At WHOOP, we’re on a mission to unlock human performance and extend healthspan. We empower our members: athletes, professionals, everyday wellness‑seekers to perform at a higher level by deeply understanding the signals from their bodies and translating them into meaningful insights. 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. RESPONSIBILITIES:

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.

QUALIFICATIONS:

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.

This role is based in the WHOOP office located in Boston, MA. The successful candidate must be prepared to relocate if necessary to work out of the Boston, MA office. 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. WHOOP is an Equal Opportunity Employer and participates in E-verify to determine employment eligibility. It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability. The WHOOP compensation philosophy is designed to attract, motivate, and retain exceptional talent by offering competitive base salaries, meaningful equity, and consistent pay practices that reflect our mission and core values. At WHOOP, we view total compensation as the combination of base salary, equity, and benefits, with equity serving as a key differentiator that aligns our employees with the long-term success of the company and allows every member of our corporate team to own part of WHOOP and share in the company’s long-term growth and success. The U.S. base salary range for this full-time position is $200,000-$240,000. Salary ranges are determined by role, level, and location. Within each range, individual pay is based on factors such as job-related skills, experience, performance, and relevant education or training. In addition to the base salary, the successful candidate will also receive benefits and a generous equity package. These ranges may be modified in the future to reflect evolving market conditions and organizational needs. While most offers will typically fall toward the starting point of the range, total compensation will depend on the candidate’s specific qualifications, expertise, and alignment with the role’s requirements. Learn more about WHOOP.