Firmware Engineering Manager, Proto

Company Description

Block is one company built from many blocks, all united by the same purpose of economic empowerment. The blocks that form our foundational teams — People, Finance, Counsel, Hardware, Information Security, Platform Infrastructure Engineering, and more — provide support and guidance at the corporate level. They work across business groups and around the globe, spanning time zones and disciplines to develop inclusive People policies, forecast finances, give legal counsel, safeguard systems, nurture new initiatives, and more. Every challenge creates possibilities, and we need different perspectives to see them all. Bring yours to Block.

Job Description

Proto’s mission is to accelerate the transition to a more open, equitable global economy. We believe open protocols like Bitcoin are integral to achieving that vision. The team’s first two initiatives—mining tools and a self-custody wallet, Bitkey—aim to decentralize access for builders, increase network resiliency, and make everyday use of bitcoin safe and easy. One principle across everything we do in Proto is open development – show and tell. We develop products in the open, you can read more about them at bitkey.build and mining.build.

Within Proto, our Bitcoin Products team delivers the product and go-to-market strategy, software, firmware, and custom silicon needed to make Bitkey and our ambitious mining initiatives a reality. Come build the future of money with us!

You will:

• Lead a team of amazing firmware engineers to deliver firmware that provides incredible performance and reliability for mining systems and for the hardware component of Bitkey, our self-custody wallet

• Define technical strategy with and through your team, including both for firmware development as well as automated performance and reliability testing

• Foster a culture of delivery and quality that enables you to grow your team members' skills and careers

• Build transparently, inviting scrutiny from within Block and from the external community

• Collaborate with other senior leaders across product, operations, software and hardware engineering, and design to define and deliver innovative new products

Qualifications

You have:

• 2+ years of management experience

• Shipped hardware systems to production, contributing to development from concept through support and end of life

• Technical expertise in firmware development, including experience with both embedded linux and embedded C in more constrained environments

• Experience defining, developing, or contributing to validation and release processes, including automated testing either on-target or in simulation

• Demonstrated ability to inspire, grow, and effectively manage a team of talented engineers

• Interest in contributing to our product vision, engineering approach, and team culture

• Bonus: prior experience with bitcoin, rust, and custom silicon bring-up

Additional Information

Block takes a market-based approach to pay, and pay may vary depending on your location. U.S. locations are categorized into one of four zones based on a cost of labor index for that geographic area. The successful candidate’s starting pay will be determined based on job-related skills, experience, qualifications, work location, and market conditions. These ranges may be modified in the future.

Zone A: USD $251,600 - USD $377,400
Zone B: USD $251,600 - USD $377,400
Zone C: USD $251,600 - USD $377,400
Zone D: USD $251,600 - USD $377,400

To find a location’s zone designation, please refer to this resource. If a location of interest is not listed, please speak with a recruiter for additional information. 

Full-time employee benefits include the following:

• Healthcare coverage (Medical, Vision and Dental insurance)
• Health Savings Account and Flexible Spending Account
• Retirement Plans including company match 
• Employee Stock Purchase Program
• Wellness programs, including access to mental health, 1:1 financial planners, and a monthly wellness allowance 
• Paid parental and caregiving leave
• Paid time off (including 12 paid holidays)
• Paid sick leave (1 hour per 26 hours worked (max 80 hours per calendar year to the extent legally permissible) for non-exempt employees and covered by our Flexible Time Off policy for exempt employees) 
• Learning and Development resources
• Paid Life insurance, AD&D, and disability benefits 

These benefits are further detailed in Block's policies. This role is also eligible to participate in Block's equity pl