WiFi SW Director
Job description
About the role
NETGEAR seeks a Director, WiFi Engineering to own the full lifecycle of wireless capabilities. You will govern product delivery across firmware, drivers, validation, and system integration. Your mission is to enforce predictable release schedules, advance performance and robustness, and guarantee launch readiness. This position demands deep wireless expertise, proven leadership, and the use of modern AI-driven practices to scale engineering operations.
You will operate at the intersection of technology and execution, aligning technical rigor with business objectives. Success depends on your ability to manage complex trade-offs and deliver differentiated user experiences. The scope spans multiple product lines and regions, requiring clarity of vision and disciplined follow-through.
Key Responsibilities
Define and drive feature delivery for one or more connectivity platforms from concept to release.
Lead AI-centric network self-healing and autonomous networking strategies from design to deployment.
Establish system-level requirements balancing AI, security, usability, stability, and performance.
Own release gating, regression planning, defect resolution, and final go/no-go decisions.
Collaborate with Silicon, RF, Systems, QA, Security, Product, Manufacturing, and Customer Engineering.
Lead post-mortem investigations for difficult field issues and enforce corrective actions.
Champion WiFi Alliance certification programs and interoperability standards.
Drive lab automation, CI/CD modernization, and KPI visibility tools.
Orchestrate coexistence strategies for WiFi, Bluetooth, RF behavior, power management, and reliability.
Build and mentor high-performing teams in the United States, Canada, Taiwan, and India.
Core Qualifications
Bring a minimum of 12 years in wireless or connectivity engineering, with substantial WiFi depth.
Show 5 or more years leading engineers and managing managers.
Mastery of WiFi 6, 6E, and 7, along with emerging standards.
Demonstrated history of shipping WiFi in production across clients, gateways, APs, embedded/IoT, PC, or automotive platforms.
Fluency in WiFi software stacks, including firmware (C/C++ embedded), Linux, Android, or Windows drivers, and system-level debugging.
Knowledge of leading WiFi chipset vendor software frameworks.
Experience with OpenWrt, QSDK, Broadcom SDK, MediaTek SDK, and prplOS including EasyMesh and 802.11s.
Ability to use AI tools to enhance engineering throughput and decision quality.
Definition of Success
Consistent on-time releases with measurable gains in stability and performance.
Rapid triage and resolution of critical issues, minimizing field escapes.
High team engagement and scalable execution across a globally distributed organization.
Work Model
This role requires multi-site collaboration across US-India and India-Taiwan time zones, with travel of 10-20% as needed.
Company Values
At NETGEAR, we are on a mission to unleash the full potential of connectivity with intelligent solutions that delight and protect. We turn ideas into innovative networking products that connect people, power businesses, and advance the way we live. We are a performance-driven, talented and connected team committed to delivering world-class products for our customers. We value our employees as the most essential building blocks of our success. As teammates, we commit to taking our work to the Next Gear by living our values: we Dare to Transform the future, Connect and Delight our customers, Communicate Courageously with each other, and collaborate to Win It Together. You'll find these values embedded in our decisions, reflected in our processes, and celebrated throughout our culture.
NETGEAR hires based on merit. All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment. All information will be handled in accordance with EEO guidelines.
About the company
as a company
Support employee engagement survey cycles, including facilitating manager debriefs and helping teams translate insights into clear, actionable plans
Partner with the wider People & Culture team to deliver engagement initiatives, learning programmes, and culture-building activities
Foster an inclusive environment where all employees feel valued, heard, and supported-regardless of background, identity, or role HR PROGRAMS & OPERATIONS
Execute core HR processes such as promotio