Kevin Eckhardt
Engineer | VP/Director | Servant-Leader | Software/Firmware/Hardware |
- Role
- Director Software Engineering at Promethean
- Location
- Redmond, WA, US
- LinkedIn followers
- 500 followers
About Kevin Eckhardt
WHO I AMI began my career as a Hardware and Software Design Engineer, initially working on classified military avionics with a focus on audio DSP, building prototypes to validate technical concepts. I then transitioned to commercial avionics, developing products like Honeywell’s first Solid-State Cockpit Voice Recorder (SSCVR), now used across major aircraft manufacturers. Progressing to Engineering management, I became VP of Engineering at Zetron, leading global teams in creating mission-critical communication systems for public safety and industry, both in standard products and custom systems. Currently, I lead engineering in Edtech, overseeing teams in the US, China, and the UK to develop custom Android OS and cross-platform applications for Interactive Flat Panel Displays (IFPDs) used in classrooms and corporate settings, with over one million AWS Cloud-connected units deployed. My journey has been marked by building high-performing teams that deliver complex, high-value solutions for critical applications.WHAT I DOI am an Engineering Leader with a servant-leader approach, prioritizing clear communication across teams to align everyone with corporate goals and to highlight each person’s impact. Through empathy and high expectations, I manage with a mix of 1:1s, team and cross-team meetings, and organizational feedback sessions to foster strong, trust-based relationships. Building a close partnership with Product teams is essential to my leadership, as is connecting with customers to understand and meet their needs directly.Additionally, I drive the exploration of Emerging Technologies, owning the technology roadmap and encouraging R&D through prototypes, PoCs, technology studies, and hackathons to showcase Engineering’s creativity and impact. Success, to me, is when these innovations are integrated into product lines and recognized by customers for their value.TECHNOLOGY, PLATFORMS, TOOLSMy expertise spans wired and wireless technologies and mission-critical communication system design. Core technologies, platforms, and tools include:Technologies: VoIP, DSP, HTTP/TCP/IP, IoT, Wireless, Real-Time Media, PTT/MCPTT, WebRTC, Embedded Firmware, Hardware Design (Analog/Digital), FPGA/CPLDLanguages: C/C++, Java/Kotlin, Python, Electron/Web.NET/C#Applications: Telecom, NG911, LMR/Digital LMR (DMR, P25)Platforms: AWS Cloud, Windows, Linux, MacOS, Chrome OS, Android, RTEMS/RTOSDevOps Tools: Microsoft, GitLab, Bamboo, TestRail, Atlassian
Experience
Director Software Engineering
Feb 2022 — Present · Seattle, WA, US
Managed a team of 25-30 engineers, including Managers and individual contributors.• Led distributed Engineering teams across China, the US, and the UK, aligning resources to deliver Embedded Android Firmware for IFPDs, supporting $300M in annual revenue.• Recruited globally, mentored, and stabilized the Systems Firmware Engineering team; applied OKRs to synchronize team goals with departmental vision and tracked biweekly progress, achieving a 90% on-time project delivery rate.• Expanded department scope to develop an Electron-based, cross-platform (Windows, MacOS, Chrome) software suite, delivering the company’s first concept-to-production SaaS product on schedule.• Directed the creation of real-time video and screen-sharing software with an AWS Cloud backend, enabling cross-platform functionality that enhanced customer satisfaction and competitive edge.• Collaborated with Directors, Product Managers, UX teams, and ODMs to deliver the award-winning AP9 IFPD, recognized by “EdTech Breakthrough 2023,” using Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) methodologies.
Education
University of California, Berkeley
C Language Programming, DSP
DeVry Institute of Technology
Bachelor of Science - BS, Electronics Engineering Technology
Skills
- Product Marketing
- Leadership
- Telecommunications
- Product Development
- Network Design
- Electronics
- Microwave
- Wireless
- Rf
- Integration
- Mobile Devices
- System Architecture
- Engineering
- Software Engineering
- Systems Engineering
- Product Management
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