What does a director, hardware engineering do?
Director, hardware engineering responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real director, hardware engineering resumes:
- Lead contract purchasing, PCB fabrication, contract board assembly, and ICT test fixture fabrication.
- Select and manage contract resources for industrial design, mechanical design and fabrication, and PCB layout.
- Manage design, tooling, equipment implementations and process improvements for foundry/machining metalworking manufacturer of automotive OEM products.
- Hire to build world-class hardware development team including RF engineers.
- Train subordinates to use FEA.
- Involve in the design of a chip tray which incorporates RF antennas.
- Perform design of high speed digital, DSP, analog, mix signal, electro-optics and imaging hardware.
- Establish finite element analysis (FEA) capability for stress, strain, thermal, fluids, and electro-magnetics.
- Minimize costs by establishing the use of in-house automate CNC manufacturing along with guiding outsource manufacturing efforts.
- Establish and supervise high volume multi-shift CNC manufacturing operation to produce energy efficient lighting fixtures and components.
- Play significant role in development of most processes used for HW development and product introduction/change management in company.
- Determine the current and future enterprise infrastructure which oversee the design and implementation of information systems that support the business requirements.
- Manage design, tooling, equipment implementations and process improvements for foundry/machining metalworking manufacturer of automotive OEM products.
Director, hardware engineering skills and personality traits
We calculated that 9% of Directors, Hardware Engineering are proficient in RF, Product Development, and Hardware Development. They’re also known for soft skills such as Detail oriented, Math skills, and Organizational skills.
We break down the percentage of Directors, Hardware Engineering that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- RF, 9%
Led the design of Video On Demand systems, special function PC Boards, analog set-top boxes and RF communication boards.
- Product Development, 8%
Implemented product development processes and concentrated on design tolerances to improve manufacturing yields.
- Hardware Development, 7%
Supervised hardware development team, Helped team member design and debug hardware.
- Firmware, 6%
Modified channel map firmware and tested on- site for proper display in the rooms successfully demonstrating this new product offering.
- Mechanical Engineering, 5%
Led mechanical engineering work based on existing industrial design for a compact and watertight enclosure.
- Hardware Products, 5%
Led the hardware engineering department and delivered all of CopperCom hardware products including the CopperCom Gateway and several CPE products.
"rf," "product development," and "hardware development" are among the most common skills that directors, hardware engineering use at work. You can find even more director, hardware engineering responsibilities below, including:
Math skills. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling director, hardware engineering duties is math skills. The role rewards competence in this skill because "architectural and engineering managers use calculus and other mathematics to develop new products and processes." According to a director, hardware engineering resume, here's how directors, hardware engineering can utilize math skills in their job responsibilities: "proposed and got initial funding for new programmable geometry engine chip based on ip licensed from ibm. "
Organizational skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of directors, hardware engineering is organizational skills. This skill is critical to many everyday director, hardware engineering duties, as "architectural and engineering managers keep track of many workers, schedules, and budgets simultaneously." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "managed capacity and provided organizational guidance on capability gaps * fostered an environment of continuous improvement"
Analytical skills. A big part of what directors, hardware engineering do relies on "analytical skills." You can see how essential it is to director, hardware engineering responsibilities because "architectural and engineering managers evaluate information to solve problems." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical director, hardware engineering tasks: "managed all hardware development of concurrent's standards-based graphical, data acquisition and computer systems products. "
Communication skills. A commonly-found skill in director, hardware engineering job descriptions, "communication skills" is essential to what directors, hardware engineering do. Director, hardware engineering responsibilities rely on this skill because "architectural and engineering managers must effectively convey information and expectations related to projects." You can also see how director, hardware engineering duties rely on communication skills in this resume example: "managed a team of 12 electrical, mechanical, firmware and system designers working on in-room video entertainment and communication products. "
The three companies that hire the most director, hardware engineerings are:
- Microsoft8 directors, hardware engineering jobs
- Zebra Technologies3 directors, hardware engineering jobs
- Synaptics2 directors, hardware engineering jobs
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Compare different directors, hardware engineering
Director, hardware engineering vs. Research and development director
A research and development director spearheads and oversees the research and development initiatives and projects in a company. It is their duty to set goals and guidelines, establish timelines and budgets, direct and manage different departments, liaise with internal and external parties, gather and analyze data to implement solutions against problem areas, and utilize expertise in developing strategies to optimize company operations. Moreover, as a director, it is essential to lead and encourage the workforce to reach goals, all while promoting the company's policies and regulations, creating new ones as needed.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between directors, hardware engineering and research and development director. For instance, director, hardware engineering responsibilities require skills such as "hardware development," "firmware," "mechanical engineering," and "hardware products." Whereas a research and development director is skilled in "project management," "fda," "oversight," and "business development." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Research and development directors earn the highest salaries when working in the finance industry, with an average yearly salary of $167,250. On the other hand, directors, hardware engineering are paid more in the start-up industry with an average salary of $187,196.On average, research and development directors reach similar levels of education than directors, hardware engineering. Research and development directors are 2.2% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 9.1% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Director, hardware engineering vs. Research and development manager
A research and development manager is responsible for supervising project development procedures to support business operations and identify business opportunities that would pave the way for more revenue resources and profits. Research and development managers monitor the production plans from the conceptualization to the final outputs, inspecting inconsistencies and flaws in every phase and revising strategies as needed to achieve the required specifications and requirements. They delegate tasks to the staff, oversee progress, and conduct research and development programs to maximize productivity and team efforts.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, director, hardware engineering responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "hardware development," "firmware," "mechanical engineering," and "hardware products." Meanwhile, a research and development manager has duties that require skills in areas such as "customer service," "project management," "patients," and "c++." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
Research and development managers may earn a lower salary than directors, hardware engineering, but research and development managers earn the most pay in the professional industry with an average salary of $143,083. On the other hand, directors, hardware engineering receive higher pay in the start-up industry, where they earn an average salary of $187,196.research and development managers earn similar levels of education than directors, hardware engineering in general. They're 2.6% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 9.1% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Director, hardware engineering vs. Engineering/maintenance manager
Engineering and maintenance managers are skilled executive professionals who manage the daily activities of the engineering department while directing the maintenance of all types of machinery in a manufacturing plant. These managers are required to develop preventive maintenance procedures and inspections for all manufacturing equipment so that they can reduce machine downtime. They must ensure that contractors are trained to respond to emergencies and follow all the processes that are documented within the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations. Engineering and maintenance managers must also create a budget to manage the expenditures related to plant equipment upgrades.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from director, hardware engineering resumes include skills like "rf," "product development," "hardware development," and "firmware," whereas an engineering/maintenance manager is more likely to list skills in "capital projects," "osha," "project management," and "facility maintenance. "
Engineering/maintenance managers earn the best pay in the manufacturing industry, where they command an average salary of $98,678. Directors, hardware engineering earn the highest pay from the start-up industry, with an average salary of $187,196.Most engineering/maintenance managers achieve a lower degree level compared to directors, hardware engineering. For example, they're 10.0% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 2.8% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Director, hardware engineering vs. Design manager
A design manager is responsible for creating graphic and digital designs, following clients' specifications, and managing project deliverables efficiently. Design managers work closely with the marketing and public relations department, developing strategies to promote the brand to the target audience. They coordinate with the creative team and present the design ideas to the management, ask for final approval, perform revisions as needed, and follow the budget goals. A design manager must have excellent communication and leadership skills to handle the design team's concerns and needs.
Types of director, hardware engineering
Updated January 8, 2025
