Karthik Ramana Sankar

About Karthik Ramana Sankar

Embedded Software Engineering Manager and Senior Technical Leader with 16 years of experience, including 5+ years in leadership roles and a strong background as a senior technical contributor. Proven expertise in building consumer audio and semiconductor SoC products, with full-cycle product experience spanning vision, system design, cross-functional alignment, development, testing, manufacturing, and support. Skilled in building global high-performing teams, setting technical direction, and delivering embedded software at scale. Published inventor with 4 patents in the area of debugging complex embedded systems and portable consumer audio products. Passionate about driving innovation, solving complex challenges, and empowering teams with an entrepreneurial mindset.

Experience

1. Embedded Software Engineering Manager

   Bose Corporation

   Sep 2022 — Present · Austin, TX, US

   Led multiple firmware teams (2 tech leads, 12 engineers) in developing the wearables firmware platform, delivering critical features such as Over-the-Air (OTA) updates, data collection, product security, product FW-Mobile App interface, speaker linking, and Android ecosystem integrations (Google Fast Pair, Google Finder). Reduced new product development time by 50% through platform reusability- Enabled successful launch of flagship Bose products (QuietComfort Ultra Headphones, Ultra Earbuds, Ultra Open Earbuds, SoundLink Flex, SoundLink Max), contributing to multi-million unit sales worldwide- Scaled team by hiring top firmware talent across all levels; improved retention by 20% through structured performance management and career development.

Education

• The University of Texas at Austin

  MSEE, Computer Engineering

  2009 — 2011

• Anna University Chennai

  B.E., Electronics & Instrumentation

  2003 — 2007

• Stanford University Graduate School of Business

  Graduate Certification in Innovation and Entrepreneurship

  2015 — 2017

Skills

• C
• Programming
• Multicore Programming
• Device Drivers
• Embedded C
• Representational State Transfer (Rest)
• C++
• Rtos
• Object-Oriented Programming (Oop)
• Computer Networking
• Pcie
• Functional Verification
• Embedded Operating Systems
• Software Design
• Microcontrollers
• Wireless
• Embedded Software
• Asic
• Linux
• Operating Systems
• Arm
• Multi-Core
• Embedded Systems
• Code Composer Studio
• System on a Chip (Soc)
• Debugging
• Rapidio
• Wireless Technologies
• Digital Signal Processors