Director of Systems Engineering, WHOOP
$200-240k
+ Equity
Wearable health and fitness devices
Open for applications
Wearable health and fitness devices
1001+ employees
Open for applications
$200-240k
+ Equity
1001+ employees
Company mission
To unlock human performance and Healthspan.
Role
Who you are
- BS/MS in Systems, Electrical, Mechanical, or related engineering field
- 15+ years in systems engineering, architecture, or cross-disciplinary hardware roles, preferably for complex consumer, wearable, or medical/regulated devices
- Demonstrated success architecting and bringing multi-disciplinary systems through multiple product cycles and into high-volume production
- Experience building and leading engineering teams and partnering with senior leadership in fast-paced, ambiguous environments
- Strong ability to communicate complex system concepts, drive alignment, and guide high-impact trade-offs across domains
- Expertise in systems decomposition, risk management, and creating robust V&V strategies for NPI and manufacturing
- Deep technical proficiency across: power architecture, communication buses, wireless interfaces (e.g., BLE), sensing systems, and mechanical/electrical/firmware integration
- Passion for human performance, wearable technology, and data-driven innovation
- Commitment to leveraging AI tools to improve architectural clarity, documentation quality, and engineering efficiency
- Interested in the role, but don’t meet every qualification? We encourage you to still apply! At WHOOP, we believe there is much more to a candidate than what is written on paper, and we value character as much as experience. As we continue to build a diverse and inclusive environment, we encourage anyone who is interested in this role to apply
What the job involves
- We are seeking an accomplished, strategic Director of Systems Engineering to lead the system-level architecture and integration for WHOOP’s hardware ecosystem
- Reporting directly to the Co-Founder & Chief Hardware Engineer, this leader will shape how WHOOP conceives, designs, verifies, and launches complex, multi-disciplinary products
- You will build and scale the systems engineering function, codifying best-in-class processes around architecture, requirements, risk management, verification/validation, and cross-functional alignment
- As a senior technical leader, you will drive clarity in ambiguous spaces, influence product direction early, and ensure our products deliver exceptional performance, reliability, manufacturability, and member value
- Your impact will be both technical and organizational
- You’ll define system foundations, elevate engineering rigor, and enable productive collaboration across all hardware development and product teams
- Build, mentor, and scale the Systems Engineering organization, setting standards for documentation, architecture rigor, risk management, and systems thinking
- Lead systems engineering processes across hardware teams: system and subsystem requirements definition, decomposition, trade-off evaluation, integration planning, and structured decision-making
- Develop and oversee system-level V&V strategies for performance, reliability, regulatory/environmental compliance, and manufacturing readiness
- Influence early product direction by guiding feasibility, platform decisions, architectural roadmaps, and NPI strategy
- Communicate systems status, dependencies, risks, and recommendations to senior leadership and cross-functional partners
- Foster a culture of high output, humility, collaboration, and deep focus on the member experience
Our take
WHOOP develops wearable health-tracking devices designed to help athletes optimise their performance. Its technology continuously monitors recovery, sleep, and training hours to fine-tune both individual and team performance. Unlike competitors that primarily track exercise data, WHOOP's holistic approach includes metrics like heart rate variability, which can influence more effective and healthier exercise routines.
By focusing on a subscription model that includes the cost of the physical device, WHOOP differentiates itself from competitors that charge a higher one-time fee for their products. This model provides ongoing value and encourages users to stay engaged with their health data.
WHOOP's comprehensive monitoring of strain and recovery has given it a competitive edge, even as other brands like Fitbit have incorporated similar features. Beyond sports performance, WHOOP has conducted extensive research on predicting premature births, aiming to integrate these findings into their app. This commitment to broader health applications demonstrates WHOOP's dedication to advancing wearable health technology.
Steph
Company Specialist at Welcome to the Jungle
Insights
1% employee growth in 12 months
Company
Funding (last 2 of 8 rounds)
Aug 2021
$200m
SERIES F
Oct 2020
$100m
SERIES E
Total funding: $404.8m
Company benefits
- Flexible Vacation: WHOOP has a flexible vacation policy that allows you to unwind, laptop-free, when you need it most.
- Focus on Family: We offer 18 weeks paid parental leave, plus an additional 2 weeks to gradually return to work.
- Get Invested: In addition to a competitive base salary and 401k, you're eligible to receive stock options to share in the future of WHOOP.
- WHOOP +1: Everyone on the team gets a complimentary WHOOP membership—plus another membership to share with a loved one.
- Health Matters: Our competitive benefits package covers medical, dental, and vision, in addition to mental health services, life and disability insurance, and more.
- Find Your Fit: Full-time employees get $500 a year to spend on wellness in whatever way they see fit, from fitness classes and memberships, to recovery services.
- It Pays to Sleep: Our Sleep Performance Program incentivizes employees to get more sleep. Log an average sleep performance of 85% or higher for the month and get a $100 bonus.
- Location, Location, Location: You can’t beat the views from the rooftop of One Kenmore Square. Feel inspired daily as you work, enjoy free snacks and coffee, and collaborate in the heart of Boston.
Company HQ
West Fens, Boston, MA
Leadership
Will Ahmed
(Founder & CEO)After graduating from Harvard with a Bachelor of Arts in Government and Economics, Will went on to hold Summer Analyst roles at Allen & Company and Lindsay Goldberg before founding WHOOP in 2012.
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