Director of Hardware

PetSafe Brands, formerly known as Radio Systems Corporation, is headquartered in Knoxville, TN—a city known as “The Marble City” and "Scruffy City" for its unique charm. Home to the 1982 World’s Fair, Knoxville offers 21 craft breweries, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and an Urban Wilderness with activities like hiking, tubing, biking, and running. The area features an excellent public-school system, no state income tax, low property taxes, and a low cost of living. Downtown Knoxville hosts summer events like Music and Shakespeare on the Square and Family Movie Nights.

About the Company

PetSafe Brands is the world leader in pet products through brands like Pet Safe®, SportDOG®, Invisible Fence®, Kurgo, and Premier Pet. Our products range from leashes and harnesses to water fountains and litter boxes. We aim to touch over 21 million pets, people, and communities annually by serving diverse pet owners—from hunters to cat enthusiasts. Our culture emphasizes enthusiasm, resilience, adaptability, and teamwork, with a mission to unleash freedom for pet parents by keeping pets happy, healthy, and safe.

About the Role

The Director of HW & Mechanical Engineering is a senior functional leader responsible for engineering disciplines that bring PetSafe products to life: Electronics Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Firmware (non-connected products), Mechanical Engineering, and engineering resources in China. This role provides horizontal leadership, shaping standards, growing talent, and ensuring engineering excellence across embedded and service teams. The Director leads 2–3 engineering managers and a team of ~20 engineers in the US and China, partnering with Product Management, PMO, Operations, and other leaders to deliver integrated products.

Responsibilities

• Functional Leadership & Engineering Excellence:
  • Own and elevate engineering standards, tools, and best practices across Electronics, Electrical, Firmware (non-connected), and Mechanical Engineering.
  • Serve as the technical authority for hardware and mechanical development, setting quality, reliability, and manufacturability expectations.
  • Enforce design-for-manufacturability (DFM), design-for-testability (DFT), and design-for-reliability (DFR) practices to reduce rework and improve time to market.
  • Drive consistent use of stage-gate processes, engineering change management, and technical documentation standards.
• Hardware Platform Strategy:
  • Define and maintain a hardware platform strategy informed by product roadmaps, identifying opportunities for shared architecture and components.
  • Collaborate on build-vs-buy decisions, platform reuse, and technology investments to improve scalability, cost, and time to market.
  • Provide input on component roadmaps, supplier technology, and emerging hardware capabilities.
  • Ensure platform decisions are documented and socialized across teams.
• People Leadership & Team Development:
  • Lead, coach, and develop 2–3 engineering managers and a team of ~20 engineers in the US and China.
  • Create clear career paths, development plans, and performance expectations; foster accountability and continuous improvement.
  • Build strong onboarding, mentorship, and succession practices to attract and retain top talent.
• Product Delivery & Cross-Functional Partnership:
  • Partner with product pillar teams to deploy engineering resources effectively in matrixed or service models.
  • Collaborate with Product Management, PMO, Industrial Design, and Operations to integrate hardware and mechanical development.
  • Manage technical, schedule, and cost risks; communicate tradeoffs and status to executive stakeholders.
  • Partner with Operations and Sourcing on supplier and manufacturing relationships.
• Innovation & AI-Enabled Engineering:
  • Champion modern engineering tools, simulation, and AI-assisted workflows to improve design quality and reduce cycle time.
  • Stay current on emerging hardware, materials, and connectivity technologies relevant to PetSafe’s roadmap.

Requirements

• 10+ years of hardware or mechanical product engineering experience, with 4+ years in people leadership roles.
• Breadth across multiple disciplines: electronics/PCB design, electrical systems, mechanical engineering, and/or firmware for non-connected products.
• Proven track record delivering consumer products at scale, with expertise in DFM, DFT, supplier development, and manufacturing.
• Experience with RF-based products, connectivity technologies (BLE, Wi-Fi, GPS, LTE), and regulatory compliance.
• Experience managing distributed or international teams (e.g., China).
• Ability to operate in a matrixed organization, balancing functional stewardship with cross-functional delivery.
• Strong communication skills for presenting technical tradeoffs and program status to executives.
• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field (required).

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with both connected (IoT/smart) and non-connected consumer product development.
• Background in pet, consumer electronics, or adjacent consumer durables industries.
• Familiarity with contract manufacturing and supplier management in China.
• Experience with softgoods and hardgoods development (textiles, injection molding, accessories).
• Advanced degree in Engineering or a related field.

Benefits

• Competitive benefits package: medical, dental, vision, and 401K match.
• Rich wellness program, including an onsite health clinic and workout facility.
• Dog-friendly workplace.
• Collaborative, creative, and team-oriented environment with opportunities for risk-taking and growth.