building high-quality engineering organizations and customer-centric products that prioritize comfort, convenience, and sustainability. In addition to being a strong people leader, this person will be comfortable rolling up their sleeves and diving into complex technical challenges when needed to support their team and ensure successful delivery. How You’ll Make an Impact: Drive end-to-end process development, identifying and implementing meaningful improvements to how the organization plans, builds, validates, and ships software. Cultivate a culture of innovation through a bottom-up organizational approach that empowers teams with creative freedom. Identify and develop key leaders to build organizational depth. Advance software technology strategies, including identifying meaningful and safe ways to incorporate AI-assisted tools to improve code generation, quality, and defect reduction. Foster deep cross-functional collaboration while championing inclusiveness, transparency, and shared ownership. Lead and scale a high-performing team of software engineers across low-level embedded systems, embedded Linux, RTOS, and on-device application development. Guide automated validation efforts end to end, including CI/CD pipelines, validation frameworks, and automated test development. Own engagement with major internal stakeholders across ecobee and Generac, as well as select external partners and customers. Collaborate closely with electrical, cloud backend, mobile, security, and external partners throughout the full product lifecycle—from concept to manufacturing—to debug and enhance products. Drive measurable reductions in time to market, operating with high visibility in high-impact, high-reward initiatives. Develop deep product expertise, absorbing technical and customer knowledge to inform better engineering decisions. Deliver high-quality results at speed, balancing rigor, ownership, and urgency. What You’ll Bring to the Table: 10+ years of embedded and software engineering experience, including hardware-integrated products, software development processes, and automated test framework creation. 8+ years of engineering people leadership experience, with a record of developing leaders, maintaining excellent code quality, and fostering a culture rooted in care, accountability, and sustainable results. Exceptional communication skills, with the ability to influence across technical and non-technical audiences. Deep technical expertise in embedded systems, including RTOS, embedded Linux, C/C++, and the associated toolchains. Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or equivalent practical experience with demonstrated exceptional ability. Just so you know: The hired candidate will be required to complete a background check. What happens after you apply: Application review : It will happen. By an actual person in Talent Acquisition. We get upwards of 100+ applications for some roles, it can take a few days, but every applicant can expect a note regarding their application status. Interview Process: Round 1: 30-minute phone call with a member of our Talent Acquisition team Round 2: 45-minute virtual interview with the Hiring Manager to assess background, product experience, and overall fit for the role Final Interview: Two-part interview where you’ll present on a technical topic and meet with cross-functional stakeholders Generac is committed to fair and equitable compensation practices. The salary range for this role, based in Toronto, ON is between $200,000 - $250,000CAD. This compensation will ultimately be in line with the location in which the position is filled. Final compensation for this role will be determined by various factors such as a candidate’s relevant work experience, skills, certifications and geographic location. This role is eligible for variable compensation, including short-term and long-term incentives. This position includes a comprehensive benefit package that includes medical, dental and vision plans; life, long-term disability, flexible spending and health savings accounts, accrued paid time off, paid Holidays (10 for Ontario, 11 for British Columbia) and RRSP retirement benefits. The Company is committed to improving accessibility for Canadian with disabilities and to ensuring that all our employees and applicants have the support and the tools they need to succeed. We have developed policies relating to human rights, accessibility, and accommodation, and provide all our employees with training on accessibility including under provincial legislation such as the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005, either during orientation and/or on an ongoing basis. If you feel you need accommodation in relation to a disability in the application process or in the future, or have a question or concern about our policies, please reach out to [email protected] Physical Demands (Applicable in the USA and Canada) : While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk and hear; and use hands to manipulate objects or controls. The employee is regularly required to stand and walk. On occasion the incumbent may be required to stoop, bend or reach above the shoulders. The employee must occasionally lift up to 25 - 50 pounds. Specific conditions of this job are typical of frequent and continuous computer-based work requiring periods of sitting, close vision and ability to adjust focus. Occasional travel. Accessibility Statement (Applicable in the United Kingdom): The Company is committed to improving accessibility for employees and applicants with disabilities and to ensuring that they have the support and the tools they need to succeed. We have developed policies relating to human rights, accessibility, and accommodation, in line with the Equality Act 2010. If you feel you need consideration of ‘reasonable adjustments’ where possible relation to a disability in the application process or in the future, or have a question or concern about our policies, please reach out to [email protected]. “We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.”