Fortune Brands Innovations is hiring: Vice President, CP Hardware in San Francis

Role: Vice President of Hardware Engineering

Location: Cleveland, Ohio or San Francisco, CA

Overview

We are seeking an experienced and visionary Vice President of Hardware Engineering to lead our global hardware development teams focused on creating innovative connected products across our premier brands: Yale, August, Master Lock, and Moen. This includes smart locks, smart safes, smart water shutoffs, and smart showers. Reporting directly to the Chief Technology Officer (CTO), this strategic leadership position will drive the development of cutting-edge IoT hardware solutions for both consumer (B2C) and business (B2B) markets that deliver exceptional user experiences while maintaining the highest standards of security, reliability, and performance.

Our products leverage both industry-standard communication protocols (Z-Wave, Zigbee, Matter) as well as proprietary protocols over Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and WiFi to ensure optimal connectivity, security, and user experience across our ecosystem.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead a diverse global team of 90 hardware engineering professionals across international locations including Deerfield, IL; San Francisco, CA; Seoul, South Korea; and the United Kingdom
• Oversee and coordinate with engineering teams in the UK and Seoul while based in North Olmstead, OH or San Francisco, CA
• Drive cutting-edge innovation in hardware design for connected smart home products serving both consumer (B2C) and business (B2B) markets
• Guide hardware architecture decisions for wireless communications using industry standards (Z-Wave, Zigbee, Matter) and proprietary protocols over BLE and WiFi
• Lead and direct engineering teams to achieve optimal RF performance in product designs, balancing materials, form factors, and environmental constraints
• Partner with Industrial Design to ensure hardware designs achieve aesthetic excellence and technical performance
• Ensure security and reliability in hardware designs that implement diverse communication technologies
• Maintain design quality with optimal cost/feature trade-offs
• Foster a culture of accountability and reliable execution across hardware engineering teams
• Collaborate with the CTO's leadership team and with Software Engineering, Planning & Delivery, and Architecture to ensure cohesive product development
• Collaborate with Category Management and Product Management to develop and execute the hardware technology roadmap aligned with business strategy and market demands
• Partner with Program Management on capacity planning and technical forecasting
• Cultivate collaboration across multicultural teams to enhance product design
• Oversee all aspects of electrical, electronic, and mechanical engineering development for our connected product portfolio
• Establish engineering best practices, processes, and methodologies to ensure efficient development cycles
• Bridge cultural and geographic differences to create unified, high-performing global teams
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure integrated product development
• Lead technical risk assessment and mitigation strategies throughout the product development lifecycle
• Ensure hardware designs meet varying requirements across consumer and commercial applications
• Foster a culture of innovation, continuous improvement, and engineering excellence
• Stay current with emerging technologies, industry trends, and the competitive IoT and smart home landscape

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related technical field; Master's or advanced degree preferred
• 15+ years of progressive hardware engineering experience, with at least 8+ years in leadership roles
• Demonstrated track record of innovative hardware design with multiple successful product launches
• Experience developing hardware solutions for both consumer (B2C) and commercial/enterprise (B2B) applications
• Deep expertise in IoT hardware architecture, electrical engineering, mechanical design, and manufacturing processes
• Strong technical knowledge of RF principles to lead and guide engineering teams in optimizing wireless performance
• Ability to make critical architectural decisions regarding RF design and wireless performance in challenging environments
• Knowledge of lock security standards (ANSI/BHMA, UL, EN) and environmental rating systems (IP, NEMA) for outdoor devices
• Strong knowledge of wireless protocols including Z-Wave, Zigbee, Matter, BLE, and WiFi
• Experience with both industry-standard and proprietary communication protocols
• Ability to optimize hardware design for value with appropriate cost/feature trade-offs
• Proven experience leading multicultural teams across regions and time zones
• Executive-level communication skills for collaboration with C-suite and cross-functional leaders
• Strong partnership skills with program management on capacity planning
• Cross-cultural communication skills and ability to build collaborative environments
• Knowledge of regulatory compliance for consumer electronics (FCC, CE, UL, etc.)
• Experience with design for manufacturing (DFM), supply chain management, and mass production
• Strong strategic thinking and visionary leadership
• Willingness to travel internationally as needed, including regular trips to Seoul and the UK

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in smart home, security, or consumer IoT product development
• Background building hardware with stringent security requirements
• Knowledge of power management and battery optimization for connected devices
• Experience leading RF testing, certification, and regulatory compliance (FCC, ETSI)
• Ability to evaluate antenna design and RF architecture in challenging environments
• Experience optimizing wireless performance in products with metal enclosures
• Experience with waterproof/water-resistant design (e.g., Moen smart shower, water shutoff)
• Familiarity with mechanical locking mechanisms and electronic access control systems
• Experience designing products to meet ANSI/BHMA residential/commercial grading
• Outdoor-rated product development experience with IP65/IP67 certification

Additional Information

Fortune Brands believes in fair and equitable pay. The base salary range for this role is $150,000 USD - $264,000 USD. Actual salaries vary based on education, experience, and location. In addition to base salary, employees may participate in an annual bonus plan or a role-based sales incentive plan. We offer comprehensive benefits, including health plans, a 401(k) with company contribution, product discounts, flexible time off, fertility/adoption benefits, and Employee Resource Groups to support inclusivity and belonging.

Fortune Brands is headquartered in Deerfield, Illinois and trades on the NYSE as FBIN.

Equal Employment Opportunity

FBIN is an equal employment opportunity employer and does not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, marital status, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, genetic information, or any other legally protected characteristic.

Reasonable Accommodations

FBIN is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you need an accommodation, please contact us at fbinleave.fbhs@fbin.com with your request and contact information.

To protect yourself from fraudulent postings, note that FBIN postings are hosted on our careers page at www.fbin.com/careers.